Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: For many years, face-to-face peer mentoring has been a feature of learning support provided to first-year undergraduate students at one university in the UK. Building on the success of these initiatives, a scheme has been developed at this institution in which first-year undergraduates are mentored by second- and third-year students through a variety of media, both face-to-face and electronic. A research study was undertaken to evaluate the implementation of scheme, part of which involved undertaking a series of interviews with the e-mentors who participated over the course of two years. In presenting the findings, this paper discusses the commonalities that emerged and between face-to-face and e-mentoring; reflects on ways in which use of the electronic medium adds to the generic benefits of mentoring; shows that e-mentoring impacts differently on mentors and mentees; and highlights some of the particular challenges e-mentoring presents to mentors. The implications for the selection and training of mentors are discussed in the final section of the paper. In 2002, a two-year pilot project was started to extend the University’s Peer Assisted Learning Scheme (PAL) in two of its schools to include an e-mentoring component using the university’s virtual learning
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2168659024