When I was in year 11, my math teachers paired some classmates and me with some year seven students. As a result, I became a buddy to a year seven student called Max. Throughout the academic year, I would meet with Max for 30 minutes each week. The math teachers provided us with resources, and I would work through them with Max, tutoring him on best practices and techniques.

The experience I gained tutoring Max helped me better understand how the thought process of people can vary and how the teaching/tutoring approach must adapt to a person's needs. I also found great joy in helping Max throughout his first year in high school, which ultimately led me to work in education today.

Max also benefited from having a buddy because he had regular one-to-one sessions to confidently ask and practice questions. As I was still a student myself and I had been in his situation, Max and I could easily relate and connect. Developing a one-to-one connection with an authoritative figure is something not all students experience in an academic setting. This connection alone can help improve behavioral or academic problems, as found by W. S Fo and C. R O'Donnell. While I could comfortably connect with Max, I could also still effectively assist with Max's learning and keep the sessions on track. This dynamic is not something that can easily be replicated in the classroom.

Like the one I was part of, Buddy systems benefit both parties involved and develop a sense of community and collaboration between year groups (grades) that may otherwise not be connected. E-learning ecologies can enhance this community and collaboration by bringing students together who may not meet physically. Students can be paired with a buddy on the other side of the country or even the world and still have effective sessions. This means the buddy system can reach many people, particularly those disadvantaged students who would massively benefit from free tutoring sessions. Online buddy sessions can more easily incorporate a range of learning modes such as animations, videos, or simulation-based investigations, enhancing the learning experience. The e-learning environment can also allow for the buddy and student to connect outside of their sessions. For example, the buddy could peer review a student's project saved on the cloud as the student is working on it. This instant feedback can guide the student's progress in-between the buddy sessions and help the buddy plan and adapt the next session to focus on the areas of improvement outlined in the feedback. This makes the buddy-student relationship much more fluid and ultimately leads to a better experience for both.

Fo, W. S., & O'Donnell, C. R. (1974). "The Buddy System: Relationship and contingency conditions in a community intervention program for youth with nonprofessionals as behavior change agents.