Homework tutoring has existed for a long time. Traditionally, students take help from teachers and established tutors to understand and complete their homework. Peer Tutoring has come up as a viable alternative to traditional tutoring. The trend has gained momentum with growing dependence on the internet.

Advantages of Peer Tutoring
It is easier to provide individualized tutoring through peer tutors. The arrangement is convenient for both student and tutor. Getting individualized tutoring through traditional methods is much more problematic and difficult.

• Direct online student to student interaction encourages active learning. As both student and teacher belong to the similar age group, there is more active involvement from both sides. Barriers created by hesitation or fear disappear and the learning environment becomes friendly.
• Student to student tutors reinforce self learning through tutoring others too. It is a well known fact that teaching clarifies concepts and reinforces understanding in the tutor while explaining certain concepts to students. Repeatedly dealing with the same material fixes it in the tutor’s mind permanently.
• Comfort level and openness is one more advantage of peer to peer tutoring for homework help. The tutor and student go through similar experiences in getting homework done. This creates an open minded environment that in turn increases the comfort level between the tutor and the student. The student can also hide behind a layer of anonymity throughout the process if they choose.
• Student tutor gets the advantage of collaborative learning. With two minds working on the same problem results in more idea generation and in depth analysis. The homework thus completed is qualitatively superior.
• Financial rewards accrue from peer tutoring. The peer tutors earn while they learn and the tutored pay less for the help given. This works to their mutual benefit. In addition, students can opt for help on a needs basis instead of regular and continuous tutoring. This saves on money and time both and sustains interest in learning.
• Personal relationships develop between tutor and student. Their social skills are honed and enhanced in this way. This happens as the tutoring occurs in one-to-one interactions or small group interaction. Both of these interactions require focussed communication skills.
• Student to student tutoring reduces the burden on teachers who shoulder enormous responsibility in their professional commitment.
• Students taking the role of tutors have a better understanding of the topics. Their help in completing homework is very effective for other students who may not be very good at those subjects.

Peer tutoring can occur both during class and outside class. Within the class tutoring can happen during group activities. Outside the class room Peer Tutoring happens at conveniently decided places and times. Traditional tutoring does not lend itself to such flexibility and adaptation. It also increases confidence. The tutor becomes more confident of explaining and presenting ideas to groups and individuals. Students tutored by fellow students grow in confidence and learn to frame and ask pertinent questions to get proper clarification as needed.

Homework tutoring is important for students to learn their lessons and achieve academic success in schools and colleges. Students can benefit best from the help they receive from peers – especially via online portals.

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