Exploring eMath4All Platform for Private Mathematics Tutoring: Empirical Insights and Evaluation

Abstract

Private tutoring has become an increasingly popular approach for improving academic performance by providing individual or group support outside regular school hours to enhance student outcomes. In the context of mathematics tutoring, we introduce the eMath4All platform, designed to replicate traditional teaching methods through virtual tools for distance learning. Despite the growing prevalence of private tutoring, research on online tutoring platforms and their use in practice remains limited. Accordingly, this study explores the application of the eMath4All platform in two different private tutoring scenarios involving secondary school students from Romania. Study A examines group tutoring with five eighth-grade students preparing for a national examination over a three-month period, while Study B explores individual tutoring with ten students from various secondary education levels over a 12-month period. The paper analyzes how the key components of the eMath4All platform (such as the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, real-time audio–video communication, virtual library, assessment tool, and personal student profile) support tutoring activities. The platform is examined through a combination of platform usage data, descriptive analysis of student progression, and student-reported experience collected via questionnaires. The results of the exploratory study indicate consistent usage patterns, high engagement with platform features, and high usability ratings, highlighting the platform’s potential for supporting both individual and group mathematics tutoring.

1. Introduction

The educational system continuously adapts, modernizing its teaching methods and learning approaches through the integration of technology [1]. In recent years, many countries have experienced a global shift toward online instruction during the pandemic [2,3], fundamentally transforming the educational process. Private tutoring has become a popular supplement to traditional classroom settings [4], aiming to strengthen skill development and improve academic performance, as supported by various studies [5,6].

Interactive technologies are increasingly transforming education [7], providing students with personalized support and guidance to enhance their academic and scientific skills, especially in the context of STEM education [8,9]. The rise in e-learning platforms and online tutoring, as highlighted in previous studies [10], has fundamentally reshaped private tutoring. This approach has long been recognized as a major means for students to gain an academic advantage [11]. Nowadays, private tutoring has become a widespread phenomenon and is accessible to students from a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds [12].

The benefits of private tutoring are supported by several recent studies [13,14,15,16]. One key advantage is that individual tutoring can be tailored to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student. Additionally, another form of private tutoring, known as group tutoring [17], has gained popularity, focusing on small groups of students and incorporating tools that encourage collaboration and group work.

Despite the growing prevalence of private tutoring, online tutoring remains insufficiently explored in the literature. This paper seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining the effectiveness of eMath4All—an innovative platform developed by the authors to facilitate distance mathematics education [18]—in online tutoring settings, encompassing both individual and group tutoring scenarios.

It is important to clarify that eMath4All is not intended as a self-directed learning platform or merely a technology-enhanced supplement to traditional instruction. Rather, it has been deliberately designed to emulate key features of the conventional classroom environment, enabling tutors to apply familiar tools and pedagogical practices in an online context. In this study, the concept of effectiveness does not refer to the platform’s superiority over traditional teaching methods or to measurable gains in academic performance. Instead, it is understood as the extent to which eMath4All can replicate essential aspects of the traditional classroom experience, as perceived by students.

Accordingly, this study adopts an exploratory approach based on real-world tutoring scenarios, combining platform usage data with student-reported feedback. The aim is to provide insights into the feasibility of using eMath4All for private tutoring and to analyze how its features support teaching and learning processes in online environments.

More specifically, the paper aims to address the following research questions:

• How can eMath4All be used for private tutoring?
• How do students perceive the use of eMath4All in group private tutoring settings?
• How do students perceive the use of eMath4All in individual private tutoring settings?
• What is students’ experience and satisfaction with eMath4All in private tutoring?

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides an overview of the literature and highlights the motivation for this study. Section 3 introduces the eMath4All platform and its key features. Section 4 describes the results of two case studies of the platform in private tutoring scenarios—one in a group setting and one in an individual setting—and outlines students’ experiences with eMath4All. Finally, Section 5 concludes the paper and provides a discussion of the findings.

2. Background and Literature Overview

Research shows that students receiving private tutoring as remedial instruction demonstrate significantly greater improvement compared to those who do not receive tutoring, while also exhibiting increased motivation [19]. A comparative study conducted in Hong Kong and the Czech Republic aimed to identify the factors influencing parents’ decisions to use private tutoring and the drivers of this trend in two different regions of the world [20]. Research indicates that private tutoring can serve as a means of academic compensation, while also reflecting patterns of social stratification [21]. Other studies suggest that it is often used to prepare students for admission to universities or high schools rather than solely for remedial purposes [22]. Evidence shows that private tutoring for admission preparation can significantly enhance academic achievement [13], while other studies indicate that it is frequently used to support students outside school hours due to limited self-learning skills [23].

