How do students benefit?
- Access to knowledgeable tutors from any location
- Assessment preparation and Exam revision
- Opportunities to develop leadership skills
- A network of volunteers to connect with after school, especially if moving away from home
- Seminars and workshops that encourage success and develop skills and resources that encourage students' aspirations
- Live tutoring sessions for those really difficult questions
Seymour College Student
I asked a chemistry question and they got back to me within 12 hours and it was really clear what I need to do and where I was going wrong
Belmont High School Student
Each response has been clear, concise and worded in a way I can understand. I will definitely continue to utilise this great tutoring tool in future and strongly recommend it!
Tyrrell College Student
This was quicker response time then my teacher, more detailed and helpful. Thank you so much!!
Seymour College Student
Super easy to use ... the tutors know exactly what is required ... we recommend RESN 100%
St Paul's Anglican Grammar School Student
Your feedback has helped me so much with my writing for essays and responses. The quick response time is also amazing.
Wodonga Senior Secondary College Student
I love the explanations each individual gives ... it's amazing how this type of online tutoring is free.
Yea High School Student
By far the most invaluable resource available to me ... it is clear that the tutors genuinely wish to see us flourish. I couldn't ask for a better means of assistance throughout Year 12.
Timboon P-12 School Student
So grateful that I have access to such an efficient, and simple program to help me go through VCE. I want to thank you all very much for allowing me to confidently succeed throughout the year.
How do teachers benefit?
- Motivated and well-supported students
- Classroom resources such as wiki and quizzes, and other educational material
- Reduces the burden of marking essays and practice exams
Sharon Hill, VCE Coordinator, Seymour College, VIC
A really great opportunity for regional students who may not have access to these types of services
Phil Smith, Year 12 Coordinator, Euroa Secondary College, VIC
It really is fantastic and offers a completely different insight for the students
James Walsh, VCE Coordinator, Yea High School, VIC
It can take [a teacher] up to two weeks [to provide feedback]. With RESN, we get in a day, even less than. To have that feedback in such a short time is very valuable, it's a lot better.
Colin Macleod-Smith, VCE Art and Photography, Seymour Secondary College, VIC
Thank you [...] for the exemplary work in providing invaluable resources for our VCE students. It is very beneficial for them to hear the same messages from a peer who has been through the exam process and achieved success.
Case Study: Yea High School
Yea High School is located in rural Victoria. A small school with only one Year 12 class, Yea High has limited teachers and resources. These are the students from these kinds of schools that benefit most from RESN's work.
One success story is of a Yea High School student who, as a Year 10 student, was disengaged from her classwork and achieving middling marks, particularly in English. In Year 12, this student found RESN, where supportive and capable tutors could provide rapid, constructive feedback and encouraged her to keep having a go. After submitting 46 essays at an average of more than one per week, she achieved the maximum final score of 50 in English (one of 94, in a cohort of 35,000)!
Since graduating, she has since joined the RESN team as a volunteer and English tutor, giving younger students the opportunity to excel as she did. Bruce Skewes, Principal of Yea High School, explained that “the opportunity to access something like this for country schools is huge... if [RESN] can be introduced to more and more country schools, I think they’ll benefit too.”
Aspirations and Engagement
Sharon Hill, VCE Coordinator at Seymour College, recently told us that “one of the biggest issues for country kids is aspiration...many of our students wouldn’t have seen what a university looks like”. Many of these students do not have family members who have received higher education, and find themselves without role models to whom they can turn. Consequently, student motivation and engagement is lower, with 15% fewer students completing their [high school education] in some regional areas (Lamb, Glover & Walstab, 2014).
RESN has been able to help many students identify and reach for their goals. Over several years, RESN representatives have visited schools and shared their experience. As Sharon Hill confirmed, “it’s good for them to have that exposure...it opens students’ perspectives in terms of what options are available to them”. Not only do we provide academic support to students, but we provide a level of engagement which is otherwise lacking, and we continue to highlight the possibilities available to regional and rural students, helping to "improve aspirations" (Sharon Hill).
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation from schools, partners, and advisers are available upon request.