Transcript Student to student mentoring – two approaches from

Student mentoring – Two approaches
from Development and Society
Jon Inns and Julia Myers
7 May 2008
Two mentoring schemes
• Digital Fluency mentoring project
small scale project to determine scalability
and develop training package
• student2student: Professional mentoring
programme (aimed at teacher education
students
integrated into the programme, building on
previous experience and in three parts
What is Digital Fluency?
• "Digital Literacy is the awareness, attitude and ability of individuals
to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access,
manage, integrate, evaluate, analyse and synthesize digital
resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and
communicate with others, in the context of specific life situations, in
order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this
process" http://www.elearningeuropa.info
• 'The world is becoming increasingly digital and this is profoundly
affecting how we learn and live. Those who do not have access to
this digital world and those who cannot use digital tools to become
independent learners and explorers of new ideas will be at a distinct
disadvantage as learners'. Madigan (2006)
• ..or put more simply Digital Fluency is - the attitudes, skills and
attributes we all need to live, learn and work in the 21st
Century.
Why is it important?
• Digital skills will be vital to enable
individuals to function in the global
economy of the 21st Century.
• Addressing our capability to develop
these skills is likely to have a profound
impact on the competitiveness of SHU
and the employability of our
graduates.
What does it mean for students?
• Employability
 Digital fluency will be a core skill for life and a fundamental part
of the skills profile required by employers. To future proof these
skills we will need to concentrate on higher level
fluencies not just specific skills or software applications.
• Improving student performance on their course and as
autonomous learners.
 Digitally fluent students 'master content faster, are better
problem solvers, become more self-directed and assume greater
control over their own learning'. (Katz)
 Improved research skills. Students will be better able to access
and analyse information using a variety of digital output formats.
 Increased ability to think critically, interpret information
from a range of digital formats and make informed
judgements.
Aims of the project
• This project aims to provide new opportunities for
students in developing their digital fluency skills.
• By changing who delivers that support (student rather
than staff) where it is delivered (hubs not learning
centres) and the focus (holistic support for DF not
fragmented) we aim to bring about improvement in the
skills and confidence of students to utilise digital
resources to support their learning.
• The project aims to deliver a collaborative approach to
developing a student resource to support the digital
fluency needs of staff and students within the
new D&S Learning Hubs base.
Aims of the project
• Develop a training agenda for DF Mentors
• Develop student mentoring/coaching skills
and breakdown student barriers within the
D&S Learning Hub
• Recruit/support and monitor the work and
effectiveness of the Mentors
• Evaluate for scalability
• Share lessons learnt with faculty and other
support providers
Progress to date
• Eight mentor volunteers
• Mentor training sessions delivered
collaboratively
• Specific student cohorts targeted with
support of Tutors
• Six mentoring relationships operating
• Close linkages to modules and
assessment
Initial observations
• (Some) benefits
 improved confidence, new digital skills and ways of
thinking, a safe environment to develop these skills
• Challenges
 recruiting student volunteers as mentors and mentees
• Opportunities
 opportunities for part time, distance learning and
International students
• Full evaluation conducted over summer
student2student
Mentoring via
• discussion board – general forum
• drop-in sessions
• 1:1 emailing
Targeted at Year 1 students (2006-7)
student2student
Background
Primary and Early Years Education with QTS
3 year course
Block placements each year:
Year 1 (4 weeks- May/June)
Year 2 (5 weeks - May/June)
Year 3 (7 weeks – Jan-Mar)
student2student
Phase 1 (2006-7) focused on Year 1 students
Evaluation:
137 questionnaires completed by Year
1 mentees
101 (74%) reported some use of
student2student services
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
36 (26%) reported no use of
student2student services – due to:
• lack of need (25)
• lack of awareness of services (4)
• lack of adequate/clear information about
services (4)
• drop-in busy at time of use (1)
• lack of home internet access (1)
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
Use of discussion board
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
discussion board
87 of 137 respondents reported looking at
discussion board
common terms used to describe discussion board:
"helpful" "helped" "help" (22) "useful" (32.)
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
discussion board
...eased the
stress of
placement
It was useful in giving me other
people's answers to the
questions I had and in showing
me other people who were
struggling
really useful to have the
option to speak to students
that are going through the
same thing as you are
..valuable to
see others
experiencing
similar
problems
the 3rd years'
knowledge and
experience of the
course was shown in
their responses and
really helped out.
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
drop-in sessions
27 (out of 137) had attended drop-in
sessions.
student2student
Evaluation (2006-7)
drop-in sessions
made things clear. Built up
confidence before going
on placement
helpful
useful
good for getting ideas
for teaching"
I was offered advice on anything
I questioned and that gave me
more confidence when
beginning placement
useful to get
ideas to try
for placement
Mentors' views
• Value of provision: "reassurance" in
terms of ideas, organisation and
procedures
useful for the students
as they could ask even
the smallest question...
allowed good practice to
be shared
Gains for mentors
• confidence – self belief in knowledge and
ability to communicate information to other
students
• gained more ideas and teaching points
• made me reflect on my teaching a little
more
Improvements for 2007-8
• Introduction of mentors to mentees earlier in the
year
• Introduction of student2student discussion board
from September
• More open/accessible venues for drop-in
sessions
• Expansion of 1:1 emailing
• Training offered to mentors
• More focused evaluation of benefit for mentors
Use of student2student discussion
board
To date: 162 threads; 683 postings
Used for
• Requests for information/advice
• Expressions of stress/worry/negative experience
student2student
Use of discussion board
 Requests for information/advice
• referencing
• course related information eg dates and times; loans;
degree classifications; elective content; tasks; procedure
• professional documentation
• terminology
• specific modules
• planning for placement
 Expressions of stress/worry/
negative experience
A mentor's response:
This is the place to come when your feeling like this. We have all been
there. Believe me many times I have wanted to drop out of this course
because it felt like too much to cope with alongside personal issues.
But im so glad I stuck it out. The placements might feel like too much
on top of uni work but they are where you learn the most about being a
teacher. If you feel like you dont like your teaching style adopt other
teachers styles. Wacth any teacher you are with and steal any of their
good ideas to use in your own teaching. That is how I have developed
my style.
As for feeling that you are not doing as well as you want in
assignments, bear in mind that the more you do the more you will
improve just from practise. You could also talk to student services to
get some guidance. Talk to your friends that are getting the scores you
want and find out how they are getting there. Try working with someone
to plan an essay then go off and do it alone then read each others to check
it meets the criteria.
Another response
in terms of time mangement and organisation, dont spend
endless stressful hours on uni work.... allocate time to do it,
and get as much as u can done within that time. Use "free"
time between sessions to do post session tasks and my
advice is to keep on top of them because the last thing u
want to do is leave it till the end and double stress out(i did this last
year in it was hectic!!)...
also allocate time to spend away from uni work, even if it means havin
a coffee and biscuit and lookin into thin air!!....
i know its not much help but its just possible
suggestions to help u organise things and stop u
from goin crazzzzy!!
Looking forwards to 2008/09
• Draw both mentoring programmes
together
Clear communication and accessibility
Timing important, dependent on student cycle
Relevance to students
potential mentees do not want to be seen as
needing remedial support
Course wide tutor support
Benefits for mentors to be explored
further