As Blinn College District students complete the Spring 2020 semester online as a result of COVID-19, the College is expanding its online educational support for students with the launch of a new online tutoring system.
“As many Blinn students adapt to their first online class experience, Blinn is committed to providing all the tools they need to succeed in that transition,” said Dr. Marcelo Bussiki, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “The ability to provide real-time, face-to-face video support is especially important in tutoring situations, when students benefit from the opportunity to ask immediate follow-up questions.”
Offered through a partnership with the educational technology startup Upswing, the online tutoring service connects students with Blinn faculty and tutors in a student-friendly online environment. Students can visit www.blinn.edu/tutoring to see all the tutoring services Blinn provides – including the College’s learning and writing centers – and to access the online tutoring platform. Once there, students can select their tutor and schedule an online appointment.
Upswing also offers Blinn students their own virtual assistant. By texting 979-269-7522, students can schedule a tutoring appointment and receive reminders and follow-up messages that help them organize their studying and tutoring schedules and keep them on the path to success.
Online tutoring is now available in accounting, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, economics, history, math, microbiology, and physics. Through the platform’s videoconferencing tool, students and tutors can make a deeper connection, and the online whiteboard allows students and tutors to show their work and share ideas. Additionally, students can access a series of resources and videos that assist with the writing process.
“Regardless of whether students take their class in person or online, Blinn remains committed to providing personalized support,” said Dr. Joyce Langenegger, Executive Director of Academic Success. “With this online tutoring platform, we can continue to connect with our students, provide one-on-one assistance, and give them the experience they expect from a Blinn College education.”
Blinn’s academic transfer rate is the highest in the state, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Blinn has partnered with Texas A&M University to develop pioneering co-enrollment programs such as the Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM Program, the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan, and the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham.
As a member of the RELLIS Academic Alliance, Blinn offers courses at The Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus that transfer seamlessly into the four-year bachelor’s degree programs offered by The Texas A&M University System regional universities also located onsite. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/RELLIS.
To register for Blinn’s May Minimester, Summer, and Fall terms, visit www.blinn.edu.