A PROJECT REPORT ON
“Proposing a product mix and thorough study of the business and then proposing the promotional strategies ” SUMMER PROJECT REPORT UNDERTAKEN WITH
Jupiter2xlearning.com ( JUPITER ONLINE SERVICES PVT. LTD)
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TO
FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Udaipur (Raj.) 313001 SUBMITTED BY:
DHEERAJ JAIN MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION* (2007-09)
SYNOPSIS This project deals with the promotional strategies for an online tutoring company, jupiter2xlearning.com and about the t he product mix for the same. Today’s era is an era of Computers and its technologies and internet world. Now a day we can not imagine our life without computer and its uses. Everyone is taking advantage of its applications in his/her day to day life e.g. for trade (selling/buying things), for matrimonial services, for documentation, for saving important and crucial data, in medical field, for research work, for primary data collection, for education purpose, for communication, for sharing personal details via co mmunities/ mmunities/ blogging etc. This project talks about its one of internet based service that is ONLINE TUTORING. This concept of online tutoring is done with the leading edge technologies of VOIP and whiteboard and some other relevant software. This has finished the way back style of teaching in which students use to sit in front of teacher. Now there is a whiteboard and headphone for whole session, and this sessions are completely students driven so now they can decide what they want to learn from the tutors. My project was on “proposing a product mix and promotional strategies for Jupiter online services”, whose online project is jupiter2xlearning.com before going through the project it was very necessary for me to understand this business so went for hardcore searching for the industry and when understood completely I started working on my project. It does not include a perfect pattern of the project as I am not well known to project and all that, what I knew was to work for the company. Whenever I had something for the betterment for the organization I immediately shared with the director. This project includes the whole process pro cess through which I went while doing project. pro ject.
For better understanding I went for the trip to New Delhi. It was not an easy decision to go there. At first I was avoiding this as I never been outside of home town but my boss insisted that learning would come only if I follow some hard steps in life. Inspiring from this I contacted many of the competitors for the information but all refuses to unveil their secrets to me. But constant pressure from my side made some so me of them little bit softer. Finally three of them were ready to talk to me and its my luck that all were from one place. ☺ I went there and saw their infrastructure and understood the processes of tutoring, what they offer to the tutors, how the acquire the students, how they train to the tutors for online tutoring, their future plans etc. it was really an amazing experience to go over there. I missed two three things when contacted them but after realizing those I immediately screw them up with efficiency. No special tool was used for this information getting only the questionnaire I prepared prep ared was mandatory. All I can say at last that it was extreme experience for me to explore my ideas in the benefits to the organization in which I was working..
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am highly obliged to work with Mr. Avinash Agrawal. I thank him for his continuous support in the MBA summer program. He was always there to listen and to give advice. He is responsible for involving me in this important project in the first place. Mr. Agrawal has been a motivator and mentor more importantly, he taught me how to work hard and play hard, and how to ski to reduce stress! Without his encouragement and constant guidance (and the Tender Loving Care for me), I could not have finished this project. He was always there to help and talk about my ideas. Mr. Agrawal has kept me in good spirits all the time. Mr. Pawan Shanker Sharma gave insightful comments and reviewed my work on a very short notice. I thank Mr. Jim Coffis for and Mr. Pawan Shanker Sharma, with whom I explored the ideas, organization, requirements and development process. Thanks also to Mr. Sanjay Jain (at PIM) for guiding me marketing strategy, techniques and how to do usability study and to Dr. Anil Kothari for his encouragement to do this project. He agreed upon this project and support me to do this. Also I want to extend my gratitude to my beloved parents, my sister Ms. Ayushi and Ms. Aarti for giving moral support, guidance & motivation, for listening and cooperating and also for believing in me.
LIST OF CONTENTS 1. Synopsis 2. Acknowledgement Acknowledgement 3. Industry Profile 4. Organization Profile 5. Need for Study 6. Literature Survey 7. Objectives of Studies 8. Research Methodology 9. Analysis of the study 10. Findings 11. Suggestions and Recommendations 12. Bibliography
Industry Profile Market share is owned by some big p layers in the online tutoring industry. These are listed below: -
Tutorvista.com Mathguru.com Tutors.com Transtutors.com Sylvan-Online.net Gomath.com Smarthinking.com Tutor.com Atoztutoring.com Educomp.com Careerlauncher.com Anytimetutor.com SmarterKids.com Homeworknow.com Growingstars.com etc.
“No child left behind Act”, the recent law passed by the American government in the year 2002, has been a propelling force towards the direction of boosting online tutoring. According to this law the schools (public as well as private), which “failed” to provide quality education to the teenagers, are required to hire private tutors to enhance the student’s performance. Since then the schools that were lagging behind have tightened their belts. Due to this many American families have started enrolling their kids to these online tutoring centers rather than sending them to private tutors. The private tutors or tutorial companies in US charged $ 50 to $ 100 per hour and that helped a lot in boosting the business for these online tutorials companies as they charge as low as $ 15 per hour! Many Indian based companies like TransWebTutors (transwebtutors.com), BrainFuse, TransTutors and Tutor vista have come up with some very exciting offers. They are providing preparation for standardized tests like TOEFL, SAT, GRE, GMAT etc. Apart from this TransWebTutors (transwebtutors.com), a New Delhi based company is offering an unlimited online tutoring for $ 99 per month. Isn’t that mind blowing? These online tutorial companies have got a pool of teachers specialized in subjects like Mathematics, Science, English etc. Online Tutoring industry has risen up very much and is growing day by day. Online tutoring is a key to success for American teenagers and serve as a tremendous weapon for their growth and success in the coming future. It's the outsourcing of education. Just like manufacturing or service jobs, borders no longer limit the task of teaching America’s youth!
Online tutoring is proving to be a boon for quality education starved students especially in developing countries where tutoring charges are very high. Online tutoring is the best way for such students to get extra help in perusing their study smoothly. Just with a click of mouse, you get access to professionals and tutorials of desired subjects. In US itself, online tutoring costs 30-40% less than traditional tutoring. Apart from monetary concerns, students save a lot of time and energy as in this case the scope of commuting is out of question. Students can avail online tutoring anywhere, be it public library, school, home, cyber café or a friend’s place. Online tutoring facilitates the students to chart out their program according to their own preferences. Flexibility of timings in online tutoring doesn’t force the students to cancel or postpone their other important engagements. Students can avail online tutoring anytime, be it early hours or late night without disturbing their regular study hours and tasks. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act of America worked as a catalyst in the growth of online tutoring industry. Outsourced tutors are being used to fulfill the supplementary education requirements of knowledge starved American students. Indian companies like TransWebTutors, Tutorvista, and Transtutors are providing online tutoring services with utmost perfection. These companies work hard to train and to make their tutors familiar with American curriculums. Tutors of these companies easily assess the capability of students and match the pace of tutoring according to individual capability of students. The statistics of success in US, UK, Canada, Australia and other developed countries, confirm the quality entrepreneurship, perfection and excellence of management people and employed tutors of these companies co mpanies in online tutoring.
