3rd October 2018 9:00
By Blue Tutors
When we think about tutoring we think of academic tutors. English tutors, maths tutors, teaching school subjects to students in primary or secondary school. However, the online game Fortnite has created a new type of tutoring; tutoring someone to get better at a computer game. Reported on the Euronews website, tuition agency Varsity tutors said that they received 500 - 1000 enquiries about tutoring for Fortnite every day.
It might seem strange to many people. Why would parents pay for a computer game tutor, particularly when most parents lament the amount of time their children spend in front of screens rather than doing homework. Lindsey Roberts said that the most common topic of conversation around the dinner table is Fortnite, and rather than fight with her son Jackson about the amount of time he dedicates to the game, she has embraced the time he spends on the game and is trying to use that to help him.
Mrs Roberts said like playing Fortnite keeps Jackson connected with his friends and schoolmates, which she doesn’t mind, and because the game can be very strategic, it provides an opportunity for students to learn problem solving skills, albeit in a non-typical learning environment. Jackson spends around an hour once a week with his tutor and they discuss how well he is doing in the game, and try to help him learn. Lindsey is therefore in control of the lessons and is aware of the online conversations her son is having.
An interesting result of this new type of tuition is that some tuition companies are hiring tutors to help specifically with computer games. Alternatively some established tutors who have long been teaching core academic subjects, are now branching out into helping with games like Fortnite because they are interested in the game too. Varsity tutors said that someone with a track record of tutoring results and good communication skills is the perfect person to also help tutor for a computer game.