How online tutors can spark innovation in their students

Educational processes are becoming more digital every day. For students, that’s a good thing. You get a chance to explore various learning resources and use the ones that fit your learning style. When you identify your learning style and find online materials that help you learn at your own pace, you’re on your way to better grades.

You want to learn something? No problem. You can take an online course at a very reasonable price.

There’s one problem with this approach: what about innovation? We know that a teacher can push you to find your creativity, but are online learning programs as effective in triggering innovation? The fact that you’re not physically sharing space with other students can be troublesome. You’re watching a video or clicking through an online course and your mind can easily wander away.

This issue requires a creative approach. Most of all, you need to find a good tutor, who will trigger the creative process. We’ll tell you how online tutors can help you boost your creative and critical thinking skills.                              

How an online tutor can help you discover your creativity

You want to be innovative. However, being creative doesn’t mean you can just sit with a piece of paper and write a beautiful poem. It’s a process that demands structure, at least if you want to fit it into your educational journey. That’s where a tutor can help.

1. An online tutor teaches you to appreciate open-ended projects

Do you know what separates creative students from the crowd? They are not afraid of flexible projects. They enjoy the opportunity to express their ideas in ways other students don’t think of. When you find an online tutor, they will make sure to initiate that process.

A traditional college professor gives you precise instructions for essays, research papers, and other types of assignments. You don’t have much flexibility there, so it’s difficult to write something when the topic doesn’t inspire you. That’s why lots of students end up using services that simply complete those projects for them. No creativity there.

When helping you with a subject that can be injected with some creativity, like English or other subjects within the humanities, online tutors have a different strategy. They can help you find new ways to think and organize your thoughts when you’ve been assigned a broad topic. You may working on a typical paper, but your online tutor may suggest opting for a video project, blog post, colorful presentation, photo project, or anything else that comes to your mind.

If, for example, you get instructions to discuss your impressions of a book, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, you can write an unusual book review. If you don’t like the book, spit it out. You have unlimited possibilities to step outside the box when you get an open-ended assignment.

2. They make creativity part of the learning process

The tutor gives you individual attention. That’s something a teacher or professor can’t do when they are dealing with a huge class. You will be in direct communication with your tutor, so they will evaluate and trigger your interests. If you’re struggling with any part of a project you’re working on, they will help you move forward. Rather than giving you direct solutions, they will inspire you to develop problem-solving skills. That’s the most effective way to teach creativity – through an individual approach tailored according to the strengths and weaknesses of the students.

If, for example, an online tutor for sociology class notices you have a special interest for photography, they will ask you to showcase modern society through a photography project. They will help you combine cognitive and emotional learning. They will find a way to make you like all things you learn, so you’ll improve not only your skill for creative expression, but your memory too.

3. They approach creativity as a skill

The best online tutors understand that creativity can be taught and learned. It’s just like resourcefulness and every other soft skill that can be developed through a focused approach. The job of a tutor doesn’t only involve helping you understand the concepts from the curriculum. They also present the material in a new way and give unusual assignments or in-session tasks that promote creativity in general.

If, for example, you hire a tutor to help you understand math, they will show you how those formulas you learn at school can be applied in the real world. They will inspire you to look around and find math in everything that surrounds you. That’s the kind of vision expansion that leads to the development of creative thinking skills.

If you want to combine the learning process with creativity, learning with an online tutor is the best thing you can do. Through an individual approach, these educators inspire you to explore new ways to learn and share your knowledge.     

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Guest Writer

Antonio Tooley is an ESL teacher and a blogger. He enjoys roaming around the world and exploring new cultures. Find him on Medium and Twitter.