GotIt is a free app for iOS and Android that lends itself to on-demand tutoring. Tutoring sessions last in 10-minute increments and are facilitated by tested and trained tutors called Study Experts. Communication is done solely through text and is geared toward high school and college students. We at BestCompany believe GotIt is a solid service, especially considering that it's free.
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The Good
- Free for download
- Certified tutors
- 24/7 Availability
Free for Download
The app is free for download on the iOS and Android store. This will be useful because most high school and college students won't have the budget to pay an expensive hourly fee for a tutor. However, it's unclear whether or not in-app purchases are involved.
Certified Tutors
Tutors for GotIt go through a two-step process in which they are trained in a short series of Study Expert video clips, then they move on to a testing phase where they can prove their knowledge in math or science. Tutors work remotely and are able to chat with students through their mobile devices. Math and science problems are analyzed through sharing photos through the app. Applications for becoming a Study Expert are open on GotIt's website and a college degree is not required.
24/7 Availability
Students can hop on their GotIt app any time of day to receive a 10-minute tutoring session from a certified expert. This will particularly useful for students that are kept busy during the day with extracurriculars and after-school jobs. The help you receive from GotIt won't be restricted to a narrow time slot.
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The Bad
- Text-only communication
- Grades 9-12 and college only
- No language or social sciences
- No in-person tutoring
Text-Only Communication
Students can only communicate with their tutors through text on GotIt. This doesn't mean that students are going to struggle significantly more with their tutors, but it does provide a certain barrier to communication. Other tutoring platforms allow tools such as video chat or shared online whiteboard in order to accurately and quickly communicate information. When only texts and screenshots are involved, it may take a little longer for students to send and receive messages than would be faster through a video chat.
Grades 9-12 and College Only
Students below grade nine are going to be out of luck when it comes to GotIt. Although the app is free, the tutors are geared toward helping in courses that are for high school and college students. It's unknown if this is because of an age limit, or because GotIt's Study Experts are instructed to focus solely on high school and college courses.
No Language or Social Sciences
GotIt is a resource solely for math and science. Tutoring help is available specifically for algebra, advanced algebra, trigonometry, geometry, precalculus, calculus, chemistry, and physics. Students looking for help on their English paper or German study guide are going to have to look elsewhere for help. This may be a feature or function that GotIt will want to look into in the future.
No In-Person Tutoring
Since all GotIt communication is done through text and file sharing, the student doesn't have the opportunity to meet with the Study Expert in person. Tutoring is done remotely, so the Study Expert could even be an individual from another country. No in-person tutoring serves as another barrier to fully effective communication.
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The Bottom Line
GotIt is a great free app that provides high school and college students with on-call Study Experts. The fact that it's free for download should be reason enough to download it. However, since it's free, it lacks features such as video chat and a shared whiteboard. Communication must be done through text and exchanging pictures. There is also no help in subjects such as English, social sciences, or foreign languages. GotIt Study Experts are only trained to help with subjects relating to math and science (particularly chemistry).