In addition to the school’s learning center, students can now receive tutoring 24 hours a day though a program called “Smarthinking.”

The program is an online service that provides students with academic support. Although the college thought about making their own version of “Smarthinking,” they ultimately decided against it.

“We would never be able to match the volume they can handle,” said English Professor and Learning Center Coordinator Shant Shahoian. “They have a huge network.”

The online tutoring service is used on campuses across the country and was made available to Glendale College students over the winter. Shahoian said about 30 students used the program, but he expects the numbers to rise as more people learn about its availability.

Smarthinking employs tutors from across the country. Homework help is available for various subjects, including math, writing, accounting, economics, and more.

Shahoian said that one of the reasons the college chose Smarthinking over other similar tutoring services is because the program’s tutoring philosophy matches that of the Learning Center’s. Both take a student-centered approach to tutoring. For example, tutors ask more questions than they answer to allow the student to find their own mistakes and learn on their own.

The type of tutoring also depends on what subject the student is working on. For writing help, a student can submit their paper and receive feedback at a later time.

If a student needs help with a math problem, a tutor helps them solve it step by step, but encourages the student to reach a final answer on their own. The tutor then confirms whether the answer is right or wrong.

To access Smarthinking at Glendale College, students have to log in to their MyGCC account, click on “Main Menu,” and then find the “SmarThinking Login” option. After being redirected to the Smarthinking login page, students can scroll down to pick the subject they need help in.