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This is a general FAQ about LTB that all interns should read to get an overview our programming, who we serve etc.

What is Learn To Be?

Learn To Be is a non-profit that brings free online tutoring to underserved youth everywhere.

Who determines which students get to be tutored?

We partner with schools or other non-profits and in turn they provide us with the students who are most in need of after-school help.

What is the vetting process for new tutors?

New tutors create an account on our website and then continue on to an application via OrgSync.com. This application is used to verify that the applicants are either current college students with a valid “.edu” email address and a minimum GPA of 3.0 or college graduates. Further, prospective tutors take a proficiency test to ensure that they are knowledgeable enough in the subject they have indicated they’d like to tutor for (this may be multiple subjects).

Why is this process so stringent?

We want to ensure that tutors we refer to schools and nonprofits are capable and knowledgeable. The application and subject testing processes also help to ensure that we find those tutors that are dedicated to the time commitment and will consistently be there for students.

How are students and tutors paired?

On the Learn To Be website, approved tutors indicate which subjects they can tutor for and the times slots during which they are available to tutor. Administrators overseeing a certain school will then manually make a match according to the times tutors are available. We have two distinct programs within Learn To Be. The first is our school partnership program that primarily serves students who are homeless or enrolled in reduced-price lunch programs. The second program is our on-demand feature which serves any student that signs up via our website and is not referred to us through one of our partnerships. If for some reason there are no partnership students available to be tutored, we refer volunteers to the on-demand component of Learn To Be, however tutors can choose to participate in both concurrently. On-demand tutors will then tutor any student (not affiliated with a partnership) who is looking for tutoring in a specified subject until a partnership student becomes available. In terms of the on-demand component, matches between students and tutors are made automatically.

Can high school students volunteer with Learn To Be?

High school students who are interested in tutoring can be approved to do so on a case-by-case basis.

Where do tutors come from?

Most of our tutors are sourced from on campus university chapters that recruit interested students, answer questions they may have, and refer them to our website. Our university chapters are allotted a certain number of the graphics tablets we utilize and are responsible for lending them to students and ensuring the return of the tablet at the close of the school year.

How does Learn To Be facilitate online tutoring?

Learn To Be uses two different virtual classrooms that can be accessed online. Through these classrooms, tutors and students meet and share a virtual whiteboard with a screen that includes a chat function as well as audio and visual capabilities. We also use graphics pads that make it easy to communicate ideas that might traditionally be written on a whiteboard. Anything written on the graphics pads immediately shows up on the virtual whiteboard.

What are the pros and cons of using a virtual classroom?

The pros are many. One is that it’s convenient for tutors to volunteer because they can do so from their dorm room, home, or anywhere they have internet access. The virtual classroom also allows the student and tutor to remotely demonstrate written ideas to one another. Additionally, relevant lessons from the Khan Academy database can be accessed via the classroom and tutors are able to pull example questions from the website and import them to the virtual classroom for the students’ use. The student is then given time to answer the question. Meanwhile, an algorithm determines the level of mastery of this concept the student has achieved based on the amount of time they took to solve the problem and the number of wrong answers they submitted. Other relevant documents the tutor deems necessary can also be uploaded to the classroom and annotated by both parties. Every tutoring session is recorded and so another bonus in using the virtual classroom model is that instead of taking notes and possibly missing important information, students can focus in the moment and access the lesson after it’s over if they need help with the same concept again. The virtual classroom ultimately makes one-on-one tutoring much more accessible than it has been traditionally. They are very few cons to use of the virtual classroom but one is that occasionally there are audio or visual errors that cause delays.

What virtual classroom technology do you utilize and how is it different and/or better than other virtual classrooms?

Currently we employ the use of two different virtual classrooms, Group World and Big Blue Button. Both virtual classrooms have audio, visual, and chat components along with a shared whiteboard or writing space. The only difference between the two virtual classrooms is the Group World virtual classroom is mobile friendly while Big Blue Button can only be accessed from a computer utilizing Adobe Flash. A particular feature of Group World that makes it easier to use is that the audio/visual component of the virtual classroom sets up automatically. When using Big Blue Button, the student and tutor must manually give the program permission to access their microphone and camera and this can be confusing at times. Other virtual technologies may only give the student and tutor access to one of the aforementioned features, while the ones we use integrate several ways to communicate. In addition we are able to access problem sets (provided by Khan Academy) that tutors can use to test students knowledge of a concept. An additional resource Learn To Be has added to the main features of the virtual classrooms is the ability to record and track a student’s mastery of a concept. This is done by analyzing the time it takes a student to answer a problem in combination with the number of times they may answer the problem incorrectly, giving Learn To Be the unique ability to track a student's progress.

How do tutors command or control the tutoring session and is concentration a problem for students given the tutor is not physically present?

Within the virtual classroom, tutors are able to freeze the students screen and writing capabilities while demonstrating a principle. Generally concentration of students has not been a problem. We receive referrals from teachers who pick students they feel will benefit most from our program. Often times this means we are working with a student who wants the help and is motivated to participate and listen.

Do students need to have access to personal computers and Internet in order to participate?

No they do not. Our partners provide the space needed to facilitate online tutoring including computers, internet, and graphics tablets (although Learn To Be does provide tablets as needed).

Who does Learn To Be partner with and how does that partnership operate?

Learn To Be currently works with 10 schools and nonprofits. Our partnerships really depend on how much involvement the school/nonprofit asks for. While we offer a virtual classroom platform as well as tutors, some nonprofits may only require the use of our platform. For example, our partner Ascending Lights finds their own tutors for their students and only uses the Learn To Be platform as a way to connect the two parties. However, what is most common in our partnerships is the school or nonprofit will provide students in need of tutoring, as well as a space with computers, while Learn To Be provides the necessary number of tutors at the times when students are free.

Who pays for the cost of Learn To Be’s operations and technology since the resources you provide are free?

All of our tutors are volunteers and are not compensated in any way for their time and help (aside from the joy of contributing to the community!). Our other costs are covered by grants we’ve secured and donations that can be made via credit card, check, Paypal, or Venmo. Some of our costs include the price of the graphics tablets, server cost of virtual classroom, website hosting, and occasionally hiring a programmer to help with website maintenance. Most of our tutors join us through a university chapter and these are the generally the only ones who will have access to the graphics tablets we use.

If tutors and students exclusively meet online, is there another way for a student to contact tutors if they forgot a concept they learned in a prior tutoring session?

Students do not have another way of contacting tutors outside of the virtual classroom during the specified meeting times. Students can choose to wait until the next time they meet with a tutor should they have any questions in between sessions. While students do have access to recorded versions of every tutoring session they have ever received, they must also have access to a computer. Because of this, many students do not ultimately utilize this capability for concept review.