Why We Will Not Return to Exclusively Face-to-Face Tutoring Post-COVID: Improving Student Engagement through Technology

Abstract

Online peer tutoring provided crucial social and academic engagement opportunities for students and peer tutors during COVID-19. This article describes our institution’s transition to fully online academic support services and discusses their impact on student learning and retention. While the total number of unique students utilizing tutoring and supplemental instruction decreased slightly during pandemic-induced remote learning, the students who used these services generally made more online visits per person than students who took advantage of in-person tutoring before the pandemic. Although transitioning fully to online tutoring was not without difficulties, we have seen evidence of improved engagement among students and tutors made possible by some of the virtual processes we have put in place. In this article, we discuss these findings in terms of high-impact educational practices and consider what comes next with online tutoring and student engagement as we return to largely face-to-face classes and student support programs for the fall.