Traditionally, group learning has always been considered effective. It is an ancient custom that was followed in Western Philosophy in Greece, the Gurukul system in India and even in the traditions of ancient China and Japan. The roots of some of the world’s great religions started with a teacher interacting with students in small group classes.
In short, group learning has been in existence for centuries and is perhaps as old as the idea of learning itself. The vital component of learning in groups, in general, is that the social interaction between students goes a long way in nurturing their minds. It is also known to promote active learning opportunities in a very natural manner.
While learning in groups yields several benefits for students like engagement, motivation, contribution to creativity, a better understanding of the topic at hand etc, it is also highly beneficial from a tutor’s point of view as well.
It leads to several straight benefits for tutors like:
1. Time management: Group classes are a great way for tutors to save on the precious resource called time and manage it wisely. By providing group classes, tutors are able to have extra time to teach. For instance, if a tutor takes private group classes for five students instead of teaching a one-on-one session to each student, he/she can teach them in a group together saves four hours of time. This time can be utilised to undertake more teaching assignments, spending time with one’s family and have some personal time.
2. Saving on travel time: One of the big issues faced by tutors is long travel times. Most tutors end up wasting large amounts of time commuting from one student to the other and being stuck in traffic. The pressure of reaching places can, in fact, hamper schedules and even end up stressing out tutors so much so that they may find it tough to focus on their students. Group classes are an effective solution to this issue since tutors don’t have to travel to separate locations for students. Both can decide on a mutually-agreeable location where classes could be held.
3. Flexibility: While face-to-face tuitions are still a norm, some of the best tutors are moving their businesses online, and for good reason. For online tutors too, the idea of conducting Group classes is an attractive proposition. It lends them the flexibility to schedule classes as per their own time. They can keep their calendar flexible and take as many tutoring assignments as possible without having to worry about travelling from one place to another.
Advertisement
