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The Mentor Role in Online Learning

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Title: The Mentor Role in Online Learning


1
The Mentor Role in Online Learning
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  • Carole Hayes
  • Florida State University

2
Distance Learning at Florida State University
  • 22 Distance Learning Initiative
  • Materials based
  • Mentor supported
  • Degree completion programs
  • Computer Sciences
  • Information Studies
  • Interdisciplinary Social Science
  • Nursing (RN to BSN)
  • Blackboard (Bb) course management system (CMS)
  • Includes communication tools for one to one, one
    to many, many to many (chat)
  • Continuum of access from residential to
    completely remote

3
Challenges in Distance Learning
  • Office for Distributed and Distance Learning
    (ODDL) tasked with design and implementation of
    student support systems
  • High withdrawal rate in distance learning due to
    student isolation and inadequate materials
  • Faculty fear of too many students to prepare for,
    instruct, monitor, communicate with, and evaluate.

4
FSUs Student Support Model
5
Why Mentors?
  • Distance and detachment from the institution, the
    instructor, and coursemates
  • Different demographic with whom to relate
  • Adult learners careers, families
  • Delivery online communication challenges
  • Start-up issues familiarity with technology
    especially use of Bb CMS

6
What Are the Mentor Profile and Qualifications?
  • Masters degree in relevant discipline or
  • Enthusiasm, must care about and enjoy relating to
    students
  • Active listener, have empathy with students
  • Take initiative in communications with students
    and maintain engagement
  • Accept monitoring and guidance of lead instructor
  • Must be highly organized and keep detailed records

7
Where to Find Mentors?
  • Florida Community College System (FCCS)
  • Referrals
  • Faculty
  • Adjuncts
  • Graduate Students
  • Current
  • Recent graduates
  • Actively employed Mentors referrals
  • Advertisement by brochure and web site

8
How Are Mentors Selected?
  • Applications are screened for minimum
    requirements by ODDL staff
  • Appropriate applications are forwarded to faculty
    for selection or rejection
  • Successful candidates are brought to FSU for a
    3-day Mentor Training Workshop

9
How Are Mentors Trained?
  • Socialization and orientation to FSU community
  • ODDL staff provide online management training,
    issues with adult students, referral resources at
    FSU
  • Discipline area faculty spend a full day with
    mentors to guide them in instructional support
  • ODDL staff supply technical Bb/CMS training
  • Experienced mentors provide peer counseling

10
How Does ODDL Support Mentors?
  • Mentor Coordinator
  • Models behaviors with mentors that mentors must
    develop with students
  • Interfaces with instructor
  • Provides referral resources
  • Communicates regularly to refine recruitment,
    training, and ongoing support strategies and
    procedures
  • Continuously trains and develops mentors
  • Mentor Resource Website
  • Audio conferences
  • Face to face focus groups

11
How Is the Model Evaluated?
  • Faculty evaluations formal and informal
  • Student evaluations formal surveys, voluntary
    telephone interviews
  • Student performance indicators
  • Dissemination of plan, processes and results for
    feedback from partners (FCCS) and external
    audiences

12
Is Mentor Support Working?
  • Mentor supported courses
  • 60 fall 99 through spring 02
  • 90 mentors formally trained supporting three
    discipline areas
  • Computer and Information Sciences
  • Information Studies
  • Interdisciplinary Social Science

13
Student Performance Indicators
  • Completion Rate (8 full semesters)
  • 91
  • Success Rate (completers earning a grade of C- or
    better)
  • 85

14
The Fourth Year
  • Mentor Supported Courses
  • 20 courses fall 2002
  • 35 actively employed mentors
  • 1001 mentor supported enrollments
  • 140 trained and certified mentors
  • Computer Science
  • Information Studies
  • Interdisciplinary Social Science
  • Federal Agency Training Project (40 mentors)

