Occupation: Chief Marketing Officer
Company: Tutorful
Location: Sheffield
About business: Online tutoring platform that has offered over 2 million lessons across its platform.
About expert: James has been in the tech industry for over 20 years.
1. What’s the biggest benefit of online learning vs a traditional classroom setting?
Parents can find the perfect tutor for their child from anywhere in the UK. The pandemic has made us increasingly aware that all children learn in different ways, and online lessons can be tailored to a child’s specific learning needs and can focus in the right areas to help the individual child.
2. Should schools and the government pilot a hybrid / remote learning model to allow children to be homeschooled?
The move to online learning due to the Covid pandemic has given parents a real insight into how their children are taught at school, perhaps for the first time. Many parents now realise that traditional lessons in a class with 30 other children are not the most effective way for their child to learn. Learning is not a ‘one size fits all situation. Online lessons can better cater for children to learn in a way that suits their particular style and gives parents an insight into how their child learns.
3. How do you think remote schooling could work best / be managed?
Children can watch back recorded lessons for revision or to learn at a more convenient time. Additionally, a mixture of live lessons and recorded sessions would be optimum and suit all abilities of children.
4. How do you think digital learning will change the future of education?
We’re moving towards a society where computers are used to carry out most tasks, so it makes sense that children could use them to further their learning. Our online classroom, for example, is custom-built to encompass everything a child needs for an effective lesson. The tutor can share their screen, and both parties can draw, highlight important points and make notes on the document together. It’s very collaborative and interactive.
5. How can the government help improve digital learning?
More investments in technology to help facilitate digital learning would be beneficial.
6. What advice would you give to your younger self while at school?
This was in college, not school. I quit coding in the late 90s but wish I’d kept it up!
7. What was your biggest struggle in school, and how did you overcome it?
I went to a fairly bog standard comprehensive school and most of my friends were in sets far lower than me. I struggled with a peer set that wasn’t as attuned to learning as I was. Academic achievements weren’t celebrated as much as they could be – all leading to confidence issues. Once I widened my circle of friends and my accomplishments were recognised by them and my teachers, I started finding my self-confidence.