In countries such as Romania and Turkey, a significant percentage of students participate in private tutoring courses [24]. In Romania, the tutoring industry continues to expand, with one study indicating that more than 88% of questionnaire respondents had attended private tutoring courses, primarily for exam preparation [25]. Many students are willing to pay for tutoring because they perceive it as effective in improving their educational performance [26]. There is also a trend toward increased participation in private tutoring at higher levels of education [27], with some studies presenting tutoring as a necessity and indicating a higher likelihood of participation at the secondary education level [28]. Some analyses show that students who attend private tutoring spend an average of nine hours per week in supplementary instruction [29]. A study conducted in Hong Kong identified mathematics and other core subjects as the most common areas for private tutoring [30]. More recent studies [31] report similarly high levels of participation, with more than 70% of students in countries such as Egypt, Greece, Mauritius, and Myanmar engaging in private tutoring.

Tutors employ a variety of instructional strategies and educational activities, including both group instruction and individual training [32]. Accordingly, different forms of private tutoring can be identified. A study conducted in Switzerland identified both one-to-one tutoring, often carried out at a student’s home, and group tutoring organized by school-like institutions in classroom settings [33]. However, some researchers argue that private tutoring should function as a supplement to mainstream education rather than as a parallel educational system [34].

Online tutoring has emerged in recent years as a prominent educational strategy and has been shown to be as effective as traditional face-to-face tutoring [35]. Some studies have also analyzed the practices and characteristics of hybrid private tutoring models that emerged during the pandemic [36]. Nevertheless, online platforms may encounter obstacles such as network instability, limited access to textbooks, and the need for teachers and students to be prepared to use advanced technologies [37]. At the same time, online tutoring offers several important advantages, including lower costs, greater flexibility, and the possibility of interacting with tutors regardless of location [38]. Online platforms can also support personalized learning experiences tailored to individual student needs, using digital technologies to improve comprehension and skill development, particularly in mathematics. Studies indicate that technology can expand access to private tutoring while providing new learning tools [31]. By eliminating the need for travel, online tutoring benefits both students and tutors by enabling sessions to take place anywhere with an internet connection. This approach may lead to time savings by alleviating transportation constraints and scheduling challenges.

It is important to note that private tutoring may also have certain negative consequences. One such issue is the financial burden placed on families [39], particularly in countries where teachers may offer private tutoring to their own students. In such situations, parents may feel pressured to pay for additional lessons [40]. As a result, the growing prevalence of private tutoring has raised concerns that it may increase social inequalities, as not all families have equal access to high-quality tutors [41]. Consequently, some researchers suggest that schools and teachers should provide stronger academic support in order to reduce dependence on private tutoring, citing countries such as Finland, where free tutoring services are available [42]. Some research suggests that private tutoring does not always lead to improved academic performance [43]. Studies conducted in Turkey have compared the academic performance of students who receive private tutoring with those who do not, with mixed results [44]. Other studies argue that private tutoring has evolved into a parallel education system in Romania, where some teachers place greater value on their private tutoring activities than on their public school teaching responsibilities [45]. This phenomenon has led to private tutoring being described as the “shadow education system” [46].

Despite these concerns, several studies highlight the benefits of private tutoring, particularly in mathematics education. For example, private tutoring can be especially helpful for students who struggle with complex curriculum concepts [14]. Additional research has identified a significant positive correlation between private tutoring and learning outcomes in mathematics education [16]. Other studies have shown that mathematics tutoring during school vacations can significantly improve student performance and promote a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts [15].

