Development of a Mentorship Program

Mentorship program as a strategy to promote successful adaptation of adult learners to online studies:

After reviewing the literature and the results of our group's total score for driving and resisting forces on the FFA survey, we identified mentoring as a viable strategy to enable first course online graduate students adapt to the change of online learning.

Mentoring is believed to be one of the most important interpersonal interactions associated with academic success (Williams-Nickelson, 2009). According to Pyle (1999), mentoring is a powerful tool for reducing resistance to change and opening the door to the desired future.

A review of the literature by Oliver and Aggleton (2002) acknowledges mentorship is difficult to define and there is no clear consensus on a definition. For the purpose of this presentation, mentoring is defined as an intentional pairing of a more skilled or experienced individual (the mentor), with someone of lesser skill or experience (the mentee) with a mutual understanding that the mentee will grow and develop specific competencies (Jowett & Stead, 1994). The interventions of a mentor are encouraging and empowering and learning is achieved based on a relationship of helping the mentee (Oliver & Aggleton, 2002). Mentors help mentees understand the culture in which they operate (Espinoza-Herold & Gonzales, 2007). Mentoring is an efficient way of developing the talent of the mentee and the mentor (Jowett & Stead, 1994).

Mentorships that develop informally are evaluated by both mentors and mentees as being more effective and meaningful than formalized mentorships (Johnson, 2002). Johnson (2002) also acknowledges that mentorships in graduate students should be facilitated rather than assigned because meaningful and effective relationships are based on shared interests, similarities, frequent contact, enjoyment and interaction.

According to Williams-Nickelson (2009) mentoring experts report students who have a positive mentoring experience are more likely to be satisfied in their careers and will continue to enhance their professional knowledge and skills.

In graduate education, mentoring can guide a student toward increased mastery of subject matter and self-directedness while developing a relationship that makes the education process more meaningful (Truluck, 2007).

What is Telementoring?

Telementoring is an online, computer-mediated variation of mentoring between a mentee who needs to learn, and the mentor who is willing to help and guide. (Friedman, Zibit & Coote, 2004). Unlike mentors in face-to-face settings, telementoring uses asynchronous, electronic communication to establish and maintain a mentoring relationship where knowledge and skills are shared by the mentor and the mentee who never meet in person (Akin & Hilbun, 2007).

Buchanan (2005) reports online graduate students want a mentor who can provide support and friendship in addition to professional advice. The online mentee needs a mentor who can help decrease the frustration with the technology and the technical issues of online learning; help guide them through the course work and navigating the institutional maze; and help ease the feelings of isolation and provide tips for survival and success (Buchanan, 2007).

Benefits of Telementoring:

• Freedom from time and place constraints (Akin & Hilbun, 2007).
• Focuses on a relationship of content rather than emotion (Friedman, Zibit & Coote, 2004).
• Openness and reflection is facilitated through online communication (Akin & Hilbun, 2007).
• Accessibility to mentor pairing is not restricted by geographic location (Akin & Hilbun, 2007) increasing thepotential for greater compatibility and efficacy (Buchanan, 2005).
• Writing provides opportunities for reflective learning and a record for future referencing (MentorNet, 2007).
• 60-70% of mentees believe the mentorship improved their self efficacy (MentorNet, 2007).
• 65% of mentees reported their mentors provided ideas for balancing personal and professional lives (MentorNet, 2007).

Challenges of Telementoring:

• Mentors may be overwhelmed with personal problems of mentee (Oliver & Aggleton, 2002).
• Difficulty matching mentors with similar backgrounds (Oliver & Aggleton, 2002).
• Ongoing support for mentors (Oliver & Aggleton, 2002).
• Increased workload demand (Oliver & Aggleton, 2002).
• Relationships develop slower than face to face (Switzer, 2005).
• Possibility of miscommunication due to text only environment may lead to misunderstanding the interaction (Switzer, 2005).
• Ensuring confidentiality, test information can be shared with others without knowledge or consent (Switzer, 2005).

Telementoring for first course online MHS students

Program Objective:

To provide first course online graduate students with a “virtual hand” (Buchanan, 2005) that will help the student navigate the complexities (resisting forces) of online learning, and facilitate successful adaptation to the online learning environment.

Program Outline:

• The mentorship program is administered though a mentorship program coordinator at the Centre for Nursing and Health Studies.
• The program is informal and participation is voluntary for both mentor and mentee. According to Switzer (2005), college and university mentoring programs tend to be informal with no strict structure and no set standard or protocol. Mentee and mentors determine the type of relationship, technology utilized, and the frequency of contact (Switzer, 2005).
• The coordinator invites students/alumni to participate as mentors in the program via e-mail invitation and on the university home page.
• The mentor is an online graduate student in the same program as the mentee who has successfully completed 6 or more MHS courses including MHS 621 and 604 or is a recent graduate (less than 2 years) of the program. The mentor has an appreciation for the typical day of an online graduate student including responsibilities to school, work and family obligations (Buchanan, 2005).
• The mentor will receive and electronic reading resource package that includes expectations of the role.
• The mentee is a first year online graduate student in their first course of study who receives an invitation to participate in the program with the program acceptance notification. A reminder invitation is e-mailed two months prior to the start of the course.
• The goal is to match the mentor with a mentee with similar professional designations and career aspirations (O’Neil, 2001). The mentor and mentee submit a one page autobiography and résumé to the university mentorship program coordinator outlining professional goals and interests in order for the program coordinator to match mentee with an available mentor.
• Prior to the start of the first course, the mentor establishes e-mail contact with the mentee to introduce themselves, establish expectations and agree upon contact schedule.
• The mentor is expected to help new students to navigate successful online learning by offering suggestions related to:
   Computer and/or website navigation
   Time management between competing priorities and course work
   Course questions
   Socialization and online culture
   Motivation and support
   Available resources
• The expectation is the mentorship will conclude at the end of the mentee’s first course unless there is mutual agreement to continue.
• The expectation is the mentorship will conclude at the end of the mentee’s first course unless there is mutual agreement to continue.
• Both mentor and mentee will complete online evaluations of the mentorship program. MentorNet (2007) reports 70% of participants anticipate continuing the relationship at the end of mentorship program.

Examples of telementoring sites:

http://www.mentornet.net/documents/about/programs/one_on_one.aspx
http://www.horsesmouth.co.uk/publisha.content/learning/index.publisha

Conclusion:

Mentoring can play a critical role for students at any level of education and through the use of technology, mentors and mentees have the ability to develop strong relationships that transcend time and place and can facilitate successful adaptation to the online learning environment (Switzer, 2005).