Peer mentoring works! Institutional manual

Institutional guidance and recommendations pertaining to peer mentoring

Peer mentoring and experiential learning:the pathway to success

An analysis of the value of peer mentoring as an experiential learning approach

Peer mentoring in higher education:a multidimensional approach to conceptualising the role of peer mentoring programmes in enhancing the first year undergraduate experience

Across the literature researchers agree that the concept of mentoring results in positive outcomes for both mentors and mentees alike (Enrich et al, 2004). From a pedagogical perspective, student focused mentoring activities in Higher Education are generally perceived to comprise dyadic or triadic relationships that encapsulate a diverse range of learning strategies and/or support mechanisms. Whilst there exists a significant amount of literature regarding the wider value of Peer Mentoring in Higher Education, there remains a notable gap in knowledge about the value of such programmes in enhancing the first year undergraduate experience and thus promoting a smooth transition to University. Using the emergent study findings of a large international project, a multidimensional conceptual framework bringing together the theoretical, conceptual and contextual determinants of Peer Mentoring is proposed. This framework makes a distinctive contribution to current pedagogical theory and practice – particularly in relation to the first year experience.

Volunteering for success? An Analysis of Student Perceptions of the Pedagogical and Social Outcomes of Peer Mentoring in Higher Education

Previous studies into student volunteering have shown how formally organized volunteering activities have social, economic and practical benefits for student volunteers and the recipients of their volunteerism (Egerton, 2002; Vernon & Foster, 2002); moreover student volunteering provides the means by which undergraduates are able to acquire and hone transferable skills sought by employers following graduation (Eldridge & Wilson, 2003; Norris et al, 2006). Although much is known about the benefits of student volunteering, few previous studies have focused on the pedagogical value of student mentoring from the perspectives of both student mentee and mentor. Utilising grounded theory methodology this paper provides a critical analysis of an exploratory study analysing students’ perceptions of the pedagogical and social outcomes of student mentoring. It looks at students’ perceptions of mentoring, and being mentored, in terms of the learning experience and development of knowledge and skills. In doing so the paper considers how volunteering in a mentoring capacity adds ‘value’ to students’ experiences of higher education. From a public policy perspective, the economic, educational, vocational and social outcomes of student volunteering in general, and student mentoring in particular, make this an important subject meriting investigation. In terms of employability, the role of mentoring in equipping mentors and mentees with transferable, employability competencies has not been investigated. By critiquing the mentoring experiences of undergraduates within a single institution, this paper will make an important contribution to policy debates with regards to the pedagogical and employability related outcomes of student volunteering and mentoring.

Peer mentoring in higher education:a literature review

A review of the literature in the area of peer mentoring.

Tackling transition:the value of peer mentoring

This paper is aimed at those interested in the promotion of student retention in higher education; particularly those with an interest in peer mentoring as a means of student support. It critically discusses the results of an exploratory study analysing the perceptions of peer mentors and mentees within five universities in the United Kingdom. The aim of the study was to analyse how student peer mentoring can aid transition into university by focusing specifically on how senior students can support their junior counterparts in their first year at university. The paper discusses the results of a survey which was completed by 329 student peer mentors and mentees. Focusing on the benefits and outcomes of participation in Mentoring Programmes, the survey was distinctive in that it asked mentors and mentees similar questions. From a theoretical perspective, the paper contributes to debates about peer support in higher education showing that participation in such programmes can have positive outcomes from both social and pedagogic perspectives. Practically speaking, the results have important implications for Higher Education Institutions as the research highlights the importance of putting into place formally structured Peer Mentoring Programmes which facilitate student support at a time when new students are most at risk of ‘dropping out’.

Tackling transition! Peer mentoring in engineering education:a UK perspective

This paper builds on previous work (Clark, 2009; Clark & Andrews 2011, 2014) to continue the debate around a seemingly universal question…“How can educational theory be applied to engineering education in such a way so as to make the subject more accessible and attractive to students? It argues that there are three key elements to student success; Relationships, Variety & Synergy (RVS). By further examining the purposefully developed bespoke learning and teaching approach constructed around these three elements (RVS) the discourse in this paper links educational theory to engineering education and in doing so further develops arguments for the introduction of a purposefully designed pedagogic approach for use in engineering education.

Undergraduate peer mentoring:an investigation into processes, activities and outcomes

Peer mentoring of undergraduates is increasingly being used in higher education to reduce first year attrition by aiding transition to university. The authors propose that peer mentoring may also be a means of transmitting the values and ethics which reflect academic and personal integrity and underpin graduate and professional identity. In a qualitative study, they examined students' expectations and subsequent experience of a psychology undergraduate pilot mentoring scheme, together with the process and content. Mentors and mentees felt that mentors had a unique part to play in aiding transition to university. Mentors' advice reflected implicit academic values rather than strategic short cuts and mentoring cued reflection on their own development. The implications for encouraging student participation in mentoring schemes are discussed.

Making mole-hills out of mountains:Peer Mentoring in Engineering education - A case-study

Based on the emergent findings of a pilot study which examined the issues around introducing Peer Mentoring into an Engineering School, this paper, which is very much a 'work in progress', describes and discusses results from the first year of what will be a three year exploratory study. Focusing on three distinctive concepts integral to the student experience, Relationships, Variety and Synergy, the study follows an Action Research Design in that it aims to find a realistic and workable solution to issues of attrition within the Engineering School in which the Project and Study are set. Starting with the research question "Does Peer Mentoring improve engineering students' transition into university?"', the Pilot Project and Study will run for three years, each year building on the lessons of the previous year.