*India is fast emerging as the global online tutoring hub by delivering top-notch teaching services at down-to-earth rates. With a large number of dedicated post-graduates well-versed in English language, India has the greatest potential to grow in the online tutoring industry, say industry insiders. Indian teachers provide tutoring services at a fraction of the amount charged by their counterparts in the United States, United United Kingdom Kingdo m and other European countries. co untries. "When it costs $40-100 per hour in the US, Indian teachers charge three to four times less," says V Rameshwar, Chief Quality Officer of Chennai-based Tutors World Wide (I) Pvt Ltd. Going a step further, Bangalore-based Tutorvista provides unlimited tutoring for a month for USD 100, says its Chairman and Founder, Fo under, K Ganesh. Within a short span of two years, ever since supplementary education through internet attained an industry status in India, the growth rat e is 100-150 per cent, says Rameshwar. The company, which was started in 2004, now has 400 teachers in its pay-roll and around 5,000 students across the globe. According to Ganesh, 18 months back, Tutorvista started with one teacher and one student and now has 500 teachers and over 2,000 students. India now earns around 15 million USD per year from online tutoring --10 per cent of the total market share. "This is expected to swell to 2.4 billion USD within three years", says Ganesh. Tutorvista has students in 12 countries, including Australia, Turkey, Denmark, Singapore, the Middle East and Canada. But majority of the students are from the US and the UK.
Organizational Profile Jupiter2xLearning.com
is an on-line learning community designed to
share knowledge, with students in the most convenient, efficient and affordable manner possible. We provide on demand, real time, professional professional tutoring services to elementary, elementary, middle and high school age students around the world with committed, professional, highly trained educators. We utilize utilize individualized learning methods, personal one to one interaction, voice and text communication in a virtual classroom complete with interactive whiteboard, image and file sharing capabilities and much more.
Our goal is to promote and facilitate the sharing of knowledge. knowledge. We aim to create a global learning collaborative dedicated to the advancement of education for all. We invite you to join with us. Jupiter2xLearning.com is an on-line learning community offering tutoring in the most convenient, efficient and affordable affordable manner possible. We integrate integrate 21st century learning technologies including voice, text chat and interactive whiteboard, with instant, any time access via the internet to provide personal, one on one, on demand, real time, and professional tutoring services for elementary, middle, high school and college age students. Every student is individually assessed and assigned a personal tutor and academic counselor.
Individual sessions are scheduled scheduled by the student student and parent at their
convenience. Every school night tutors are available on demand to provide provide help via instant messaging, text chat and email e mail..
PERSONAL TUTORING Our one student to one tutor programs takes place on-line, from the convenience of your your home, school or library on a schedule of your choosing.
Every session session is
conducted in a virtual classroom with full interactive voice, text chat and whiteboard complete with file sharing, image uploading and remote access to a growing collection of web resources. Sessions are private and secure secure and each is fully recorded and saved for review and monitoring by students parents and approved mentors. Study after study has proven that one to one interaction is the most efficient and effective method of providing high quality instruction.
The student and parent determine a schedule for each personal one on one tutoring session session that best meets their their needs. Tutors can be be scheduled anytime, literally literally 24/7. And you’re not locked locked into the same time and day if you you don’t want to be. At the scheduled time the student is prompted to go to their personal learning site, where their individualized plan, previous sessions and other learning tools are maintained. Once the secure connection connection is established the teacher teacher and learner proceed as if they were sitting next to each other over an assignment. Each student chooses an on-line persona for security purposes and tutors may not request or inquire about personal p ersonal identification. identification. No special equipment or software is required just a computer (Mac or PC) with an Internet connection.
OUR TUTORS We are not a tutor match site or marketplace. Our tutors are recruited, vetted, trained and become become employees of Jupiter. They all have classroom experience and at least a Bachelors degree – many have post graduate degrees or coursework. We provide training in local and state curriculum and on-line learning learning technologies. We constantly monitor and assess their performance and every tutor agrees to abide by a strict code of ethics.
COMPARE US Jupiter
Private Tutors
Learning Centers
One to One
Personal Tutor
On Demand Service
Free Assessment
Flexible 24/7 Schedule Recorded Sessions
On Line
Affordable
$50 and up per hour, Long Under $20 per hour
$30-$50 per hour and up Term Contracts and Fees
ON DEMAND Our on demand demand tutoring service service is unique. Every school night, our tutors are available and waiting to help students stude nts via instant messaging, text chat and e mail. mail. On-line learning assistance assistance is a rapidly rapidly growing business worldwide. There are a number of very large companies who have entered the field in the last few years offering 24/7 on demand services subsidized by taxpayers through public libraries and school districts. These companies try to respond to thousands of students every every day.
On demand learning assistance is a growing trend throughout the U.S. particularly among public library systems where the service is billed as “homework help” or “on-line reference”.
At Jupiter our on demand service is available only to our enrolled students, which ensures we can always always maintain a proper ratio ratio of students to tutors. This also also ensures a quicker response time and the ability for our tutors to devote the time necessary to accurately and adequately provide the assistance requested. Since every Jupiter student has their own personal learning site, our tutors can quickly determine their level of understanding and the best approach to provide assistance. Like our personal tutoring sessions, every on demand inquiry is recorded, saved and is accessible by the student and parent. No other service service can provide that level of safety and security.
HOW IT WORKS? Our one student to one tutor programs takes place on-line, from the convenience of your home, school or library (wherever you have a computer with an internet connection) on a schedule of your choosing.
Every session is conducted in a virtual classroom with full interactive voice, text chat and whiteboard complete with file sharing, image uploading and remote access to a growing collection of web resources. Sessions are private and secure and each is fully recorded and saved for review and monitoring by students parents and approved mentors.
The environment is fun and completely familiar to the vast majority of internet using children who now spend as much or more time on-line as they do in a classroom.
After submitting a free enrollment application on-line, parents and students can schedule a free free personal assessment and and consultation with with an academic counselor. The student and the parent then choose from among our core programs the one best suited to the child’s age and academic level or they may design a completely custom program. The student and parent determine a schedule for each personal one on one tutoring session that best meets meets their needs. needs. Tutors can be scheduled anytime, literally. literally. And you’re not locked into the same time and day if you don’t want to be.
At the scheduled time the student will be prompted to go to their individual learning site site to meet with their personal tutor. tutor. Once the secure connection is established the teacher and learner proceed as if they were sitting next to each other over an assignment.
The one on one tutoring session session is only a part of our service. service. We provide each student with their own personal learning site that they can access 24/7 to organize their schoolwork and store their on-going projects and lessons for review. Additionally every student has access to a treasure chest of age-appropriate web learning resources selected specifically for for them. The personal learning site site also protects each child’s identity and personal contact information by providing them an o n-line persona.
Our on demand service service is also unique. Every school night, tutors are available and waiting to help students instantly instantly via instant messaging, or email. email. On demand learning assistance is a growing trend throughout the U.S. particularly among public library systems where the service is billed as “homework help” or “on-line reference”. The differences between Jupiter and the mass market providers is we are focused on the individual. As a registered Jupiter Jupiter student your learning plan and notes from from your personal tutor are accessible by all or our tutors so if a student comes on-line in between scheduled sessions with specific assistance requirements our tutors can quickly determine the level of understanding and the best approach to provide provide assistance. Since we do not provide unlimited access to entire populations of cities and states we can maintain a proper ratio of tutors to students during these access periods to ensure not only a quick response but the time necessary to really respond properly.