However, in the context of mathematics education, online private tutoring presents specific challenges, particularly in representing mathematical symbols and geometric shapes in digital environments [47,48,49,50]. Therefore, specialized platforms are required to effectively support online mathematics instruction. To address this challenge, we have designed and implemented an innovative platform, called eMath4All [18], which focuses on distance mathematics instruction guided by a teacher and aims to replicate traditional teaching methods through the use of digital tools. In the following section, we present an overview of the platform and its application in two private tutoring scenarios.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Materials

eMath4All was developed following a comprehensive comparative analysis of existing e-learning platforms, mathematical applications and editors, as well as video conferencing tools, with particular attention to identifying their limitations, as reported in [18]. Based on this evaluation, the platform was designed by the authors of this study to enable instructors to teach mathematics within a virtual environment, employing the same pedagogical methods and strategies typically used in face-to-face settings. It incorporates specialized features tailored for mathematics teaching (including a dedicated algebraic expression editor and geometric figure editor) and aims to replicate the tools available in traditional classroom contexts. Furthermore, eMath4All strives to minimize the learning curve for both teachers and students, ensuring a smooth transition and effective use of the platform. More details regarding the novelty of the system and its positioning with respect to existing mathematics learning platforms can be found in [18]. A screenshot of eMath4All is presented in Figure 1. The main features of the platform are outlined below.

Videoconferencing System: Facilitates real-time communication between participants, using basic features such as webcams and microphones. The module operates in a resource-efficient manner and does not require a high-performance internet connection.

Virtual Whiteboard and Mathematical Editor: Enables collaborative and simultaneous writing by both teachers and students. eMath4All offers a dedicated tool for creating geometric shapes (e.g., protractor, ruler, square) and inputting algebraic expressions through a virtual keyboard that leverages the physical keyboard with shortcuts for specific symbols and functions. Teachers can control student access to the whiteboard, and each time a student is granted access, a counter on the profile page is updated to reflect their activity.

Virtual Library: Supports after-class study through a dual-library system. It consists of a public, searchable library where teachers can upload, categorize, and manage files of various types (many of which can be viewed directly within the platform), and a private library where students can upload and manage personal files, such as homework and worksheets, which are accessible to the teacher. The mathematical editor is also available, enabling users to create files directly within the platform.

Virtual Grading System: Enables teachers to design and administer assessments, featuring automated grading for multiple-choice questions and real-time tracking of student progress. Exercises can be developed within a private section of the virtual library and compiled to form an exam. These exercises may encompass both multiple-choice and open-ended questions, all of which can be created using the integrated mathematical editor. Teachers can also manually assign grades, with the final grade displayed on the student’s profile page. Furthermore, the system records the time each student spends on individual exercises.

Personal Profile: Provides students with access to their usage statistics, average grades, attendance records, and exam results, offering a comprehensive overview of their performance and engagement with the platform.

The eMath4All platform is built using web technologies (HTML 5, JavaScript ES2024, Node.js v22, PHP 8, and others), ensuring accessibility through a web browser without requiring users to install additional software. Designed to be resource-efficient and compatible with older hardware and operating systems (including Windows XP SP1), the platform can be accessed on most devices.

3.2. Methodology

The eMath4All platform was designed with the primary objective of simulating the traditional classroom experience by providing virtual tools and functionalities that closely resemble those used in face-to-face instruction. Rather than introducing new pedagogical approaches or supporting self-directed learning, the platform aims to enable teachers to conduct online lessons using familiar methods, thereby serving as a potential alternative to physical presence.

As such, the study relies on an exploratory case study design to investigate how eMath4All is used in private tutoring contexts and how its features support teaching and learning activities in practice. In particular, the study examines whether the platform provides students with tools comparable to those used in in-person settings and how these tools are perceived by students in real-world usage scenarios.

It is important to note that the study does not aim to establish causal relationships between platform use and learning outcomes, nor to compare the platform with traditional tutoring through controlled experimentation. Instead, the analysis focuses on descriptive insights derived from platform interaction data and student-reported feedback.

To this end, the study investigates the platform along three complementary dimensions:

(i)

Usage patterns, based on system-generated interaction data;

(ii)

Student perceptions, collected through questionnaires;

(iii)

Observed learning progress, analyzed descriptively through assessment results.

The eMath4All platform was utilized in two distinct studies aimed at addressing the research questions outlined in Section 1. More specifically, the platform was used to deliver distance mathematics education to Romanian secondary school students, with two different usage scenarios examined: Study A, which focused on group private tutoring, and Study B, which concentrated on individual private tutoring.

In both scenarios, key features of the eMath4All platform, such as the virtual whiteboard and the virtual library, were used to facilitate instruction. The teacher presented lesson content, solved exercises with students, and addressed their questions using the virtual whiteboard and synchronous communication system. Students collaborated on the whiteboard, using the mathematical editor to write algebraic expressions and create geometric shapes when permitted by the teacher. Additionally, students engaged in after-class learning activities by accessing uploaded worksheets, books, and multimedia materials through the virtual library and submitting their homework for tutor verification. The platform’s assessment tools were also used to monitor student progress through periodic evaluations.