Peer Mentoring and Professionalism

Peer mentoring has been a success for everyone involved resulting in a ‘win-win-win’ situation for mentors, mentees and university schools and departments (Andrews and Clark, 2011). Mentors have the opportunity to develop key transferable skills such as communication and leadership, which in turn can enhance their employability opportunities. There is also potential to increase and develop social and academic confidence. For mentees the benefits include the opportunity to gain advice, encouragement and support during the transition period from school/college/work to university along with the opportunity to gain an insight into the stages of university life by learning the "rules of the game". Through peer mentor schemes University schools and departments are meeting the demand to support student success while assisting student transition and reducing attrition. This paper will focus on the peer mentor scheme set up in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast specifically the development of employability skills through company involvement in the scheme.

Peer journeys : building graduate capabilities for life long learning

Students experience university as peers. Peer-to-peer interaction offers unique opportunities for fostering the academic, social and emotional wellbeing of students (Kuh, 2008). Peer programs provide a formalisation of this relationship enabling students to partake both as peer leaders and program participants. The success of such programs is reliant on the university having a reserve of motivated and trained peer leaders. From their initial experience of peer programs as participants in first year and their ongoing involvement as peer leaders, students grow their graduate capabilities and employability skills through scaffolded peer leadership and training opportunities. Universities aspire to produce graduates who are inspirational leaders, effective collaborators and competent professionals ready to participate in the global community (DEEWR, 2012; Shook & Keup, 2012). This poster describes a model which scaffolds the development of peer leaders’ graduate capabilities using a university-wide supporting framework to grow a range of peer-to-peer initiatives across a variety of coordinated peer programs underpinned by a social justice framework (Gidley, Hampson, Wheller & Bereded-Samuel, 2010; Nelson & Creagh, 2012).

An analysis of the effects of a peer mentor program and other factors on HIV patients' retention in care and clinical outcomes at Thomas Street Health Clinic, Houston Texas

Research examining programs designed to retain patients in health care focus on repeated interactions between outreach workers and patients (Bradford et al. 2007; Cheever 2007). The purpose of this study was to determine if patients who are peer-mentored at their intake exam remain in care longer and attend more physicians' visits than those who were not mentored. Using patients' medical records and a previously created mentor database, the study determined how many patients attended their intake visit but subsequently failed to establish regular care. The cohort study examined risk factors for establishing care, determined if patients lacking a peer mentor failed to establish care more than peer mentor assisted patients, and subsequently if peer mentored patients had better health outcomes. The sample consists of 1639 patients who were entered into the Thomas Street Patient Mentor Database between May 2005 and June 2007. The assignment to the mentored group was haphazardly conducted based on mentor availability. The data from the Mentor Database was then analyzed using descriptive statistical software (SPSS version 15; SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). Results indicated that patients who had a mentor at intake were more likely to return for primary care HIV visits at 90 and 180 days. Mentored patients also were more likely to be prescribed ART within 180 days from intake. Other risk factors that impacted remaining in care included gender, previous care status, time from diagnosis to intake visit, and intravenous drug use. Clinical health outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. This supports that mentoring did improve outcomes. Continuing to use peer-mentoring programs for HIV care may help in increasing retention of patients in care and improving patients' health in a cost effective manner. Future research on the effects of peer mentoring on mentors, and effects of concordance of mentor and patient demographics may help to further improve peer-mentoring programs. ^

Writing for success:mentoring as a pedagogical tool – a cross- institutional study

The prominent position given to academic writing across contemporary academia is reflected in the substantive literature and debate devoted to the subject over the past 30 years. However, the massification of higher education, manifested by a shift from elite to mass education, has brought the issue into the public arena, with much debate focusing on the need for ‘modern-day' students to be taught how to write academically (Bjork et al., 2003; Ganobcsik-Williams, 2006). Indeed, Russell (2003) argued that academic writing has become a global ‘problem' in Higher Education because it sits between two contradictory pressures (p.V). On one end of the university ‘experience' increasing numbers of students, many from non-traditional backgrounds, enter higher education bringing with them a range of communication abilities. At the other end, many graduates leave university to work in specialised industries where employers expect them to have high level writing skills (Ashton, 2007; Russell, 2003; Torrence et al., 1999). By drawing attention to the issues around peer mentoring within an academic writing setting in three different higher education Institutions, this paper makes an important contribution to current debates. Based upon a critical analysis of the emergent findings of an empirical study into the role of peer writing mentors in promoting student transition to higher education, the paper adopts an academic literacies approach to discuss the role of writing mentoring in promoting transition and retention by developing students' academic writing. Attention is drawn to the manner in which student expectations of writing mentoring actually align with mentoring practices - particularly in terms of the writing process and critical thinking. Other issues such as the approachability of writing mentors, the practicalities of accessing writing mentoring and the wider learning environment are also discussed.

The influence of a peer mentor program for international students on domestic peer mentors and their intercultural development

In this study, a mixed method approach was used to examine the experience of 43 domestic peer mentors who participated in a peer mentoring program for international students offered at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada. The study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) does participating in a mentorship program for international students result in change in the intercultural development for domestic peer mentors as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)? 2) what were the experiences of domestic peer mentors participating in a peer mentoring program for international students? Following the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1998) as a guide, this study used the scores from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to gain an understanding of the influence of the program. The scores obtained pre and post mentorship experiences were compared and a significant difference was found. Reflections from 120 monthly reports and seven individual semi-structured interviews were also conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the mentorship experience and the influence it had on the mentors’ intercultural development. The benefits of intercultural peer mentoring on student development of skills such as leadership, communication and empathy are also discussed. The study echoes previous research that calls for an increased amount of facilitated intercultural program within university campuses. The study also advocates for further implementation of programs that provide opportunities for intercultural learning between domestic and international students in order for intercultural development to improve in higher educational settings.