WHAT WE OFFER Jupiter2XLearning.com Price Sheet - Fall 2008 On Age Level
Program
Study Buddy Basic
Per
Mos
Semester
Sessions DemandAccess
Elementary
Per
Yes
4*
$89.99
$239.99
Study Buddy Elementary
Accelerated
Yes
6*
$109.99
$295.99
Elementary
Study Buddy Intensive
Yes
8*
$189.99
$349.99
1
$9.99
Extra One on One Elementary
Sessions
High
College Prep
Yes
4*
$129.99
$349.99
College Prep
Yes
6*
$159.99
$429.99
School
College Prep
Yes
8*
$189.99
$509.99
High
Extra One on One
School
Sessions
1
$14.99
School High School High
High School
Scholar
Yes
4*
$169.99
$456.99
Scholar
Yes
6*
$209.99
$564.99
Scholar
Yes
8*
$249.99
$672.99
High School High School
Special Services
Elementary
One on One
No
4
$59.99
$162.99
Elementary
Single Sessions
No
1
$14.99
One on One
No
4
$79.96
School
Single Sessions
No
1
$19.99
All Ages
Language
Yes
4*
$129.99
$349.99
All Ages
Language
Yes
6*
$159.99
$429.99
All Ages
Language
Yes
8*
$189.99
$509.99
All Ages
Language One on One
No
4
$59.99
$159.99
Sessions
No
1
$14.99
ACT/SAT Test Prep
Yes
12
A/P Test Prep
Yes
6
High School
$214.99
High
Language Single All Ages
High School
$179.99
High School
$89.99
Need for Study Every business needs growth and for that it needs continuous efforts and new technologies. For that the researchers has always been trying hard to explore new ideas and ways to satisfy satisfy the customer’s need. Customers are also very intelligent now a day, they know the market very well and because of the highly competitive market they have more options to choose from. He always looks for his profit as well as the services associated with the relevant products. In our organization also there is an intellectual group of customer who know what they are getting and at what cost. They are not bothered by the price they paying with respect to the quality. We have the quality and the best price in the tutoring world but what we are lacking in is our promotion, as being at initial stage we are targeting students from US only. So our current task was to promote our business, it could be in any way either through website or surveys or campaign or road shows or presentations or some educational programs or through some email marketing concepts or by sending mailers etc. these are so many…. So to reach to the targeted customers we needed heavy promotions and different packages. Our main target were the students from K-1 to K-12 for academic subjects and for the languages we were targeting only those who wanted to learn new languages and children of NRIs who were willing willing to learn the Hindi language. These were the main criterion for the study this project.
Literature Survey Article: - Point, Click and Learn: Indian Online Tutoring Companies Find Their Global Markets Published: May 15, 2008 in India Knowledge@Wharton
When Biju Mathew moved to the United States in 2000 to work as a software engineer in a Silicon Valley start-up, he hit an unexpected roadblock in his personal life: finding tutors for his school-age children. His kids had been used to tutoring in India and wanted to continue with it in their new environment. Mathew, however, found tutoring in the United States , both traditional and online, very expensive. At anywhere between $40 and $100 per hour, the kind of daily tutoring that his children were used to was unaffordable. Mathew looked for some way to connect his children to their tutors back in India . He also realized that, like him, many other parents in the United States would want highquality tutoring for their children at affordable prices. Spotting a business opportunity, Mathew found a seed investor, Saji Philip. He then hired three software engineers in his hometown in Kochi in southern India to work on the software required for e-tutoring. In January 2004, with the technology in place and three tutors on board, he set up Growing Stars and offered math tutoring at $25 per hour. Over the last few years, online tutoring from India for students across the globe has taken on the contours of an industry. Along with other services in the burgeoning person-toperson offshoring (PPO) space, it has tremendous growth potential: In the U.S. market
alone, revenues for Indian tutoring companies are estimated by some to be at $20 million today, and industry players expect t he total to reach $2 billion in three to five years. Demand for online tutoring from India is driven by its large talent pool of teachers and lower costs. This is similar to the demand for the well-established Indian software and services and business process outsourcing industries. Then there is the advantage of sheer convenience. In most of these companies, online tutors are available 24 hours a day for one-on-one help. Students can log in at their convenience and assignments can be discussed through online chat sessions and voice. A virtual whiteboard allows the use of charts, graphs and diagrams. While there are no firm numbers about the industry's size, estimates suggest that well over 100 players fill the space. They range in size from the venture-fund backed TutorVista.com, which has 600 tutors and 10,000 students, to Tutors Worldwide India, a fully-owned subsidiary of the U.S. company Socratic So cratic Learning, with 250 tutors. t utors. There are also mom-and-pop outfits with five tutors or fewer. Science, mathematics and English are usually taught. Offerings include homework help, regular grade tutoring, and preparation for the SAT, ACT and other exams. In many cases, tutors work from their homes. Though prices vary, they are much lower than those at U.S. tutoring firms, in some cases as low as $10 an hour. TutorVista.com, which charges $99.99 per month for unlimited tutoring, aims to make its service part of a family's monthly budget, like a health club membership.
A Wealth of End Consumers A report by Alok Aggarwal of Evalueserve, a global research and analytics services firm, puts online tutoring from India as one of the PPO services to watch out for. Others with
strong growth potential are website development, graphic design, and editorial and writing services, according to the report. Aggarwal says that with technology advances and the growth of the Internet, small offices, home businesses and individuals can utilize PPO services. Individually taken, each contract is often of low value, usually between $100 and $5,000. "But since the number of end consumers and small businesses is enormous, the total addressable market in the United States alone easily exceeds $20 billion," the report says. sa ys. Evalueserve's research shows that from April 2006 through March 2007, revenues from the PPO sector were more than $250 million. Aggarwal says that India 's share was $35 million to $40 million, and that online tutoring from India would have been around $12 million to $14 million. He expects the PPO market to grow to more than $2 billion by 2015. Indian players are far more bullish. They estimate revenues from tutoring from India to the United States at $20 million, and expect the total to reach $2 billion in three to five years. According to K. Ganesh, founder of TutorVista, "This is like the market for computers or the market for cell phones in India . It is completely dependent upon how disruptive the model is and the price point." Technology, both by way of advancement and penetration, will play a key role, Ganesh adds. For Aditya Singhal, founder of TransTutors.com, the figures are immaterial. "It really doesn't matter what the numbers are," he says. "We have not even touched the tip of the iceberg and the growth is going to be exponential. The market is simply too huge." Indian e-tutoring companies haven't forayed only into the United States . They are also reaching out to students in the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , China and West
Asia . But it is the U.S. online tutoring market, currently estimated at $200 million and which some players say represents more than half the global market, that excites them most. TutorVista, for instance, has students in 13 countries, but more than 90% of its revenues come from the United States . Indian companies -- those already in the education business and start-ups -- have been quick to spot these opportunities and are trying o ut different business models. Some, like Educomp Solutions and TransTutors, have tied up with U.S. e-tutoring firms and get work subcontracted from them. As the back-end vendors for the U.S. firms, these Indian companies put up the infrastructure and hire and train tutors in India . In most cases, the course content is provided by the U.S. company, which also performs the marketing, brand building and student acquisition. acquisition. For the U.S. firms, outsourcing some of their work to India for as little as $6 an hour -- compared with the $10 to $15 per hour that they pay to tutors in the United States -- is a steal. Their success in outsourcing IT services and business processes to India makes it an even more compelling proposition. When students in the United States log on to the U.S. service provider's website, more often than not they have no idea that their tutor may be in India . Another business model that companies, including TutorVista, have adopted is the direct-to-consumer route. Along with the back-end operations, these companies develop course content and reach out to students directly. Some companies, such as Career Launcher, started their e-tutoring operations as back-end providers, learned the ropes, then branched out to the retail segment. Others are keeping both options open, a strategy they obviously prefer to keep under wraps for fear of upsetting their U.S. partners.