Study A involved the use of the eMath4All platform over a three-month period with a group of five eighth-grade students from different regions of Romania, all preparing for the National Assessment examination, which plays a decisive role in high school admission based on students’ average scores. The participants, aged 14, were recruited from both rural and urban areas. The sample was formed on an ad hoc basis, comprising students who voluntarily enrolled in the tutoring program due to their interest in preparing for the National Assessment. The group included three female and two male students. The tutoring program consisted of two sessions per week, each lasting two hours, and covered the full lower secondary mathematics curriculum (grades 5–8).

The platform’s group functionality facilitated collaborative work and simultaneous interaction with multiple students; the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, and geometric tools were employed to present session content, while students actively engaged in exercises and discussions.

Prior to the group training, a mandatory two-hour introductory session was conducted to acquaint students with the platform’s features and functionalities. The tutor systematically presented the platform components, beginning with the virtual keyboard layout and progressing through the virtual whiteboard, geometric instruments, virtual library, search functionality, private library, assessment process, and personal profile page. This hands-on session was followed by a question-and-answer discussion to address any remaining uncertainties and reinforce students’ understanding of the platform.

To monitor student progress, three comprehensive two-hour assessments were administered during the three-month period, along with a short 10 min assessment following each session.

Study B examined the use of the eMath4All platform for individual private tutoring with a sample of ten students from diverse educational backgrounds and regions across Romania, including both urban and rural areas. The participants were enrolled in different schools and spanned lower secondary grade levels (grades 5–8), with ages ranging from 11 to 15. The sample was formed on an ad hoc basis, comprising students who voluntarily enrolled in the tutoring program in order to improve their understanding and academic performance in mathematics. The group included four female and six male students.

The study spanned a 12-month period, totaling over 1120 h of instruction. While some students had prior experience with the platform’s mathematical editor from a previous study [18], others received introductory training from the tutor before commencing their private tutoring sessions. Each student dedicated at least two hours per week to preparation, with some participating in up to four hours of weekly tutoring.

Throughout this period, students utilized the platform’s comprehensive feature set, including the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, private library, grading system, and personal profile. Students uploaded and created documents within their private library while actively engaging in lessons using the virtual whiteboard and synchronous communication tools. Lessons followed a consistent structure: the teacher first introduced key concepts, after which students practiced exercises on the whiteboard under the teacher’s guidance. Monthly assessments were administered through the platform, with results displayed on each student’s profile page.

In order to gather objective evidence on the platform’s features, we drew on the comprehensive data collected by eMath4All, including metrics such as the number of personal files, participation in whiteboard activities, engagement with the virtual library, frequency of feature use, and assessment data. This approach enabled a detailed analysis of student behavior and interaction patterns within the platform.

In addition, to gather subjective feedback on the platform’s features and their role in supporting private tutoring, we administered a structured questionnaire. This questionnaire was designed to analyze user satisfaction, perceived usability, and the extent to which the platform supports tutoring activities. The questionnaire included the widely used Standard Usability Scale (SUS) [51] and seven additional sections designed to collect detailed information, as follows:

• Section 1: Demographic and tech profile—device type, internet quality, and self-assessed digital skills;
• Section 2: Technical performance—faults, lag, connection issues, and slowdowns;
• Section 3: Learning time—effort required to familiarize with features like virtual keyboard, drawing tools, library, and personal profile;
• Section 4: User experience—satisfaction rating and open feedback regarding preferred platform components;
• Section 5: Comparison with in-person tutoring—perceived academic progress, student-tutor interaction, learning experience, advantages, and disadvantages;
• Section 6: Group tutoring experience (only for Study A)—student-tutor interaction, peer relationships, distractions, and overall experience;
• Section 7: Long-term use—future plans, skill development, and suggestions for platform improvement.

Through this mixed approach, combining usage data and self-reported perceptions, the study aims to provide a descriptive and exploratory understanding of how eMath4All supports online private tutoring and how its features relate to students’ learning experiences.

4. Results and Experimental Findings

4.1. Study A—Group Tutoring

To initiate the training program, a preliminary evaluation was conducted to identify students’ learning gaps. A comprehensive assessment test was designed using the platform’s grading system to evaluate their understanding of key secondary school concepts. The test included both multiple-choice questions and open-ended exercises. The results indicated an overall knowledge level reflected in an average score of 6 out of 10 (Please note that values are rounded off to the nearest integer throughout the paper.). By analyzing the detailed assessment data (Figure 2), several significant knowledge gaps were identified.

