Online Tutoring Communication Skills 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the clearest example of a 'closed' question that a tutor should replace with an 'open' question?
- 'Can you walk me through how you solved this?'
- 'What strategies did you try first?'
- 'Did you understand that?' (Correct answer)
- 'How would you approach this problem differently next time?'
Correct answer: 'Did you understand that?'
'Did you understand that?' invites only a yes/no answer and rarely surfaces genuine comprehension gaps.
Question 2: A student sends an angry message blaming you for their poor quiz grade. What is the most effective first response?
- Defend yourself immediately with evidence
- Acknowledge the student's frustration, express willingness to review, and invite a conversation (Correct answer)
- Tell the student they are being unreasonable
- Terminate the tutoring relationship immediately
Correct answer: Acknowledge the student's frustration, express willingness to review, and invite a conversation
De-escalating first by acknowledging emotion makes the student more receptive to a constructive review of what happened.
Question 3: Why is it important to avoid educational jargon when communicating with a student's parents?
- Parents do not need to understand tutoring strategies
- Jargon can create confusion and reduce parental engagement and trust (Correct answer)
- Using jargon makes the tutor appear more professional
- Parents prefer technical language
Correct answer: Jargon can create confusion and reduce parental engagement and trust
Plain language keeps parents informed and engaged, which supports the student's learning outside of sessions.
Question 4: A student is about to give up on a difficult problem during a session. Which statement best uses encouraging communication?
- 'Just try harder.'
- 'This is actually an easy problem.'
- 'You have already solved the first two steps correctly—let's figure out step three together.' (Correct answer)
- 'Maybe this topic is just too hard for you.'
Correct answer: 'You have already solved the first two steps correctly—let's figure out step three together.'
Pointing to specific progress made reinforces competence and breaks the remaining challenge into a manageable next step.
Question 5: What is 'wait time' in tutoring communication and why does it matter?
- The delay between booking a session and the first meeting
- The pause a tutor gives after asking a question, allowing the student time to think before responding (Correct answer)
- The time a student waits for an email reply
- A break taken in the middle of a session
Correct answer: The pause a tutor gives after asking a question, allowing the student time to think before responding
Research shows that waiting at least three to five seconds after a question significantly improves the quality and length of student responses.
Question 6: During a group online tutoring session, one student dominates the discussion. What communication strategy should the tutor use?
- Let the dominant student continue since they are engaged
- Mute the dominant student without explanation
- Use structured turn-taking (e.g., calling on students by name) to ensure equitable participation (Correct answer)
- Split into individual sessions immediately
Correct answer: Use structured turn-taking (e.g., calling on students by name) to ensure equitable participation
Structured turn-taking distributes speaking opportunities fairly and keeps all students engaged in the discussion.
Question 7: Which practice helps build rapport with a new online tutoring student during the first session?
- Jumping directly into academic content to show efficiency
- Spending a few minutes learning about the student's interests, goals, and prior experiences before starting instruction (Correct answer)
- Outlining all the rules and consequences for missed sessions first
- Telling the student about your own academic credentials at length
Correct answer: Spending a few minutes learning about the student's interests, goals, and prior experiences before starting instruction
Brief relationship-building at the start of the first session establishes trust and gives the tutor context for personalizing instruction.
Online Tutoring Communication Skills 5
Which of the following is the clearest example of a 'closed' question that a tutor should replace with an 'open' question?