Each of these business models has its own opportunities and challenges. While the subcontracting model has a low gestation period, it is also very competitive. With an eye toward getting the work, Indian companies tend to undercut each other. The result is low margins, around 10%. On the other hand, the direct-to-consumer model offers much higher margins, around 25% to 30%. But it requires large up-front investments for brand building and customer acquisition.
A Potential Game-Changer Meanwhile, one player that has introduced a potentially game-changing move is the Bangalore-based TutorVista. Started by Ganesh in November 2005, TutorVista has flat pricing of $99.99 per month for unlimited hours of tutoring. "At half the price of U.S. companies, one can create a certain demand, but the demand cannot explode," Ganesh says. "What we have done is to introduce disruptive pricing." TutorVista has also focused on developing proprietary software and building its brand. Over the last two years, it has invested 50 man-years and $2 million to develop its own ecommerce platform. "Our teachers and students have around 200,000 sessions per month. To manage this is a nightmare night mare and can be done only o nly by automation," Ganesh says. He sees brand building as TutorVista's biggest challenge for now. He points out that certain consumer businesses by nature are successful either as extremely small or very large set-ups. Online tutoring, he says, is one such business. "If you want to scale up, you have to be at a completely different level. There can be no in-betweens. The customer acquisition costs alone will kill you. It requires a huge amount of money, and this is what
most companies fail to realize," Ganesh says. "It was only when we raised $2 million from Sequoia Capital in June 2006 that our business really started." TutorVista, which turned profitable in January, has received $18 million in venture funding. A big chunk of the money is going toward building the brand. The mandate for TutorVista's marketing vice president, Anu Bhave, who is based in the United States, is to build partnerships with school districts, schools, libraries and education software companies. "The strategy is to get access to a large number of students at one go," Bhave says. Other companies, too, have been busy with their growth strategies. Educomp, for instance, has acquired a 76% stake in Three Brix e-services, the promoter of tutoring website Learninghour.com. It is now looking to address the U.S. market in a big way. Career Launcher has entered into a joint venture with POWERMath, which has both an online and offline presence in the United States . Stepsedu.com recently introduced a "zero investment" affiliate program to expand its reach with students in the Unites States and Canada . Says Stepsedu founder Kamal Wadhera: "Our affiliates don't have to deliver the service on our behalf. They only have to enroll the students for us." TransTutors is in talks with U.S. firms for both investment and possible partnerships. Another company, TransWebTutors, is preparing to launch is own technology platform in the next three to four months and is talking to investors for $5 million to $10 million in funding to take the company to the next level. "Until now we have been focused on getting our back-end operations in place and on customer retention," founder Nishant Sinha says. "We are now ready to grow exponentially. The funding will be for marketing and building our brand."
Fraught with Challenges For all the opportunity, however, the business is fraught with challenges, both external and internal. For one, while students and parents may relish access to affordable, high-quality tutoring, the noise is growing in the United States about outsourcing of services of any kind to India . When it comes to education of their young and impressionable, the noise is only expected to get louder. According to S. Sadagopan, director of the International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore , it will be "imperative" that online tutoring companies from India "set standards in place and also build strong assurance mechanisms. Building credibility with quality is the key to the success of this industry." To be a player of any reckoning, scale is also a must. This means companies need to invest significantly in technology for a complex e-commerce platform and back-end infrastructure. More important, getting the right tutors and training them is a daunting task. It is not only about voice and accent and tutoring over a machine. It is also about two inherently different attitudes toward learning and teaching. Unlike Indian education, which is structured, formal and often by rote, the U.S. system is more interactive and informal. Then there is the entire business of building the brand and the value proposition. Growing Stars, for instance, has not been able to build on its early-mover advantage. More than four years after it started operations, it has 60 tutors and 450 students. TutorNext, started by Bhave, now with TutorVista, closed shop within a year for sheer lack of marketing funds. Industry players acknowledge that for every firm that is up and running, many have fallen by the wayside.
Kiran Karnik, former president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, cautions that companies will not succeed if they remain too focused on keeping costs down. "There is a huge potential waiting to be tapped. Indian companies should not short-change themselves by cutting corners." co rners." India is fast emerging as the global online tutoring hub by delivering top-notch teaching services at down-to-earth rates. Within a short span of two years, ever since supplementary education through internet attained an industry status in India, the growth rate is 100-150 per cent, says Rameshwar. The company, which was started in 2004, now has 400 teachers in its pay-roll and around 5,000 students across the globe. According to Ganesh, 18 months back, Tutorvista started with one teacher and one student and now has 500 teachers and over 2,000 students. India now earns around 15 million USD per year from online tutoring --10 per cent of the total market share. "This is expected to swell to 2.4 billion USD within three years", says Ganesh. Tutorvista has students in 12 countries, including Australia, Turkey, Denmark, Singapore, the Middle East and Canada. But majority of the students are from the US and the UK. Among the other developing countries which have ventured into the "eBay of education", such as Pakistan, Pak istan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, India has an edge, says Ganesh. India has a large number of post-graduates with sufficient computer know-how compared to these countries, he says.
They deal directly with the parents and the students. There is no other brand or company intermediating in the B2B (Business to Business) model, he points out. Tutoring through letters and couriers had been a mode of supplementary education in sparsely populated countries like Australia for long. But, with the advent of voice technology on the internet, "real-time voice-based online education" has become accessible to everyone across the globe
Surprise No. 1: America's public schools are actually improving, average scores inching upward despite increased numbers of immigrant and o ften poorly prepared children. But we're still losing — failing to inspire and fully prepare — roughly half our children. Most are bright and curious, and can be taught. Just check how many, even from the poorest neighborhoods, are "digital natives."
Surprise No. 2: The school system as we know it — 20 to 30 children in a classroom, sitting mostly passively through instruction, moving grade-to-grade with preset courses in rigid sequence — is toast.
Surprise No. 3: A fascinating "disruptive technology" has started to displace big chunks of schooling. It's called student-centric learning — individualized instruction, or better put, students progressing at their own pace, guided by computer programs tailored to their learning levels and personal learning strengths. A process in which teachers instruct less, coach more.
Prediction: In 10 years, computer-based, student-centric learning will account for 50
percent of the "seat miles" in U.S. schools. By 2024, roughly 80 percent of courses will be taught this way. A similar disruption is now hitting America's public schools with their centuryold standardized grade levels and assumption that courses can be put in rigid sequence, taught to all kids of a similar age at the same time and speed. Like the industrialized factory on which they were modeled, the schools and their row-upon-row classrooms are rapidly being undermined by flexible new models designed to accommodate kids' learning differences. For evidence, check the number of home-schooled children — up from 850,000 in 1999 to more than 2 million today. Add to that the rapid rise of charter schools with their experimental, more flexible formats. And computer-based courses created by private firms. The computer-learning programs have skyrocketed from 45,000 in 2000 to roughly 1 million today, and they're quickly improving with enhanced video, audio and interactive elements, including formats to reach different types of learners. More than 25 states now have supplementary virtual schools.
