Sallie post #7

I am skeptical of online tutoring.  This is not due to  any real qualms about its efficacy, but instead about what seems to me to be an avenue for helping those who are not particularly willing to put the work in. When a student comes into the writing center, I recognize that they have taken time out of their day, and likely went out of their way, to come speak to me out of genuine concern over their paper. However, if a student fires off a paper in one-click, I am not sure about the level of investment in the student, and my work as a tutor can feel a bit more trudging. I realize that this response  is likely due to some antiquated idea of pre-internet "justice," but it is hard to shake.

The benefit for online editing is that there is not so much couching of comments. You can get your point across, and due to the same anonymous robotics I complained about above, expect a level of acceptance of and personal detachment from criticism. If the student is willing to put in the work after receiving comments, then the process is effective. Unfortunately, there is no real way of knowing.