Can you give us an introduction otoBuddy School – what is your history and mission?
BuddySchool is an online tutoring platform, where users from all over the world meet to share their experiences and knowledge. We want to provide all the necessary tools they need to make communicating online easier.
How has online education changed since you started and where do you see it going in the future?
Expanding the online world is a sign of the modern times. Online conversations became a natural way of communicating with others. We believe that this is the future of education. Even universities offer studying online and the increasing popularity of this solution proves that it’s necessary and people got convinced to it.
What are the main differences between online and classroom teaching?
Meeting people in the real, offline life is always more rewarding and fruitful than computer mediated communication. On the other hand, it is also more demanding when it comes to i.a. adjustment to the schedule, travel costs and looking for suitable persons.
Online teaching enables meeting many people and finding the perfect teacher. The variety of countries where users are from results in presenting various styles of teaching.
What skills or characteristics make up a great online teacher?
The best online teacher must be creative to attract students and encourage them to book the next lesson with him or her. Obviously, knowledge is necessary and experience may be useful to perform lessons efficiently. Also, only people who like what they do can do it the best, so the more passion as a teacher you have the more recognition of students you can gain.
How can teachers stand out when using a profile-based site like Buddy School?
The first thing seen by a student is a tutor’s profile picture. This is why we always encourage a teacher to upload one after entering basic information about him or her. The most popular teachers receive many positive comments for lessons they gave, what increases their scoring. It is very important for students to book lessons with trustworthy teachers. However, new teachers with no comments can offer a short, free test lesson to present themselves to others. Obviously, all characteristics and skills making up a great online teacher, like creativity, experience and passion, are very appreciated by students and make a teacher popular.