Objectives of Study New world is full of strong and cut-throat competition and it very heard to make customers brand loyal. As nowadays customer has many alternatives of a single product and they have internet power from which they can go for further classification and information Objective of study were: 1. To identify the ways of promotional strategies and new emerging about a product. 2. To suggest a product mix 3. Spectrum of Expansion in phases 4. To suggest the promotional strategies 5. Website and SEO (search Engine Optimization) Opt imization) Our company was in initial stage so it was very necessary to differentiate our self from other competition so our main target was to promote our web side using SE (search engines). It was the phase of promotional strategy and other parts was to propose a product mix.
SWOT analysis To gauge the status of the organization SWOT analysis was undertaken with view that a proper strategies could be suggested for the betterment of the company.
STRENGTH - Inherent capacity which an organization o rganization an use to gain strategic advantage over it competitors
WEAKNESS - Inherent limitations limitations or constraint which creates a strategic disadvantage OPPORTUNITY - a favorable condition in the organization’s environment which enables it to consolidate and strengthen its position
THREAT - an unfavorable condition cond ition in organization’s environment which creates a risk or causes damage to the organization
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
*
Devoted Team
*
De-motivating De-motivati ng environment
*
Highly Qualified Tutors
*
Fund limitation
*
Proper Systems
*
Maximum classes for family members only
*
Highly Qualified team
*
Website issues
*
24*7 Availability
*
Less manpower
*
Database management
*
Availability of the tutors
*
Infrastructure Infrastruct ure
*
Lack of communication sometime
*
Flexibility in timings
*
Technical team
*
International project
*
Lack of experts in respective field
*
Competitive price
*
Tutoring place has no noise control system
*
Receiving response from other countries
*
Customer acquisition was not enough
*
Better CRM
*
Multi-directional, Multi-directi onal, non-focus marketing Strategies
*
Higher pay scale to the tutors
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS If got late in expansion, the idea can be
*
Good business future in next 3-5years
*
implemented by others
*
Expansion in India.
*
Fear of hacking the website Wastage of lot of investment if promotion is not
*
Expansion in Gulf Countries
*
Promotion through newspaper in metro cities as NIBM &
proper Summer vacations can create a problem for
*
IIPM do
*
acquiring students
*
Promotion by using the contacts of existing students
*
No backup tutors if one tutor left the organization If tutor leaves b'coz of dispute then he/she can
*
Advertisement in Foreign Universities
*
make infamous us Rainy season may result in absenteeism of the
*
If investment is higher, fruitful fruitf ul future is ahead
*
Capture the market of other small institutes
*
Acquisition of small coaching institutions
*
Tie-up with same
*
Can test different strategies in summer vacation
*
tutors
Deductions: - There are many positives to take away but there are also many gray areas which required immediate attention say for example fund management, proper marketing strategy, and infrastructure. There seems to be immediate need for organized and focused product mix strategy to excel in competition. The need of hour is that a phased revamping of processes is required which would streamline and organized the organizational operations and thus would enhance productivity p roductivity and profit.
Research Methodology Problem: - The organization was not able to capture the market. As being in introductory phase it was a greatest challenge for us to acquire the customers. For that we had to attract the customers and as in US all customers are internet savvy so our main concerning area was our website and some other promotional strategies like mailers, mails, SEO and live presentations etc. Promotion is a critical part of doing business but still very important part. Potential consumers must get information that will positively influence what they th ink of a business and convince them to use its services. Promotion is the tool to accomplish this goal. What is promotion, and how can it be used in an effective manner? This bulletin will answer these questions and give you a process for developing an effective promotional
strategy
or
plan.
Data Collection (Primary and Secondary) In this research there was a great challenge collecting primary data. Because our business is based on US customers and it was out of my reach to contact there in US directly. So I directly went for the secondary data. As it has to do with the distant customers we went for searching competitor’s strategies and it was possible only through the websites of all the competitors. While googling on the same I found many new strategies and promotion schemes and new subjects which we could implement in our business also.
Elementary and Secondary Education
In fall 2008, a record 49.8 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools. Of these, 34.9 million will be in pre kindergarten through 8th grade and 14.9 million in grades 9 through 12. An additional 6.2 million students are expected to attend private pr ivate schools this fall.
Public school systems will employ about 3.3 million teachers this fall, resulting in a pupil/teacher ratio of 15.3, which is lower than in 2000, when the ratio was 16.0. An additional 0.5 million teachers will be working in private schools this fall, where the pupil/teacher ratio is estimated at 13.0.
There are about 14,200 public school districts containing about 97,000 public schools, including about 4,000 charter schools. There were about 35,000 private schools offering kindergarten or higher grades.
Current expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools will be about $519 billion for the 2008-09 school year. The national average current expenditure per student is around $10,418, up from $9,154 in 2005-06.
Colleges and University Education
About 18.3 million students will attend the nation’s 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, an increase of about 3.0 million since fall 2000. College enrollment is expected to continue increasing, reaching a projected 20.4 million in fall 2016.
Females are expected to comprise the majority of college students in fall 2008, numbering about 10.6 million compared to 7.7 million males. Although the majority of students attend full-time (an estimated 11.5 million for fall 2008), 6.8 million will attend part-time. About 7.2 million students are expected to attend public 4-year colleges, 6.5 million public 2-year colleges, 4.3 million private 4-year colleges, and 0.3 million private 2-year colleges.
Increasing numbers and percentages of minority students are attending college. Between 2000 and 2005, the percentage of Black college students rose from 11.3 to 12.7 percent, and the percent of Hispanic students rose from 9.5 to 10.8 percent.
The record college enrollments have been driven by both increases in the traditional college age population and rising enrollment rates. Between 2000 and 2006, the 18- to 24-year-old population rose from 27.3 million to 29.5 million and the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college also was higher in 2006 (37.3) compared to 2000 (35.5 percent).
For the 2006-07 academic year, annual prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $11,034 at public institutions and $28,384 at private institutions.
During the 2008-09 school year, 714,000 associate's degrees; 1,585,000 bachelor's degrees; 647,000 master's degrees; 91,000 first-professional degrees; and 55,800 doctor's degrees are expected to be awarded.
Product Mix and Product Line •
The product mix is the set of o f all products offered for sale by a co mpany.
•
A product mix has two dimensions: dimensions: •
Breadth - the number o f product lines carried.
•
Depth - the variety of sizes, colours, co lours, and models offered within each product line.
•
A product line is a broad group of products, intended for similar uses and having similar characteristics c haracteristics..
