AIMING TO HIT THE TARGET THE PROCESS IN

MAKING THE PEER MENTOR POSITION

MAKING MORE LEARNING CENTERED

AR

I EL L

. E D

GE W

ORT H

RO

GE R

S

OVERVIEW

Peer Mentor Description

Why I Choose my ILE

The Process of Developing Learning

Outcomes

Shaping the Environment

Assessment

Final thoughts

PEER MENTOR DESCRIPTION

Upperclassmen WIU student

Student resource for first-year students in their U-100 course

Assist students with course material

WHAT IS PEER MENTOR

1. Attend required training session (to be held the Thurs., Fri., and Sun. before classes begin in the fall)

2. Assist FYE students in adjusting to University life

3. Familiarize FYE students with University resources

4. Attend U100 course once a week (16-weeks)

5. Attend at least two campus/community explorations with class and complete any required documentation

6. Attend University wide FYE Peer Mentor meetings

PEER MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

7. Have a desire to work with FYE students inside and outside of the classroom

8. Understand and appreciate the unique needs of FYE students

9. Work with and communicate weekly with the course instructor

10. Complete other duties as assigned

CONT. . .

WHY

THE P

EER

MENTOR P

OSITIO

N

FYE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Concerns about Peer Mentors fulfilling their responsibilities

Questions about peer mentor accountability

Multiple questions from peer mentors about their role

Inconsistencies in what peer mentor are actually doing

THE P

ROCESS

How I

devel

oped

Lea

rnin

g

Outcom

es

REACHING OUT TO THE PEER MENTORS AND U100

INSTRUCTORS Sent emails out to all of the peer mentors and

faculty

Received about 40 emails back from peer mentors and 26 from U 100 instructors

Pulled out themes for learning outcomes

• Facilitation Skills

• Knowledge of Responsibilities

• Knowledge of Resources on campus

• Communication Skills

THEMES

GOALS OF FYE

1. Demonstrate the acquisition of skills for academic achievement;

2. Be aware of resources and policies, including how to access them and what they are, in order to succeed and use them when appropriate for success;

3. Continue building supportive academic, emotional, and social networks;

4. Engage in and demonstrate respectful and appropriate interactions within their communities;

5. Explore their values, experiences, and beliefs to begin develop a sense of self; and

6. Demonstrate a desire and interest in continuing their education.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Western Illinois University 100 peer mentors. . .

Will identify and define for themselves the FYE U-100 goals for first-year students

Will describe their own experiences as first year students and connect those experiences to their defined goals for first-year students, as well as identify the experiences of their FYE course students

Will collectively define what facilitation skills mean to them and discuss ways in which they can use them individually in their role

LEARNING OUTCOMES CONT. . .

Will facilitate useful classroom discussion for their first-year students using their own experiences and the experiences of first-year students

Together will identify campus resources that are useful to students at WIU

As a group will describe what effective communication with their instructor and first-year students means to them in their role as a peer mentor

THREE DIMENSIONS

WIU University 100 Peer Mentors will facilitate useful classroom discussion for their first-year students using their own experiences and the experiences of first-year students Cognitive: Asking the students to bring in their own

experiences

Interpersonal: Asking the students what they believe their peer mentor role should be

Intrapersonal: Peer mentors’ personal values and beliefs

SHAPING T

HE

ENVIRONMENT

WHAT IS ALREADY IN PLACE

Peer Mentor Training• Start the discussion about the learning outcomes in

training

• Ask the students to bring in and talk about prior experiences

Weekly 1:1 with Instructors • Reflective conversations about learning outcomes• Talk about how what the peer mentor is learning in

their role integrates into their daily lives

POSSIBLE NEW INITIATIVE

Peer Mentor Class

• Share techniques for successful leadership

• Familiarize peer mentors with campus resources and activities

• Develop facilitation plans and organize campus and community explorations for U-100 students

ASSESSMENT

Idea

s to

Exa

min

e Pee

r Men

tor L

earn

ing

EVALUATION OPTIONS

F O R M AT I V E

• Short Reflective Journals

• Mid-term check in

• Group Project

• Instructor feedback

S U M M AT I V E • Final Paper

• End of the Semester Survey

• Instructor Evaluation of Peer Mentor’s ability to demonstrate their learning through actions in the U-100 class

FINAL T

HOUGHTS

• MY EXPERIENCE WAS DEFINITELY A PROCESS

• IT IS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE INVOLVED PARTIES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS

• I HAVE LEARNED THE HAVING LEARNING OUTCOMES REALLY GIVES US SOMETHING TO AIM AT.

QUESTIONS