Poor Software Integration Distorts the Teaching Process
Bad Software Distorts the Teaching Process
Tutors know that every complete tutoring session requires multiple platforms.
One potential workflow might see WhatsApp used to schedule, Google Calendar used to book, an invoice sent with Stripe, document share with WeTransfer, session video with Zoom, whiteboard with Miro, and session recordings hosted on Vimeo.
Of course it’s expected that tutors understand how to navigate all these different platforms and to switch among them seamlessly, many even during the lesson itself. The ninja skills that tutors develop to keep the lesson flowing despite all the context-switching are very impressive to those who understand what’s happening.
That raises a question: wouldn’t the tutor’s bandwidth be better allocated to focusing on the student rather than the lesson software?
Workflow Integration Ought to Be a Given, Not an Aspiration
There’s no reason that more of these parts of the workflow can’t be integrated.
Some tutoring platforms try this, apparently because there’s an argument to be made that any time the tutor spends engaging with off-platform software means money left on the table for the platform itself. Fair enough.
However, there’s little indication that the benefit of either the tutor or student is considered here. Across many of these platforms, there is no hosting of the tutor’s materials, file sharing is difficult and clunky, and whiteboards–a feature that has effectively existed in its current form since the 1990s–are often unusable.
Furthermore, it’s vital that the tutor always be able to see the student. A tutor needs to keep an eye on the student’s expression to understand when a student is lost or struggling.
Any sort of switching means that the tutor often finds the student hidden behind freshly-opened windows. The student, having to click over to WeTransfer for a file, for example, might lose sight of the whiteboard or the tutor.
Worst of all, video calls on such platforms often fail and tutors just go back to Zoom, for example, because it’s simply more reliable. This begs the question of why platforms charge tutors so much if they’re doing little more than scheduling classes.
Frankly, if tutors need to use external tools to conduct their classes, this means that a tutoring platform has failed at its mission. When a platform is nothing more than a matching system between student and tutor, there is no reason for the platform to charge ongoing commissions of up to 30%.
Drillby’s Advantage
Drillby fixes these problems and more.
Scheduling classes is only part of Drillby’s AI-based student management system. After each class, tutors receive a detailed report summarizing the student’s progress during previous lessons to help you prepare for the next class.
The Student Insights feature highlights themes that have arisen during the last lesson, which allows you to see what to focus on for future work. Plus, with a detailed lesson summary, you’ll always be able to pick up exactly where you left off.
Drillby hosts video calls, whiteboard, and document sharing. It’s lightweight and reliable. No question of whether the video calls work today, or having to keep your Zoom subscription active “just in case.” Furthermore, all classes are automatically available as replays for the student.
Tutors have their favorite materials. Students have handwritten homework. If you’re sharing offline documents, each classroom has a dedicated email address both tutor and student can use to introduce documents into the Drillby ecosystem.
On top of this, Drillby’s AI helps you craft a perfect tutor profile that lets your unique skills stand out in the Drillby marketplace. With integrated social media APIs, you can promote your Drillby tutor profile across all your channels with just a few swipes.
Finally, Drillby’s integrated payments allow you to accept payments from 118 countries.
Be Part of the Conversation
Drillby is built as a tutor-first platform.
That means we listen to what tutors have to say and work to improve tutors’ experience as Drillby is built. The system is always improving, with key features shaped by the real teaching needs of real tutors.
Including you.
If you’d like to be part of the conversation, set up a call here and we can discuss your tutoring experience–and what you’d like to see as Drillby features in the future.
Join Drillby Early Access
If you’re excited about what Drillby offers, see how you can use the platform in your own work by signing up for Early Access–a one-time payment of just $29.