Dividing the market into groups An entire market rarely has the same tastes and preferences
Targeting is the actual selection of the segment you want to serve the target market is the group of people or organizations whose needs a product is specifically designed to satisfy
Positioning is the use of marketing to enable people to form a mental image of your product in their minds (relative to other products)
Segmentation - Variables Geographic Segmentation • Most MNCs vary their products according to country • special tires in the Middle East
User Status • Non-Users Vs Current Users • Credit Card Companies Co mpanies • new card vs another card • Blood Banks, entry level cars/bikes
Usage Rate • Heavy Users Vs. Light Users • The Beer Market is a classic example Psychographic Segmentation Segmentation
Evaluation of Segments Having segmented the market, which one to choose? What are the criteria? Big Emerging Markets (BEMs) China, India, Brazil etc Potential Competition and Cost Imagine going against Microsoft in the PC OS market for someone like Unix
Summary • Consumers are very finicky and want to feel special • From mass marketing to mass customization • Segmenting is important i mportant
Products and Product Differentiation Agenda • Classification of products • Levels of a product • Product Differentiation • Product Life Cycle
On the basis of nature of product • Goods Vs Services
On the basis of type of consumer • Tangible Vs. Intangible • consumer Product Vs. Industrial (Business to Business Product) e.g. soap Vs. Printing Press
Shopping Habits Classification • Build the TOMA factor • Inertia is there, and hence TOMA maybe important • Sales promos and advertising important too
Core Benefit • the need that is satisfied by the product • Transportation
Expected Product
• the basic product alone is not enough • consumers expect some features
Augmented Product • Certain Features that go beyond customer expectations • for example, high power and high mileage • similar to customer delight • today’s augmented product will become tomorrow’s expected product e.g. airbags
Product Differentiation • Creating a value package that is better/ different than competition’s in a way that is meaningful to the customer • how is your product different ? • Consumers like to switch too • Consumers like to be unique • Novel stimuli are more noticed • A white person here would be instantly noticed • Else, will be a “me-too” product
Product Life Cycle All products have 4 phases • Introduction • Growth
• Maturity • Decline One must keep the maturity period going as long as possible
4 Ps – Product vs. Service • Service is intangible – no ownership of anything at end • Service is inseparable from production • Hence, not possible to store it • Cannot inventory it hence time is important i mportant • Services need to be delivered real time Customers involved in production of service • There is variability • Importance of the human element greater
4 Ps – Product • It is very important to “manage the evidence” “tangibilize the intangible” • First, see whether service has any tangible parts at all • Then, work on enhancing tangible cues and supplying new ones, is possible • Thus, doctor’s office should look neat, clean, and hygienic • Professor’s room should look untidy, full of papers and books and random material! • Beggar should look unkempt and dirty! • It is also important to have supplementary services – why?
• Since they may be necessary for the performance of the main service E.g. Car park in hotel • Waiting room with TV, newspapers • Same case with barber • Thus, without supplementary services, will lose customers • Hence, e.g., resort needs to have plenty of attractions • It is no coincidence that the world’s No. 1 co is a service co It is also important to have a service blueprint • A layout of what happens in the service production process • It is important to carefully check the weak links Also, extreme efforts need to be taken in order to standardise service offering • After all, customers pay the same, hence, expect equal treatment • How to standardize
4 Ps - Price • Services are heterogenous and price comparison becomes hard • Plus, service provider gives only “guesstimate” • E.g. X has severe stomach ache, can Dr. give him exact estimate? • Customer needs vary, hence price comparisons are harder still • Price may be a cue for quality • Cost-based, competition-based and demand-based pricing • Cost-based pricing is used by say us in special programmes programmes
• Demand-based pricing is also hard, since there are ethical concerns • Competition-based pricing is quite popular
4 Ps - Place • In a sense, services are easier to distribute, since logistical nightmare is not present to that extent • There are unique aspects like franchising, which work to Marketer’s advantage • What is the product (good) equivalent?
4 Ps – Promotion • Use attractive, vivid information since no “product” is there
ITEMS
CITIES
NEWSPAPERS NEWSPAPERS (Rates in per square square cm.) TOI
DB
DNA RP
B/W
COLOUR
B/W
COLOUR
B/W
B/W
COLOUR
6275
6650
4205
6500
-
1320
1920
AHEMDABAD 500
500
1049
1300
1375
60
80
BANGLORE
1950
1950
-
-
-
77
98
MUMBAI
3095
3095
-
-
1200
-
-
DELHI
2545
2545
-
-
-
-
-
CHENNAI
595
595
-
-
-
-
-
ALL ADDITION
TOI- Times of India, DB- Dainik Bhasker, RP- Rajasthan Patrika, Patr ika, DNA (of DB group)
Background Services Most of the on-line providers offer similar sounding services: one to one,
whiteboard, Voip, qualified tutors, etc. Some promote archiving services and some tout "mentors" or other intermediaries that monitor sessions and are available available to provide feedback feedback to parents. Tutor.com and and TutorVista are both promoting on demand 24/7 availability. (Tutor.com does not provide provide voice and will not provide the same tutor.) TutorHigh provides a head set and digital provide initial initial assessments and/or writing pad and pen. Some of the providers provide
progress reports. Most accept credit cards, a few accept Paypal, none are using Google
checkout.
Pricing There are a variety of offers, schedules and pricing models employed in this space: per minute, per hour, per session, monthly unlimited, by subject, by level, and various combinations of all of these. Homework help is a key offering on some. There are a variety variety of specialised specialised offerings like like test prep or specific priced seperately. On-line providers providers are course programs and some of these are priced pricing themselves under the traditional learning centers and independent tutors who charge $50 and up per hour/session. On-line services services range in price from
between $9.99 and $30 per hour and generally promote pre-payment plans
from
$29.99
to
$500.
Offers Free trials are offered by most providers. Some provide some sort of demo on-line. Most offer offer some form of guarantee, most often additional time, but a few
provide
money
back
guarantees.
OFF-LINE Sylvan: Program pricing will vary, because we customize our instruction to meet the specific academic needs of your child, as indicated on the results of the Sylvan Skills Assessment®. The components that make up the total cost of an in-center or online tutoring program include: program length, tutoring subjects, hourly instruction cost and the payment schedule that best fits your family's needs.
Sylvan offers a variety of payment options to ensure your child can get the help he needs. These options include credit card, check or financing through our flexible student loan program. When choosing the financing option, monthly payments for in-center or online
tutoring can be as low as $88 a month. Sylvan's average hourly rates for in-center or online tutoring can vary by geography and the needs of your child. Because some Sylvan Learning Centers are locally owned and operated, you should contact your local Sylvan to get the most specific information about pricing possible.
KUMON Kumon Center are individually owned and operated, so cost and hours of operation vary. Monthly tuition typically ranges from $80-$110 per subject, per month. There is also an initial, one-time registration fee of $30-$50. Kumon will conduct the child's placement test free of charge.
PrepPoint A Brief Comparison* Princeton PrepPoint
Sylvan Review
Approximate Hourly Rate
$50**
$95
$50
Typical Ratio
1-on-1
1-on-1
3-on-1
In Your Home
Yes!
Yes!
No
No Start-Up Costs
Yes!
Yes!
No
No Commitment Required
Yes!
Yes!
No
** $50/hour is for standard tutoring with our Associate Tutors. Upon request, you may also be able to arrange tutoring with a Lead Tutor at $60/hour or Founder at $75/hour. All rates apply to our home service r egion.
ON-LINE Tutor.com Minutes
Price
50 minutes
$29.99
100 minutes minutes
$59.98
Savings
$119.96 200 minutes
$19.97 $99.99 $179.94
300 minutes
$29.95 $149.99 $299.94
500 minutes
$69.95 $229.99
TutorVista.com Get unlimited tutoring in as many subjects as you want for $99.99 a month. We offer tutoring across grades in Math, English and Science.
