A new tool now available on BJU Online combines tutoring help with flexibility and technological advancement.

The University has partnered with Pearson Education™ and Smarthinking, Inc. to bring Smarthinking on-demand tutoring, a free service designed specifically for hectic student schedules, to the course pages this semester.

Dr. Lisa Midcalf, the director of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and resident expert on all things helpful, introduced the newest resource for students as an “absolutely free, 24/7 online tutoring service.”

When asked about the key advantages of the

Smarthinking tutoring center, she emphasized the financial ease to students.

“Students can hire a tutor through the ARC, but many students don’t have those extra funds,” Midcalf said. “Smarthinking is free.”

Some of the many services only a click away include an online writing center where students can submit their papers and essays 24 hours in advance and have them reviewed by a tutor.

“With the online writing center, there are resources in there for them to learn basic grammar skills,” Dr. Midcalf said. “[It’s] like having your English handbook right beside you online.”

Also included is a program for offline use where questions can be submitted to be answered within 24 hours, and additionally, tutoring live with an actual person.

“Many of the basic courses are on demand,” Midcalf said, “and you can meet with a tutor in as little as two minutes.”

Many students have already taken notice of the new tool.

“We’ve already had over thirty students use Smarthinking, [within]seven days’ time,” Midcalf said. “It definitely is a first line of defense if you are having any difficulties in math courses, science, nursing, business, writing and reading.”

“Ninety percent of the tutors on Smarthinking have master’s or Ph.D.s,” Midcalf said. These tutors come from various backgrounds such as graduate students and trained college peer tutors, and extend to community college faculty and high school teachers.

Smarthinking is also  offered to online-only students or students who are on the road. Its flash-based service works with all common browsers and offers applications for iOS and Android devices.