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Paige Richmond

of the Gateway

Ian Hash doesn’t always have time to get help with his homework. A senior at Gig Harbor High School, Hash is sure that — if he asked — his teachers or fellow classmates would find the time before and after school to answer his questions.

But Hash, who plays three sports, doesn’t really have enough hours in the day for that option. His classmate, Davin Osuna, has the same dilemma.

“It’s either at home or it’s never,” Osuna said about finding homework help.

Both 17-year-olds have found a solution that meshes with their busy schedules: Pierce County Library’s online homework help. Launched in 2007, the program expanded this school year, allowing any student with a library card to work with an online tutor daily between 3 p.m. and midnight.

The tutors are employed by tutor.com, an online company that certifies teachers, students and college professors from around the United States and Canada to help students in math, science, social studies and English.

Usually, tutor.com charges up to $30 per hour for the service, but it’s completely free through the library. The program is part of Pierce County Library’s 2006 levy, which included funds to add educational services for kids and teenagers.

And it appears to be popular: In 2008, about 1,200 students across Pierce County used live homework help each month, for an average of 25 minutes each. It’s been utilized most by sixth- through 12th-graders, library Communications Director Mary Getchell said.

Part of the program’s appeal is its technological ease. The tutors communicate with students through instant messaging, so homework can be done in real time. Plus, the software includes the option to upload documents and also to access a digital whiteboard, where tutors and students can draw images or equations on their computer screens.

The result is one-on-one personalized help.

“It is a direct tutoring session,” Getchell said. “It is not the easy answer button.”

The tutors are professionals at what they do — and the students recognize that. In December, 89 percent of students surveyed by the Pierce County Library System said the tutor successfully helped them with their assignments.

“They keep it at your level, never above your head,” Hash said.

More students like Osuna and Hash are learning about the program through the Peninsula School District. They both heard about live homework help through PHS librarian Connie Fitzgerald.

Since joining the PHS staff 1 1/2 years ago, Fitzgerald has taught students learn to use reliable electronic sources and databases while researching or completing assignments. She thought online homework help would be another useful resource.

“My point of view is, I’m trying to show the students everything that’s out there,” she said.

Fitzgerald added that the Pierce County Library System has been “awesome” about making its services easy and accessible. Librarians even visited the school earlier this year to help freshmen fill out library cards. About 200 students signed up.

Online homework help has its downside, though. Because the system has grown in popularity, the tutors are less available. Osuna and Hash said they’ve waited up to 20 minutes for a tutor to become available for help.

And even though Hash is grateful the service is provided until midnight, he said he’s sometimes up later than that doing homework. He wishes homework help was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For the most part, though, the benefits outweigh any challenges for students. In the December study, 88 percent of students surveyed said using online homework help improved their grades, and 89 percent said they are more confident in school because of the help.

Osuna starting using the service last year for his physics homework. He said the class moved at a fast pace, but working with a tutor after school allowed him to reinforce the topics he learned each day.

“I’d probably be toast without it,” he said.

Online homework help

Online tutors are available on demand through the Pierce County Library System every day from 3 p.m. to midnight for one-on-one help in math, science, social studies and English.

Visit www.piercecountylibrary.org/kids-teens for more information.

Reach reporter and columnist Paige Richmond at 253-853-9243 or by e-mail at paige.richmond@gateline.com.