Burlington County College adds round-the-clock help
Though campus buildings at Burlington County College (BCC) are not open 24 hours each day, students can get help with their studies around the clock with the addition of an online tutoring system.
Beginning this semester, students will have access to a program called “Grade Results” that provides live tutors 24 hours a day.
The program has been added to the school’s current, in-person teacher-peer tutoring services and is accessible through the college’s Web site.
To begin using the service, students are required to call the BCC tutoring center to request a user name and password. Students can log on to the program anywhere and work with a live Grade Results tutor online in subjects such as English, composition, mathematics and science.
Online tutors are hired by Grade Results, have a master’s or doctorate degree in the subject matter they tutor, and have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience. All Grade Results tutors also have access to the same college textbooks used by students.
BCC director of tutoring services Patrick Monahan is pleased to offer the additional tutoring opportunity to students.
According to Monahan, the largest usage of tutor time at Burlington is spent working on mathematics both online and in peer or teacher tutoring services.
Prior to this year, students were able to access online tutoring through another online tutoring company. The college did not renew its contract with that company because it found Grade Results was an equal but more cost-effective alternative. Students can access the live peer tutors online through an interactive messaging system that includes instructional visuals on interactive white boards. For example if a student has a question about a math problem, a tutor can instruct a student step-by-step on the interactive white board. If a student requires assistance in English composition, they are permitted to send a Microsoft Word document to a tutor for suggestions and corrections.
The college purchased a block of 350 tutoring hours for students to use this semester on an as-needed basis to supplement the tutors available on campus.
“If we reach 350 hours before the end of our contract, we will add on more,” Monahan said.
The 350-hour maximum is based on the average amount of time students have used on online tutoring services prior to the college’s partnership with Grade Results.
Monahan said not all students take advantage of the online tutoring opportunity, but there is a cap on the time for individual students so that all will have access to the program if they wish. Each student is permitted to use the system for three hours throughout the semester and is eligible for more time if they request it. There is no cost to students to use Grade Results.
Students can also access live professional and adjunct professor tutors hired by the college, as well as peer tutors who carry a 3.0 cumulative average or better at no cost. These tutoring services are available on campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and some evenings.
“It helps students tremendously and is another tool that students can use to get immediate help when they have a problem at home studying,” Monahan said.
CEO of Grade Results Inc. Suzanne McElyea started the program in 2006 as a way to get more students interested in math and science. The program is currently available to elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges in 29 states.
“We are very pleased to be associated with BCC and think they are doing a fabulous job. We are very excited about the partnership,” McElyea said.
Other southern New Jersey colleges that use the service are Ocean County College and Camden County College.
Camden County College director of tutoring Patricia Engel suggested the program to Monahan after using it since the start of last school year. Camden County College also offers face-to-face tutoring opportunities on campus in addition to Grade Results.
Engel likes the program because it allows her to control the amount of hours used by students and said it is cost effective.
“Online tutoring is a good alternative to provide support to students if they can’t get into our tutoring services at night, over the weekend or right before a test,” she said.
Beginning this semester, students will have access to a program called “Grade Results” that provides live tutors 24 hours a day.
The program has been added to the school’s current, in-person teacher-peer tutoring services and is accessible through the college’s Web site.
To begin using the service, students are required to call the BCC tutoring center to request a user name and password. Students can log on to the program anywhere and work with a live Grade Results tutor online in subjects such as English, composition, mathematics and science.
Online tutors are hired by Grade Results, have a master’s or doctorate degree in the subject matter they tutor, and have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience. All Grade Results tutors also have access to the same college textbooks used by students.
BCC director of tutoring services Patrick Monahan is pleased to offer the additional tutoring opportunity to students.
According to Monahan, the largest usage of tutor time at Burlington is spent working on mathematics both online and in peer or teacher tutoring services.
Prior to this year, students were able to access online tutoring through another online tutoring company. The college did not renew its contract with that company because it found Grade Results was an equal but more cost-effective alternative. Students can access the live peer tutors online through an interactive messaging system that includes instructional visuals on interactive white boards. For example if a student has a question about a math problem, a tutor can instruct a student step-by-step on the interactive white board. If a student requires assistance in English composition, they are permitted to send a Microsoft Word document to a tutor for suggestions and corrections.
The college purchased a block of 350 tutoring hours for students to use this semester on an as-needed basis to supplement the tutors available on campus.
“If we reach 350 hours before the end of our contract, we will add on more,” Monahan said.
The 350-hour maximum is based on the average amount of time students have used on online tutoring services prior to the college’s partnership with Grade Results.
Monahan said not all students take advantage of the online tutoring opportunity, but there is a cap on the time for individual students so that all will have access to the program if they wish. Each student is permitted to use the system for three hours throughout the semester and is eligible for more time if they request it. There is no cost to students to use Grade Results.
Students can also access live professional and adjunct professor tutors hired by the college, as well as peer tutors who carry a 3.0 cumulative average or better at no cost. These tutoring services are available on campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and some evenings.
“It helps students tremendously and is another tool that students can use to get immediate help when they have a problem at home studying,” Monahan said.
CEO of Grade Results Inc. Suzanne McElyea started the program in 2006 as a way to get more students interested in math and science. The program is currently available to elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges in 29 states.
“We are very pleased to be associated with BCC and think they are doing a fabulous job. We are very excited about the partnership,” McElyea said.
Other southern New Jersey colleges that use the service are Ocean County College and Camden County College.
Camden County College director of tutoring Patricia Engel suggested the program to Monahan after using it since the start of last school year. Camden County College also offers face-to-face tutoring opportunities on campus in addition to Grade Results.
Engel likes the program because it allows her to control the amount of hours used by students and said it is cost effective.
“Online tutoring is a good alternative to provide support to students if they can’t get into our tutoring services at night, over the weekend or right before a test,” she said.
