Online tutors help with homework

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By David Heitz | Monday, August 28, 2006 11:49 PM CDT | () comments

Nick Loomis/QUAD-CITY TIMES Davenport Central High School junior Kelley Keimig, a volunteer at the Davenport Public Library, demonstrates the Live Homework Help available through the library’s Web site for card holders.

Tutors no longer have to be expensive or inconveniently crammed into a busy student’s schedule.

Just in time for schools that begin classes this week, the Davenport Public Library launched a link to free homework help off its Web site at www.davenportlibrary.com.

The Live Homework Help system, powered by tutor.com, offers help in math, science, social studies and English to students in grades 4-12.

The site features a chat area where students and a tutor can discuss a subject and a “whiteboard” area where tutors can show students how to solve a problem.

The service is available from 4-10 p.m. every day, and many days can be accessed in Spanish as well as English. The Bettendorf Public Library offers the same service.

Angela Campbell, public relations and programming coordinator for the Davenport library, said library workers saw a need for the service and decided to go ahead and purchase it for $16,000 — or $1 for each student enrolled in Davenport schools.

“The homework hot line doesn’t exist anymore, and we saw an influx of students coming to the reference desk for homework help. As reference librarians, we’re trained on where to find the answer, not how to find the answer.”

Campbell said library officials are working with Davenport schools to get the word out about the service, which is available to anyone with a library card.

The library learned about the service from Karl Colon, associate director of customer service at the library, who came to Davenport from another library in Ohio that also used tutor.com.

“Essentially, students learn their lessons at school and then don’t have anybody to ask for help after they leave school,” Campbell said. “As a parent, how are you supposed to remember how to do calculus?”

The live homework helpers at tutor.com represent certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors, graduate school students and undergraduates from top universities.

Every tutor completes a rigorous training program and undergoes an ongoing evaluation process. Tutors must complete background checks and attend professional development seminars to improve their teaching skills in an online environment.

Kelley Keimig, a junior at Davenport Central High School, tried out the system Friday. She lobbed a math question at her online tutor, who identified herself as “Mona Z.”

“What is the percent of increase when you go from a $5 shirt in 1989 to an $18 shirt in 2006?” Keimig asked.

Instead of giving up the answer, Mona Z. asked Keimig to think through the problem. She encouraged Keimig to figure out the factor by which the shirt increased (3.6) and multiply it by 100 percent.

“A lot of people will find this beneficial,” Keimig said. “I would recommend it to my friends because they aren’t very smart. If I couldn’t help them, I would tell them to use this.”

Sue Ring, youth services supervisor for the library, agreed. “I think it’s a great resource.”

Keimig said the service also offers an alternative to the classroom teacher. “If you have bad teachers or mean teachers that hate you, you can use this because you don’t know who they are.”

Added Campbell: “If you have a different learning style from the way your teacher teaches, this allows you to go at it from a different angle.”

Campbell said she expects the service will be well used, especially by students who put things off until the last minute. “If the homework is due tomorrow and you’ve only got today, what are you going to do? Go to tutor.com, of course.”

David Heitz can be contacted at (563) 383-2202 or dheitz@qctimes.com.

Homework help

Homework help from tutor.com is available through the Davenport Public Library Web site, www.davenportlibrary.com, for library card holders.