Growing Stars Always-On Tutoring® Tutoring® – proactive tutoring by personal tutor at 119.95/month!
Growing Stars is proud to launch our newest educational program: Always-On Tutoring ®. With the Always-On program, your child's tutor is logged on and available for a 5 hour window each school evening, Sunday through Thursday from 4 pm to 9 PM in your time zone. Students also have the option to pre-schedule a session with their tutor any day through a webbase system.
www.tutorhigh.com
Smartthinking.com SMARTHINKING offers a variety of convenient ways to pur chase tutoring services. You can pay using a VISA or Master Card via our secure server. Plan
Description
Plan 1 -
Access to live tutoring in all SMARTHINKING
Hourly
subjects (Mathematics, Math in Spanish, S panish, Statistics,
Price
$35 per hour*
Physics, Biology, Introductory Finance, Economics,
Details
Users pre-buy one hour upon account creation, good for
Introductory Anatomy & Physiology, Organic
Plan 2 Four-Hour Bulk Package
Chemistry, Accounting, General Chemistry, C hemistry, Spanish, and Writing), SMARTHINKING's live Grammar and Brainstorming Centers; Submit your writing to
The four-hour $120 per
package is good
package
for four months
SMARTHINKING's Essay Center, Career Writing
after purchase.
Center, and Spanish Essay Center; and unlimited access to academic resources. Access to SMARTHINKING's Online Writing Lab
This essay
Plan 3 for one essay submission. An E-Structor® Certified
$19.95 per submission is good
Single Essay tutor will review and critique your essay and return it essay
for four months
to you in approximately 24 hours.
after purchase.
Submission
This essay
Plan 4 -
Preparing for the SAT? Submit a practice essay for a $9.95 per submission is good
suggestions for SAT Review – 1 critique from a real tutor, suggestions essay
Essay
for four months
improvement, improvement, and a nd a suggested score. after purchase.
* Hourly rates are subject to change without prior notification.
Instant Math Help Instant Math help
Tutor.com
Smartthinking
TutorVista
$14.00
$30
$29
$99 per month
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Instant homework help
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Request favorite favorit e tutor
Yes
No
No
No
Price (per 50 minutes) minutes)
Specializes in algebra and math Uses illustrated answers with motions lines to explain stepby-step instructions Highly qualified and certified teachers
Monthly Unlimited Tutoring Package No more waiting days or weeks to get help when you need it! Our monthly unlimited tutoring package is our high value, most requested package for students. You can request as many sessions in as many of the below listed subjects as you need at any time convenient to YOU. Your sessions are customized to the subject and topic you want to learn.
$49.99 for the first month so you can try us at a price that is almost too good to be true. $99.99 per month thereafter.
Offer package:Summer tutoring for $235: Limited time offer valid for up to 2 hours per week or a total of 20 hours through the summer. Package 1: single hour session: $22 per session Package 2: 5 one hour tutoring sessions: $104.00 Package 3: 8 one hour tutoring sessions: $155.00 Package 4: 15 one hour tutoring sessions: $255.00 Package 5: 24 one hour tutoring sessions: $400.00 Package 6: Test preparation for 15 hours: $255.00 Package 7: Test preparation for 24 hours : $400.00
e-tutor: School Grade
Independent
Guided
Quarter
Sem
Full Year Year
(3 months)
K-1
$99 /month
2-3
$129 /month
4-5
$159 /month
6-8
$129 /month
$35 /month/subject
9-12
$139 /month
$45 /month/subject
+ $100 /month
(5 months)
(10 months)
(12 months)
5%
10%
15%
20%
off!
off!
off!
off!
+ $150 /month
Save another 5% when enrolling 2 or more students. Save 10% when enrolling 5+.
Questionnaire on Online Tutoring Service 1. Most desired time slot from fr om the students? (a)morning (b)evening (c)night (d)any time 2. Where tutor take classes? (a) At institute (b)at home
(c)at cyber café (d)other…………….
3. from where you acquire tutors? (a) schools (b)colleges (c)tuition centers
(d)friends/family
4. from where you acquire students? (a)schools (b)colleges (c)tuition centers
(d)other……………..
5. Whom you consider the nearest competitors? (a) Tuition centers (b) home tuitions (c) school teachers (d) Others online inst. Like tutor vista, tutor, growing stars………………….. 6. What is/are the advertisement mode? (a)internet (b)local cable wala (c)newspaper (e) others……………. 7. teaching processes? (a)on curriculum
(b)homework help
(d)shows/speech
(c)problem solving
(d)languages……….
any other services running in that premises? (e.g. share trading, online business) ………………………………………………………………………………….. 8. what kind of requirement you need from students?(software/hardware) Ans:-………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………….. 9. Supporting bodies? (a)government (b)proprietorship (b)proprietorship
(c)partnership (d)other……………….
10. the average revenue per year? (a) in lakhs (b) in ten lakhs (c) in crores
(d) less than lakh
11. is there any par ticular training for tutors? Ans.:-…………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… 12. Upcoming goal/target? Ans.:- ………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………
Signature/Seal
Analysis of the study Tutoring is an age-old practice. The dictionary definition describes a tutor as a person who gives individual, or in some cases small group, instruction. The purpose of tutoring is to help students help themselves, or to assist or guide them to the point at which they become an independent learner, and thus no longer need a tutor. Content knowledge is an essential ingredient for a tutor; however, to be truly effective, a tutor must combine content knowledge with empathy, honesty and humor. Empathy requires a tutor to "read" the emotional states, attitudes and perceptions of their students. Empathy is the ability to see others from their personal frame of reference, and to communicate this understanding to the person involved. In order for tutors to establish a supportive relationship with their students, tutors must be open and honest. Students are often reluctant to talk with a stranger about their academic problems. If a tutor is perceived as genuine and having a strong desire to listen, students will be more willing to open up and discuss their problems. Humor can also play an important part in a tutoring session. Humor can reduce tension. Shared laughter is a powerful way to reinforce learning. Humor can set students at ease and increase rapport. Humor can also be used to compliment, to guide or to provide negative feedback in a po sitive manner. In addition, a successful tutor demonstrates a caring attitude. Caring consists of being organized for the tutoring session, being punctual, establishing a learning relationship with the student, developing unique teaching strategies, and becoming familiar with the learning process. Ultimately, tutoring is sharing yourself with another student in a way that makes a difference in both your lives.
There are many benefits ben efits to tutoring Heightens sense of competency/adequacy in conforming to new role. Encourages higher levels of thinking. Permits more advanced students to study below-level material without embarrassment. Increases motivation to learn in order to maintain maintain new role. ro le. Increases ability to manage own learning and study strategies. Increases subject specific knowledge. Increases related general knowledge. Increases understanding of subject area. Improves attitude toward subject area. Provides more empathy with students.
There are also many benefits to the students who receive tutoring Offers more individualized, systematic, structured learning experience. Provides greater congruence between teacher and learner, closer role model. Improves academic performance and personal growth. Improves attitude toward subject area. Generates stronger effects than other individualized teaching strategies. Motivates self-paced and self-directed learning. Provides intensive practice for students who need it. Improves self esteem.