The tutor also reviewed the platform’s automatically tracked data on time spent per exercise, which could be seen in Figure 3, to pinpoint specific areas of difficulty.

Based on these results, the teacher developed a tailored recovery plan that included theoretical instruction, problem-solving activities, collaborative work, and short assessments focused on the concepts covered during instruction. A mid-term assessment was conducted, revealing an average improvement of 18% compared to the initial test results. A final assessment was administered at the end of the program, designed to mirror the structure and format of the Romanian National Assessment. The evolution of student grades across the three assessments is illustrated in Figure 4.

One of the key features of eMath4All is its ability to facilitate collaboration within the online learning environment. Students utilized the platform’s virtual whiteboard, webcams, and virtual library capabilities to engage in both real-time communication and asynchronous collaboration; this included sharing mathematical editor fxm files, images, multimedia content, and documents, as discussed next.

During the three-month preparation period, varying levels of engagement with the virtual library were observed among students. The number of files stored in each student’s private library ranged from 28 to 52, with an average of 34 files per student. The distribution of files per student, categorized by file type, is illustrated in Figure 5.

In total, students uploaded 174 files, showing a preference for creating documents using the mathematical editor, with 104 files of type fxm (60%). Additionally, 43 image files were uploaded (25%), while the remaining files included presentations, documents, and archives. Data also showed that each student conducted approximately 21 searches per week on average using the virtual library’s search functionality. Notably, in approximately 89% of searches, users employed not only keywords but also specific tags, indicating deliberate efforts to refine search queries.

The teacher uploaded 217 files to the public library, including 42 fxm files, 57 images, 13 multimedia files, 86 documents, and 19 other file types. Students primarily relied on mathematical editor files for solving exercises and submitting homework, followed by image files for information sharing. To facilitate file retrieval, the teacher created 27 tags and applied them to files with an average of four tags per file.

The virtual library also included a private exercise library accessible only to teachers. In this environment, the mathematical editor provided additional tools such as draggable checkboxes and scoring mechanisms for responses. The editor supported both multiple-choice and open-ended exercises, with the software automatically grading multiple-choice questions based on scores assigned by the teacher. The tutor created a total of 183 multiple-choice exercises, 86 true/false exercises, and 59 open-ended exercises.

The virtual library’s assessment tool facilitated the creation and management of 26 short assessments and three long assessments which were designed to evaluate both the students’ comprehension of mathematical concepts and their problem-solving speed. Students averaged 1.6 min on each multiple-choice question in short assessments, 9.5 min on each multiple-choice question in long assessments, and 13.5 min on open-ended questions. The eMath4All platform provided the teacher with real-time access to student solutions and time spent on each exercise, allowing for immediate feedback and assessment.

The virtual whiteboard represented one of the most frequently used features of the platform, by both tutor and students, accounting for approximately 38% of the total time spent on the system. The instructor archived the whiteboard content from 24 live lessons into the virtual library. Of the fxm files managed by the teacher, 50% were lessons saved directly from the virtual whiteboard, 31% were created directly within the virtual library, and 19% were uploaded from the teacher’s personal computer.

During online sessions, students used webcams and microphones to communicate with both their peers and the instructor. Each student activated their own microphone for an average of 16% of each session and the webcam for approximately 94% of the time (Please note that some users activated their microphones simultaneously).

Individual student profiles provided valuable insights into performance and participation, including the number of whiteboard contributions, library accesses, average grades, individual assessment scores, and average time spent per assessment, as could be seen in Figure 6. On average, students accessed their personal profile page 39 times.

Overall, the results of Study A highlight patterns of student engagement, interaction, and progression within the platform, providing insight into how eMath4All is used in group tutoring contexts.

4.2. Study B—Individual Tutoring

During Study B, each student underwent monthly evaluation assessments to monitor individual progress, given the variability in their initial skill levels. The monthly exam scores for each student are presented in Figure 7. Furthermore, the teacher occasionally assigned homework through the platform’s library.

Student grades generally increased over the 12-month preparation period. Although all students demonstrated progress, the magnitude of improvement varied; some students achieved a final grade of 10, while others reached a grade of 7. The average improvement between the first and last month was approximately 61%, indicating a substantial upward trend in performance over time.

