Introducing Our New Tutoring Platform
Over the last year, Tutor The Nation has been developing a new online tutoring platform. Built from the ground up, the platforms allow our volunteers and pupils to communicate, plan their tutoring, and enjoy seamless tutoring sessions. In this blog, we introduce you to the platform’s key features.
When you log in, you’ll be greeted by your dashboard. From the dashboard, you’re able to access all of the key parts of the TTN platform.
1 – Tuitions
In this area, you can see a list of all the students that you have been matched with. Clicking ‘View’ will display their details.
2 – Lessons
In this area, you can see a list of all the lessons you have registered on the TTN platform; both in the past and those that are scheduled.
3 – Chat
In this area, you can communicate with your students. We’ll send you an email if you have any unread messages, so don’t worry about missing anything.
4 – Profile
Here you can review and update your details. Make sure you keep your subjects and availability up to date, so that we can pair you with the most appropriate student.
Organising Your First Lesson
Scheduling and joining your first lesson is as easy as 1, 2, 3…
1 – Chat to your student, via the platform’s chat function, and agree a lesson time that works for you both.
2 – Navigate to the ‘My Tuitions’ tab and click ‘Create a Lesson’, making sure to fill in all of the required details.
3 – At the lesson time, navigate to the ‘My Lessons’ tab, select the correct lesson, and then click ‘Open Whiteboard’
Once your lesson has finished, you can just close the tab and the lesson will automatically be closed and the recording saved centrally. Don’t forget to complete your lesson feedback report, so that we can celebrate the progress that your pupil is making each week.
Using Our Online Whiteboard
We’ve worked hard to fill our online whiteboard with features that make tutoring fun, flexible, and productive for you and your student. We recommend logging on, scheduling a test lesson, and giving the whiteboard a try yourself to really get to grips with all of the features available.
1 – File Settings
Any notes or workings within the whiteboard space can be deleted, saved, and uploaded from this area. If you’ve made notes that you’d like to carry over to the next lesson, simply save them here and then upload them at the beginning of the next lesson.
2 – Drawing Tools
Use the various options here to choose how you’d like to interact with the whiteboard. The cursor, selected in the image, allows you to select and manipulate objects you’ve already added to the whiteboard. The final option, indicated by a picture frame icon, enables you to upload images directly to the whiteboard.
3 – Video and Microphone Settings
These options enable you to turn both your camera and microphone on and off. Video feeds will be displayed here on the right hand side of the screen.
Video or microphone not working? Try rejoining the whiteboard, making sure you have the correct video and audio inputs selected on the calibration screen.
4 – Help Section
Click the question mark to see a full list of the platform’s features, and their relevant keyboard shortcuts. The green shield indicates that your lesson is secure and being safely recorded on the TTN servers.
Got Feedback?
The TTN tutoring platform is brand new and, whilst we’ve tried to make sure that everything works perfectly, you might occasionally stumble across a bug or an area for improvement.
We’re grateful for any feedback, positive or negative. Please do get in touch at jacob@tutorthenation.org.