15
Mentor Performance Report
  • Summer 2001 introduced a trouble ticket
    process, the Mentor Performance Report
  • Available to students online at any time
  • Can submit as often as they wish
  • Completely voluntary
  • Not used to evaluate individual mentors
  • While intended as a venting and quick response
    process, the vast majority of reports are very
    positive

16
Student Responses to Mentor Support
  • Free responses to open ended questions emerged as
    referencing
  • General Role acknowledging assistance
  • Encouragement emphasizing coaching
  • Engagement initiative, responsiveness
  • Course Content courseware, course management
    system
  • Personality individual interactions

17
Analyzing Results
  • Student Comments - Topical Areas
  • General Role, Engagement, Encouragement
    communication function referenced actual role
    and how it relates to student satisfaction
  • Course Content referenced course management
    system and courseware issues
  • Personality referenced individual personality
    issues apart from communication or content

18
What We Learned
  • Communication function is the most important and
    effective
  • 72 of responses in this area were positive
  • 21 of responses were neutral
  • 7 of responses were negative
  • Students report that clarification of materials
    processes and encouragement are the two main
    contributions of mentor support

19
Student Comments
  • the immediate response was great and very
    timely. I knew I always had a connection..
  • My mentors have been invaluable.
  • Mentor guides you, tugs you, responds in
    depth
  • If you dont have a mentor, your frustration
    peaks faster in this environment.
  • mentor was encouraging, provided a sounding
    board, and provided clarification.

20
Faculty Comments on Mentor Contributions
  • Establishes relationships with students
  • Create a human link between students and FSU
  • Keeps me informed
  • Rapid response function
  • Provides general support
  • Grading, leg work, course supervision

21
Implications
  • Mentor support allows scalability
  • Number of students in 22 program tripled by the
    third year
  • Agreements with Army, Navy, a federal agency
    resulting in hundreds of students
  • Faculty fear of job loss is unfounded
  • Success is increasing number of enrollments
  • Lead faculty will max out at 8-10 mentors
  • More faculty positions will be needed six new
    position in IS BS program alone this year.

22
Cost of Mentor Support to FSU
  • Full time Mentor Coordinator
  • Advertising, recruiting, hiriing, training,
    supporting mentors
  • Course materials and other enrichment, training
    materials
  • Audioconferences, travel
  • Compensation - 1,800 per 3 SCH course
  • Now based upon TA compensation by discipline
    resulting in a range of 1,800 (subsidized)
    3,000 per 3 SCH course

23
Economics
  • Three years mentor support funded by a
    legislative appropriation
  • Provost has mandated that mentor program be
    self-supporting
  • Auxiliary fee increase fall 2002 of 45/credit
    hour
  • Auxiliary fee will increase to 60/credit hour
    spring 2003
  • All online enrollees will be assessed this fee

24
Costing Considerations
  • TCM Technology Costing Methodologies
    participation yielded surprising information
  • First year of mentor support FTE generation
    from remote online students alone was greater
    than entire budget for mentor support.
  • Second year of mentor support FTE generation
    from online remote students alone was almost 3x
    the cost to FSU of hiring, training, supporting
    and paying mentors.

25
How Should We Assess Value of Mentor Support?
  • Core Activity If provision of asynchronous,
    online instruction is practiced by the
    university, necessary student/faculty supports
    should be provided, e.g., library and TAs for
    resident students, as cost of instruction.
  • Add-on If students are afforded the opportunity
    to earn a degree without stopping out of work and
    relocating, the additional cost is a reasonable
    consequence for the convenience afforded them.

26
Reflections
  • Mentor Support provides warm ware in support of
    educational hardware and software
  • While there are virtual textbooks and classrooms,
    there are no virtual students
  • Supporting faculty IS supporting students.
    Mentors do both!

27
For Further Information
  • Carole Hayes
  • Coordinator, External Relations
  • Office for Distributed and Distance Learning
  • chayes_at_oddl.fsu.edu
  • 850/644-4114
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