The file management functionality within the eMath4All library showed a wide range of personal resources stored in each student’s private library. On average, students accumulated approximately 180 files in their personal libraries. Figure 8 illustrates the distribution of these files per student, categorized by file type. The resources generally include fxm files, along with other document, image, and multimedia formats. Over the twelve-month period, the teacher also contributed 267 files to the public library.

The prevalence of 540 fxm files among student resources suggests that eMath4All’s mathematical editor is the preferred tool for assessment tool, personal student profile, and sharing mathematical content on the platform. Specifically, 30% of files were of type fxm, the default format generated by the mathematical editor. In total, the dataset included 540 fxm files, 779 images, 25 videos, and 452 documents.

Students spent considerable time interacting with and organizing resources in the virtual library, averaging approximately 4.7 h per week outside of tutoring sessions. This time encompassed file creation, uploading, organization, and reading within the library environment. Student engagement was further demonstrated by their regular use of the virtual whiteboard, with an average of 23 participations per student in each tutoring session (This represents the total number of times the tutor enabled the whiteboard for the student to edit, write, or draw during a lesson). While geometric instruments were used sparingly, appearing in approximately 21% of each lesson, the most frequently utilized tools were the ruler, protractor, and square. In this individual tutoring setting, webcams and microphones were frequently used (over 89% of the time), indicating a strong level of interaction between the teacher and student.

The tutor uploaded 341 files to the public library, including 68 fxm files, 83 images, 41 multimedia files, 127 documents, and 22 other file types. Additionally, the tutor created 41 tags with an average of three tags applied per file. Several exercises were also created within the virtual exercise library, including 246 multiple-choice exercises, 93 true/false exercises, and 87 open-ended exercises.

Overall, these findings provide insight into how the platform supports sustained engagement and long-term tutoring activities.

4.3. Insights into Students’ Experience—Questionnaire Results

As mentioned in Section 3, the Standard Usability Scale (SUS) [51] was used to evaluate usability by calculating a score derived from participant responses, which is considered both reliable and valuable for research purposes. The questionnaire results were generally positive, indicating high levels of student satisfaction with the eMath4All platform’s features. The average SUS score obtained was 91.8, corresponding to a usability rating of A+. The SUS results for each student are presented in Figure 9. These results suggest that participants perceived the platform as usable and supportive of their learning activities.

Most participants self-identified as intermediate computer users. It is worth noting that 73% of the students reported experiencing unstable internet connections, while 13% indicated occasional connectivity issues or delays. It should be acknowledged that no formal network performance tests were conducted; therefore, these findings reflect participants’ subjective perceptions only. In addition, although 40% of students reported using outdated devices, 93% indicated that they did not encounter significant technical difficulties during platform use. These results may be explained by the design of the eMath4All platform, which prioritizes compatibility with low-performance devices and unstable network conditions [52]. Specifically, virtual whiteboard content is transmitted in text mode, with graphical elements rendered as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and algebraic expressions rendered using LaTeX-like syntax. Furthermore, only real-time updates are transmitted to participants in order to minimize data usage. The audio–video communication tool uses reduced camera resolutions and employs a centralized architecture in which the teacher’s device aggregates incoming student video streams into a single output stream that is then broadcasted to participants, thereby optimizing bandwidth consumption. These technical optimizations are described in detail in a previous study [52].

In addition, the questionnaire results indicate that the platform has a relatively shallow learning curve. Participants reported that it was easy or very easy to learn how to use the virtual keyboard, draw geometric shapes, and operate the platform’s main components, including the communication tool, virtual library, assessment module, and personal profile. These results are illustrated in Figure 10. Furthermore, 87% of students reported a short or very short adaptation period when learning to use the platform overall.

In addition, the platform’s user interface and technical features received high ratings, including the interface design, audio–video communication quality, grading system, virtual library, and personal profile page, as could be seen in Figure 11.

When asked which components they appreciated most, the majority of students selected the virtual whiteboard and the virtual library as their preferred features, as can be seen in Figure 12.

Regarding the overall educational experience, 33% of participants perceived the learning experience as comparable to traditional face-to-face instruction, while 67% considered it to be superior. Additionally, 73% of students reported perceiving an improvement in their mathematics progress when using the eMath4All platform compared to traditional instructional approaches.

Approximately 80% of students reported a positive relationship with their teacher. Reported advantages of the platform included the clarity of mathematical text and geometric shapes on the virtual whiteboard, time and cost savings, the well-organized virtual library, and faster grading and assessment processes. However, some students noted that in-person interaction may facilitate a stronger student–tutor relationship, representing a potential limitation of the virtual environment.

