In his famous paper on the “2 sigma problem” in educational research, Benjamin Bloom called for a search for group teaching interventions that approximated the efficacy of tutoring. However, a simple conclusion can be drawn from this work: tutoring is quite effective, and we should be using it more.
What is Tutoring Good For?
Tutoring is not just for “slow” students
- Terrence Tao, widely considered to be the most brilliant living mathematician, was tutored from a young age
- Nearly every elite performer in chess, music, medicine, business and elsewhere had enormous quantities of coaching support
What if I Can’t Afford Tutors?
Price is the big objection to tutoring.
- There are many reasons to believe tutoring is underutilized, even for its cost
- Many universities have free tutoring services available
- Check if your school offers academic assistance
- Tutoring needn’t be extensive to be valuable.
Tutoring, Beyond School
Professionals could use more tutoring than they realize
- Having access to high-quality feedback on your work is essential for growth
- We avoid tutoring in our working lives for much the same reason we avoid it as students
- Help is what the poor performers need