Online tutoring provides a wonderful environment for people who are unable to cope-up with the off-line world. So here are 10 reasons for you to evaluate the benefits of online tutoring over the off-line tutoring.
1. Customized Attention: Perhaps the biggest reason in favor of choosing online tutoring is the fact that the education sector on the whole in US is facing ever increasing pressure. With the population rate on the increase, classrooms are packed to capacity and very often children can get left behind. This is not because the teachers do not care, but simply because they have not got the time to spend with individual children. It is thought that every year there is an increase of around 1 million students in grade K-12 and this will keep rising. A quality tutoring service can help to bring your child back up to speed and a tutoring service will match the curriculum your child already knows to ensure there is no confusion.
2. Learning with technology from this century, not the last: With rapid developments in new technologies becoming available, school teachers can often find themselves left behind and somewhat outdated however much they try to catch up. Online tutors can make the most of this technology as after a fter all they are already utili ut ilizing zing a part of it already, the internet, as a way o f getting information and material across to the student.
3. I don’t get it, and it’s okay: Some students who are on the shy side are reluctant to put their hands up in the classroom and admit they are not following the lesson. Students who struggle this way benefit drastically in an online classroom as they are one on one with the tutor and do not feel peer pressure.
4. Can you repeat that one more time?: Materials and resources are right there in front of you anytime you want them in the online classroom environment. If you have
forgotten instructions then you can re-read online until you are certain of what is needed from you.
5. Can you repeat what we covered two months ago one more time?: For older students who work a full time job to supplement their studies, it can be hard when it comes to studying to focus for a test or an assignment. Libraries are not open 24/7 and so research can become a real chore. With online tutoring, students have a tutor ready to focus on the material for a particular test and assignment, available when the student needs it.
6. How about Physics at 11pm?: You are able to choose when, where, how long and what time you study. This can be useful in a wide variety of situations. You may work and have to fit studying in alongside work hours. If you have children you are able to study after putting them to bed. Studying when you feel most relaxed and at ease will be easier and you will see more progressi pro gression. on.
7. Education On Demand: Individuals who are disabled or who have a condition that leaves them uncomfortable or makes attending school or college impossible can study from home in the secure and comfortable environment they are used to.
8. Involved Parenting: Parents can play a major role in their child’s education and become more involved by progress reports that are updated every time your child completes a session. No more waiting for 9 weeks to learn if your child is bordering between grade levels to get them the help to bump them up.
9. Responsible Parenting: Parents will have researched and chosen the online tutoring service for their child to ensure their child is in safe and reliable hands. A Child
Protection Policy is a must for any learning environment to whom you wish to trust your child.
10. Save the Best for Last, and Just for Me: All online tutors are highly qualified and will have Masters or PhD in their chosen areas. This means you are getting tuition from the best sources possible. Of course best of all, you also have their undivided attention during your lesson.
Five Steps to Being an Effective Tutor STEP ONE: Know what is expected of you As a Tutor Know your responsibilities and duties as a tutor in regard s to Clients Supervisors Instructors Other Tutors
STEP TWO: Setting Up the Tutor Session S ession The better you are prepared; the better you will be able to tutor. Learn how to: Shape the tutoring environment. Prepare yourself for your client. Prepare the necessary tutoring paperwork
STEP THREE: Meeting Your Client's Needs
The better you meet your client's needs during a session, the better the session . Get to know your client's: client's: Psychological needs Academic needs Social needs.
STEP FOUR: The Ingredients of a Good Tutor Session The following are some of the necessary ingredients ingred ients for a good session: Greet your client and give them your undividied und ividied attention Have empathy with your client's problems. Be honest with your client. Set the Agenda Have a sense of humor. Have the ability to "lighten up" a situation. Have a good interaction with your client, a good give-and-take. Know your client's strengths and weak nesses. Work through your client's strengths to improve his/her weaknesses. weak nesses. Make your client feel good about him/herself and his/her accomplishments. Know when to stop a session session End the session on a po positiv sitivee note. not e.
STEP FIVE: Ending the Tutoring Session Do not just say "good-bye" when the t he session is over. You should:
positively assess the work that was done during the session. session. Give assignments if appropriate. Re-schedule for another session. session. Do any necessary tutor paperwork. always end the session with a posi po sitive tive comment. co mment.
Strengths
Weaknesses
One to One
Expert adapts to individual learner. High cost, difficult difficult to scale.
One to Many
Routine learning tasks, low cost,
Learners adapt to expert.
scalable. Many to One
One to One
Lowest cost, most accessible.
Poor quality control.
Traditional
Online
Synchronous - Face to Face
Synchronous – chat, instant messaging Asynchronous – email
One to Many Synchronous – Face to Face
Synchronous – chat Asynchronous – calendar, bulletin board, news, tutorials, and messaging (automated email)
Many to One Synchronous – Face Face to Face and highly unstructured
Synchronous – chat Asynchronous – bulletin board
Suggestions and Recommendations Remind consumers about our existence again and again. We can enter into the market with high promotion Working on SEO (search engine optimization). o ptimization). Offering other core languages except H indi. indi. We should have proper segmentation segmentation of student’s need a nd their subject deficiencies. Should highlight some so me international test preparations. Called corporate advertising Go for the Ad agencies Some sort of Coupons to the t he student for attending the seminar. Provide freebie with the courses like syllabus, free test series and extra class of less time Price off Contests and sweepstakes quantity discounts cash discounts Direct Marketing Direct mail Presentations at universities universities TV e.g. direct-response advertising Banners and pamphlets
Promotional Ad
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Bibliography * Research Methodology, Methods and Techniques, Dr.C.R.Kothari.1990 * Human Communication: Principles, Contexts, and Skills. Book, C. L. (ed.) 1980. St. Martin's Press, New York. * How To Promote To Bring People Back Downtown. Downtown Research and Development Center. 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY, 10016. * Marketing Management. Kotler, Philip. 1984. Fifth ea., Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood, NJ, 07632. * Positioning: The Baffle For Your Mind M ind Ries, Al and Jack Trout. 1981. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. * Advertising Media Planning. Sissors, S issors, Jack Z. and Jim Surmanek. Crain Books; 740 Rush Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, 1982. * Managing Design and Development Downtown. U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Deve lopment. Washington, D.C., March, 1983. http://www.free-articles-zone.com/article/74665/Online%20Tutorials%20%20The%20next%20big%20thing%20in%20Education%20Industry http://www.2xlearning.com/how%20.html
Building Blocks: Sample Tutoring Services in Education
Central Texas College Co llege (webliography- tutorials): http://disted.ctcd.cc.tx.us/tutorials.cfm
College of Lake County (message board): http://webboard.clc.cc.il.us:8081/~wc
Colorado Community College (email and vendor vendo r provided tutoring services): http://ccconline.org/studentinfo/tutoring.htm
Salt Lake Community College (online (o nline writing center – email, chat): http://www.slcc.edu/wc/student/index.html
Michigan Virtual University (chat): http://vcampus.mccvlc.org/index.asp?dir='services'&left='leftTutor.htm'& content='Tutor.asp'
Learning Systems: Instructional Delivery and Learning Management M anagement Systems
Land online site compares co mpares course management systems http://www.c2t2.ca/landonline/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Train ing_and_Development/Distance_Learning/Delivery_and_Management_Sy stems/
Online Tutoring Services
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Ed ucation/Tutoring