Participants in group tutoring also reported positive experiences. Students generally indicated good or very good relationships with their peers. Approximately 80% reported receiving sufficient individual attention from the instructor, while the remaining 20% rated the attention as adequate. Platform features helped 80% of participants maintain focus during sessions, and 60% reported that the platform enabled effective collaboration after tutoring sessions. All participants agreed that the platform supported learning by minimizing distractions and enabling efficient listening, learning, and practice.

In their open-ended responses, students consistently highlighted the platform’s collaborative features, describing a reciprocal learning environment in which they helped each other understand concepts and solve exercises. They also emphasized benefits such as the clarity of geometric shapes on the virtual whiteboard and the reduced costs associated with online tutoring compared with face-to-face sessions. In addition, participants considered the grading system to accurately reflect student performance and progress in assessments. Finally, all students expressed their intention to continue using the platform, believing it would further support their academic learning.

Overall, the questionnaire results provide evidence of positive user perceptions, high usability, and acceptance of the platform, supporting its feasibility for online private tutoring scenarios. Across both studies, the results combine objective usage data with subjective student feedback, enabling a triangulated view of platform use. While performance trends, engagement indicators, and user perceptions consistently suggest positive experiences, these findings should be interpreted as descriptive and exploratory, as discussed next.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

This paper investigated the use of the eMath4All platform in two private tutoring scenarios involving secondary school students, with a focus on its usability, performance, and students’ perceived learning experience.

Study A examined the impact of eMath4All on five eighth-grade students in Romania over a three-month period while they prepared for a national examination through group tutoring. They used the mathematical editor and geometric tools, with a clear preference for fxm files when solving exercises. The virtual library was also widely utilized. The platform provided the teacher with valuable insights into student progress, enabling targeted instructional support. Although increases in assessment scores were observed over time, these results are reported as descriptive trends and cannot be causally attributed to the use of the platform; nevertheless, they appear to be consistent with students’ positive perceptions about the platform.

Study B involved a 12-month evaluation tracking the progress of ten students from various schools and grade levels, focusing on the use of the platform in individual private tutoring contexts. Participants made extensive use of platform features such as the mathematical editor and the virtual library. Similar to Study A, students completed multiple assessments using the integrated evaluation tool, and an upward trend in performance was observed over time. As in the group scenario, these observations do not support causal conclusions regarding the impact of the platform but rather reflect learning progression within the tutoring context.

The platform’s usability and design were positively evaluated by participants in both studies, as reflected in the high SUS score of 91.8, corresponding to an A+ rating. Overall, learners perceived eMath4All as well-designed, easy to use, and suitable for supporting private tutoring activities. Moreover, as a remote tutoring solution, eMath4All may offer practical advantages such as accessibility, increased time efficiency, and reduced costs. The results suggest that eMath4All can function as a feasible digital environment that supports key aspects of private tutoring, including interaction, collaboration, resource sharing, and assessment, as perceived by students.

In what follows, we summarize the answers to the research questions that guided this study.

5.1. How Can eMath4All Be Used for Private Tutoring?

The eMath4All platform can be used as a comprehensive tool for private tutoring, primarily through its virtual whiteboard and integrated communication tool. These components facilitate real-time interaction between teachers and students in both individual and group tutoring settings. The virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, and geometric tools allow the teacher to present instructional content and enable students to participate actively in solving exercises directly on the whiteboard. In addition, the platform provides access to a virtual library where teachers can create and share educational resources, including documents and multimedia materials, using categorization and tagging features. Students can access these materials and manage their own personal libraries, where they can create documents using the mathematical editor or upload homework assignments. The platform also includes search functionalities to support efficient retrieval of resources, using keywords and tags. In addition, the assessment tool allows teachers to evaluate students’ knowledge and identify potential learning gaps through various types of exercises, such as multiple-choice and open-ended questions, which can be completed using the mathematical editor. Furthermore, the personal profile page offers insights into each student’s performance, enabling them to monitor their progress over time and identify areas for improvement. Overall, the results show how different platform components are used in practice to support tutoring activities and student engagement.

