Mentoring Model: potential students as mentors

Abstract

Knowledge is a gift that is transferrable from one person to another. Everyone has it and can transfer it thus making impact on other people’s lives. In this paper the authors have come up with an innovative approach of turning potential students in higher education into mentors: Student mentors selected based on certain criteria will support their immediate juniors on their subject content and by evaluating their assessments. Mentors will be continuously monitored for their performance and changes introduced. If required. This approach is expected to benefit the students, mentors and tutors. To a student, the expected benefits are on enhanced learning experiences from peer support and better understanding of the concepts because of dual interaction with tutor and mentor. For a mentor, it may give a strong foundation as they would continue to be in touch with the concepts learnt in the previous academic year and further clarify their own doubts. This mentorship is expected to prepare them to become academic role models and in turn improve upon their soft skills. The experiences drawn from academic guidance and assessment evaluations of juniors will set the mentors towards an improved work in their own assessments. Unlike a tutor, a mentor having an added advantage of writing an assessment in the previous year and now evaluating the same assessment is in a better position to suggest changes should any be needed in the assessments. In the process, students are inspired and are motivated to become mentors. This gives enough time for the tutors to focus upon research and planning of new interesting learning activities for their students due to the reduced workload. This paper will discuss in detail the entire process, starting from selection criteria of a mentor till mentor change. Mentor change would be as a result of quality concern arising from supervision which includes mentor performance evaluation, moderation of scripts and feedback sessions. However, for the system to be successful it is critical that both Students and Mentors be clear of their roles and expectations. There are also some challenges from this approach as mentors may have commitment constraints and issues emerging from student relations particularly in the area of respect and favoritism which will also be discussed.