What Does a Computer Science Tutor Do?

A computer science tutor generally provides one-to-one instruction on aspects of computer science and computer programming. These professionals might instruct students who are taking advanced computer science classes and having problems passing them. In other contexts, a computer science tutor might be preparing a younger student for future course work, or even providing vocational computer science tutoring.

Tutors in this field offer instruction on a wide array of computer programming languages. They may teach lessons on the full spectrum of coding languages through a general focus on computer science principles, such as code module functionality or broader development strategies. Alternately, a computer science tutor might focus on specific “procedural” tasks with a given computer programming language, in concrete lab activities that help students create their own functional modules or applications.

For students who have more specific learning needs, the computer science tutor might focus on a certain kind of programming language. Instruction might be provided in the syntax of the “C suite” of languages: C, C++, and C#, or in the popular Windows-based Microsoft Visual Basic computer programming language. Other courses might focus on simple coding with hypertext markup language (HTML) or cascading style sheets (CSS). Some classes might focused on web-based technologies like ASP, VBScript, a Web form of Visual Basic, or PHP.

Computer science tutors might just instruct a single student, or sometimes small groups. They might tutor a student in person, over the Internet, or through other digital venues. The tutor might simply meet with a student once or several times a week, while other tutors will establish specific numbers of sessions in a seminar or workshop type format.

Generally, the computer science tutor will be able to meet a student at his or her particular skill level, and answer specific questions about concrete computer programming tasks that a student may be having trouble with. One of the benefits that computer science tutors offer to students is the ability to respond to questions in real-time and offer answers for particular problems with code or design, or any other aspect of computer science. Some of the best computer science tutors will also provide students with a lot of background on how computer science has evolved, and how the developer community has established some common principles for standards within the field.