Peer Mentoring: offering transitional support to Level 1

students

Learning Development Service

A mentor is a more experienced person who forms a relationship with a less experienced person in order to provide that person with advice, support and encouragement.

Megginson and Clutterbuck, 1995.

Undergraduate mentoring in QUBSchool of English 2008/2009

Four Peer Mentors

2011/2012, 97 QUB Mentors45 male, 52 female

Accounting, Anthropology, Archaeology, Computer Science, English, History, Mathematics, Physics,

Sociology

Wider research

Peer Mentoring Works!How Peer Mentoring Enhances Student Success in

Higher EducationJane Andrews and Robin Clark

Published by Aston University, Birmingham, November 2011

‘What Works? Student Retention and Success Programme’

Funded by HEFCE and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Mentoring schemesAston UniversityBangor UniversityLondon MetropolitanLiverpool Hope universitySheffield UniversityOslo and Arkeshus University College

Findings75% concerned about making friends and settling in

70% confident that they had the ability to succeed academically

75% agreed that peer mentoring helped them adapt to university life

75% agreed that peer mentoring helped them make the most of academic opportunities and support services

Peer mentoring is a mechanism for addressing the issue of retention as it provides the “means by which students can make friends, acclimatise to university life, and come to terms with their new student identity”.

Recommendations“Transition + - the ideal mentoring programme”

offers transitional support that evolves into academic and social support

Essential Elements of Transition +• Time to develop the scheme• Start small• Clear aims• Student ‘ownership’• Embedded within the School (assigned academic)• Tailored • Careful selection of mentors• Lead mentor• Comprehensive training • Assigned space within the School• Promotion• Opt-out – otherwise seen by students as a deficit model of support• Formal recognition for mentors (Degree Plus)

Within the UK Higher Education context, peer mentoring relates to the concept of reciprocal peer support and learning whereby a peer mentor helps to enhance and promote the overall university experience of either an individual student, or a group of fellow students. Peer mentors are generally slightly more advanced in their studies than peer mentees. By using their own experiences and insights, peer mentors help newer students settle into, and succeed at, university; building relationships that often last throughout the first year – and in many cases beyond.

Andrews and Clark, 2011

Peer mentoring offers an approach whereby students help students discover the new world of university life through the formation of safe and supportive peer relationships

Andrews and Clark, 2011

Ryan Glass, Lead Mentor, School of Mathematics

School of Mathematics• My experience as a QUB Level 1 student of

Mathematics– Daunted by the size of my year group– Lonely– Felt like a job– Not what I expected– Problems weren’t resolved until Level 2– Passion for Mathematics kept me there

School of Mathematics• How the mentoring scheme developed– Gillian Mark– LDS– Academic support– Finance– Recruitment– Promotion– Training

Mathematics Mentors 2010/11

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• Encouraged by LDS to develop our own model– Opt in / opt out– Pairing up– Academic aspects– Social aspects– Weekly mentoring meetings

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• Academic aspects– Weekly homework sessions– Revision sessions

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• Social aspects– Weekly social hours– Group social nights– Monthly social events

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• Continued development– Recruitment– Promotion– Homework sessions

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• “Good chance to settle in quicker and make that transition between school life and university easier. First opportunity to make friends in your class. It’s nice having someone there who can give you advice on how to answer mathematically and gives you that reassurance to keep you hanging in there when it all seems a bit too much. And the events were definitely good banter!”

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• “Couldn’t have survived first year without it. Great way to make friends. First year is a big shock and having older students help/guide you was just what you needed to get through and have fun!”

• “I thought it was brilliant. Eased the transition from school to university a lot! I probably wouldn’t have lasted the year without it!”

Mentoring in School of Mathematics

• Training• Teacher• Confidence in speaking• Time management• Responsibilities• Relationships with lecturers• Friendships

Saoirse McGrath, Peer Mentoring Advisor, Learning Development Service

Benefits for the mentorFormer QUB mentor

- Why I became a mentor

- Background

Benefits for the mentorPersonal Development

– Passion – Meeting new people– Growing in confidence– Rewarding

Benefits for the mentorEmployment skills

- Organisational - Opportunities- Continued study- Public speaking- Communication- Facilitation- Attendance at conferences- Training

The role of the Learning Development Service

• Provides advice and guidance for Schools in the development and implementation of mentoring schemes

• Attends information sessions in Schools• Provides mentor training• Meets regularly with lead mentors• Supports individual mentors on a one-to-one basis• Ensures mentors meet the requirements for Degree Plus

Professor John Thompson