Do I need any special equipment to communicate with students via UPchieve’s platform?
No! Any personal computer, laptop, or tablet will work just fine with our online tutoring platform. We recommend using a computer, laptop, or tablet instead of using your smartphone. We promise you’ll find it much easier to help the student from your computer!
Is there audio or video?
There is no audio or video component to UPchieve due to student safety and student preference. If you’re helping a student with STEM tutoring, you’ll see a collaborative whiteboard and a text-based chat. In college counseling and humanities subjects, you’ll see our collaborative document editor instead of the whiteboard.
Me and/or the student are experiencing technical issues.
Most tech issues can be resolved by refreshing the whiteboard and asking the student to do the same. For persistent whiteboard problems, you can use the whiteboard reset button available to you.
Important: If you click the whiteboard reset button you won't be able to retrieve the information on the whiteboard
If this doesn't fix the issue, report a tech issue using our chat widget (click the question mark bubble in the lower-right corner.). Our tech team will look into it within 48 business hours.
I got a notification that a student needed help, but nothing was on the dashboard.
No worries, this is normal! We notify several volunteers when a student requests help. Sometimes another volunteer picks it up first, or the student ends the session quickly.
If this is happening frequently, please let us know by reporting a tech issue.
I haven’t been receiving many requests, is something wrong with my account?
UPchieve is an on-demand service, so the number of requests you receive can vary. Here are some tips to increase your chances of working with a student:
Block out more time on your UPchieve calendar to receive text notifications of students needing help. The hours where you see red ⏰ icons indicate when request volumes are highest!
Get certified in more subjects.
Have the dashboard open to see requests as they pop up. You can even accept them outside your set availability!
Please note, that if you have never received a tutoring request, it may be because you haven't completed onboarding. If this isn't the case, please feel free to send us a message!
The student wasn't replying to my messages or ended the session abruptly.
If a student is unresponsive, they may have experienced a connection issue. Many of the students we serve face barriers, such as limited access to quality internet or reliable devices. Students may be nervous about using the platform for the first couple of times.
Don't wait longer than 10 minutes for a student to respond. If you've reached out a few times without receiving a reply, feel free to end the session and assist other students.
The student can easily request a new session whenever they're ready.
How do I erase things on the whiteboard?
If you'd like to erase certain areas you can do so by:
Use the pick tool (last button on the left). Click and drag over the areas, then press delete on your keyboard.
Use the flexible eraser tool. Drag over the areas to make them invisible. You can also delete or move the eraser drawings to restore or adjust what you erased.
If you accidentally delete your entire screen (trash icon, bottom right), undo it by clicking the left arrow (next to the art palette).
Hover your mouse over any button to see its name!
How do I update my email address?
You'll need assistance from our staff to update your email address. Please send us a message and provide your full name, the email address that is currently in your account, and the new email address.
How do I update my phone number?
To update your phone number, please follow these steps:
Click on "Edit" in the upper right corner.
Update your phone number.
Click "Save" to confirm the changes.
If you encounter issues verifying your phone number and you are outside of the U.S. and Canada, please note that your country's regulations may prevent us from sending text messages.
If I end a session, does it automatically close out the session for the student? I am concerned they may come back and want to see their work.
The session doesn't automatically close for the student. When either the volunteer or student ends the session, the tab on the other user's screen turns gray, indicating the session has ended.
Until the student closes the session, they can view the whiteboard/document editor and access the chat. Students have a "session history" feature to review all past sessions.
Is there any way for coaches to upload images?
Right now, only students can upload images in our sessions, primarily for safety reasons.
The student I am helping needs accommodations.
UPchieve provides support for learner variability, including color blindness, speech-to-text, translations, and dyslexia. Check out this doc for more info.
Can I be notified via email when a student needs help?
Currently, only text notifications are available.