Back to Apache home page

By Ted Troupis

With Classmate in a box, or more specifically, Classmate in a PC, tutoring is now available free of charge 24 hours a day, seven days a week online.

A new service, offered through Parkland College in Champaign, allows students to get help in almost any subject area by communicating with a tutor through e-mail or in a live chat room.

Mary Turchi, who heads IVCCs peer tutoring service, said the new program provides access to peer and faculty tutors from schools around the state. In addition, students can query their peers regarding their classes on the Classmate Bulletin Board.

"Although many tutoring sites are fee based, Classmate is totally free," Turchi said. "A login name and password are the only requirements needed to access the available tutors."

Classmate is the brainchild of the virtual learning departments at Parkland and at South Suburban College in South Holland. Turchi said the need for a web tutoring service, especially a free one, is great since thousands of students are now learning online or do not have an opportunity to discuss their studies with peer tutors at their colleges.

She not only encourages IVCC students to take advantage of the help, she is also looking for students and faculty who would like to work as tutors, either from their home or from IVCC. She said the online tutors would be paid the same rate as on campus tutors.