5.2. How Do Students Perceive the Use of eMath4All in Group Private Tutoring Settings?

Study A provides insight into students’ experiences with eMath4All in a group tutoring context over a three-month period. Students engaged actively in collaborative problem-solving, discussions, and the use of the mathematical editor. The virtual library played an important role in supporting access to learning materials, while the assessment tool enabled continuous monitoring of progress. Participants generally reported positive experiences, highlighting aspects such as interaction with the tutor, collaboration with peers, and the usefulness of platform features. Most students indicated that the platform supported sustained focus during sessions and facilitated participation in group activities. Nevertheless, these findings reflect students’ perceptions of the platform’s ability to support group tutoring processes, rather than objective measures of effectiveness.

5.3. How Do Students Perceive the Use of eMath4All in Individual Private Tutoring Settings?

Study B examined the use of eMath4All in individual tutoring over a 12-month period. Students made extensive use of the platform’s features, including the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, and virtual library, and maintained frequent interaction with the tutor through the synchronous communication tool. Students reported several perceived advantages, including the clarity of mathematical representations on the virtual whiteboard, the flexibility of remote access, and reduced costs compared to traditional face-to-face tutoring. In addition, the observed progression in assessment scores over time appears to be consistent with students’ positive perceptions, reflecting an overall trend of improvement during the tutoring period.

5.4. What Is Students’ Experience and Satisfaction with eMath4All in Private Tutoring?

The results of the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire indicate a high level of user satisfaction across both group and individual tutoring scenarios, with a score of 91.8 corresponding to an A+ usability rating. To complement these findings, a custom questionnaire was administered to obtain more detailed feedback on specific platform components. Participants provided consistently positive evaluations of key features, including the interface design, virtual whiteboard, audio–video communication, assessment tools, virtual library, and personal profile. Despite most students identifying themselves as intermediate computer users, the platform was generally perceived as easy to learn and use, with a relatively short adaptation period. Students also reported that the platform supports their learning activities and, in many cases, perceived it as comparable or superior to traditional instruction; however, these conclusions are based on subjective perceptions rather than objective comparisons.

Overall, the findings indicate high usability, strong user acceptance, and positive learning experiences associated with the platform. Nevertheless, these results should be considered in light of the study’s limited sample size and exploratory design, as discussed in the following subsection.

5.5. Limitations and Future Work

This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. First, the relatively small sample size—five participants in Study A and ten in Study B—limits the generalizability of the findings. Although the results should therefore be interpreted with caution, the extended duration of platform use (three months in the group setting and over 1120 h across 12 months in the individual setting) provides a detailed perspective on usage patterns and user experience.

Second, the research design did not include a control or comparison group, which restricts the ability to draw conclusions regarding the impact of the platform on students’ academic performance. Consequently, the findings rely on a combination of self-reported data from questionnaires and objective usage data derived from platform logs. While self-reported measures may introduce subjectivity, their consistency with observed interaction patterns provides some degree of triangulation.

Third, the study adopts a primarily descriptive approach. Given the limited sample size, more advanced statistical analyses were not considered appropriate. As a result, the study does not aim to establish causal relationships, but rather to provide an exploratory analysis of platform use and student perceptions.

Finally, given that the study was conducted exclusively in Romania, the findings may have limited generalizability to educational systems with different structures or attitudes toward private tutoring.

Despite these limitations, the study offers valuable insights into the design and use of eMath4All in real-world tutoring contexts. By combining student feedback with platform interaction data, it highlights how specific features—such as the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, virtual library, and assessment tool—can support interactive tutoring in a remote context. From a scientific perspective, the paper contributes to the limited literature on online private tutoring in mathematics by offering an exploratory empirical evaluation of a platform explicitly designed to emulate the traditional classroom environment.

Future research should address the limitations of the present study through more robust and comprehensive designs. In particular, larger and more diverse student samples would enhance the generalizability of the findings. The adoption of controlled or comparative methodologies, such as randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs, would enable a more rigorous assessment of the platform’s impact by allowing comparisons with traditional or alternative digital tutoring approaches.

Further work should also incorporate more in-depth data analysis, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Statistical analyses of performance data, usage logs, and longitudinal progress could help identify patterns, correlations, and predictors of learning outcomes, providing additional insights into student engagement and interaction with specific platform features. Complementary qualitative approaches, such as interviews or focus groups, could deepen the understanding of user experiences and contextual factors influencing platform use. In addition, investigating the effectiveness of individual platform components in supporting different types of mathematical activities would further clarify the pedagogical value of eMath4All. Overall, these approaches would contribute to a more comprehensive and evidence-based evaluation of the platform’s potential across diverse learning scenarios.