1. Peer Mentoring
in an Online Learning Program

2. Ray Schroeder
Associate Vice Chancellor for Online Learning
Director, Center for Online Learning , Research and Service
University of Illinois Springfield
Carrie Levin
Assistant Director
Center for Online Learning, Research and Service
University of Illinois Springfield
Emily Boles
Senior Instructional Developer
Center for Online Learning, Research and Service
University of Illinois Springfield

3. Need for Mentoring
in Online Programs

4. Need for Online Mentoring
Informal student-to-student advising
 On campus we have plenty of places where
students congregate and communicate –
there are time-honored networks that
thrive on campuses
 Recall your days as a student – from whom
and where did you receive informal
advice?

5. Need for Online Mentoring
 Where/how does that informal advising take
place online?
 Commonly we create a “coffee shop” or a “pub”
in the discussion board
Does that serve the conversation between students as they
walk into/out of class – as they chat about …. “Are you
kidding me, or did old Prof so and so really mean we
should………?
 NO…. Because old Prof so and so sees that
conversation!

6. Need for Online Mentoring
Academic Issues
 For online students, who fills the role of the
senior student – the one down the dorm
hall who has taken this class?
 In an online class, who models best student
responses? Where do you find a student
who has taken the class who can look over
your paper?

7. Need for Online Mentoring
Non-Academic Issues
 Many not purely academic issues arise for
online students:
 Why is he always picking on my postings?
 I am in a family crisis – too embarrassing to
tell my professor directly; falling behind
 English is not my first language and I just
don’t understand what she is writing

8. Need for Online Mentoring
Confidential communicant
 One of the under-recognized, yet highly
valued roles of the department secretary is
as a confidential filter for student concerns
 Is there a liaison person who filters student
concerns and raises them anonymously to
the instructor as a departmental secretary
might?

9. So, what is an
Online Peer Mentor?

10. How is a peer mentor
different from
a supplemental
instructor?

11. What role do online
peer mentors have
with grading?

12. What training do
Online Peer Mentors
have?

13. How are Online Peer
Mentors chosen?

14. What qualities make
for a good Online
Peer Mentor?

15. What are the
advantages for the
instructor?

16. What are the
advantages for
students?

17. Do Peer Mentors
work?
ILCCO/UIS
2007 Research

18. Participating Institutions
 Black Hawk College  William Rainey Harper
 Elgin Community College
College  Triton College
 Illinois Community  University of Illinois at
College Board Springfield
 Lake Land College  Waubonsee Community
 Moraine Valley College
Community College

19. Research
Seven Illinois community colleges each
identified two “problem” online courses in
which student completion rates were low.
These instructors then selected former
students to become peer mentors in their
courses.

20. Assessment
Assessing the program itself
 Success of the program requires monitoring
 How do we measure success?
– Course completion rates
– Student performance – as in grades
– Student satisfaction
– Faculty satisfaction
– Learning effectiveness
 Assessments should be shared with mentors
 Assessments should feed back into class
development cycle

21. Results
 The non-completion rate in these courses
was reduced by 3.48%.
 More significantly, though, student success
improved.
 The number of failures was reduced by
3.28%, while the number of A grades and B
grades increased by 7.20%.

22. Summary and Conclusions
 Peer mentoring enhances online classes
 Peer mentoring involves close communication
with both faculty and students
 Assessment and change is essential to success
 If one student per class is retained (tuition
retained) the cost of the tutor is covered – and all
benefit! win-win-win!

23. Establishing a Peer
Mentor Program

24. Establishing a Program
Getting Started
 Incremental start is wise
• Identify a handful of successful faculty members
• Begin with classes where success is most likely
 Develop best practices
 Refine compensation plan for mentors
 Initiate training program
 Establish an assessment program
• Assessment program should loop into training program

25. Establishing a Program
Coordinating program - supporting mentors
 Organizational structure possibilities
• Center for teaching and learning
• Online learning center
• Advising / tutoring center
 More content-centric than techno-centric
 Hosting unit
• Must support meetings / training
– Some mentors may be at a distance
• Provide assistance with challenging issues

26. Establishing a Program
Selecting peer mentors
 Relationship to faculty member is essential
• Level of trust must be established
• Continuous flow of communication
• UIS effective practice – faculty members choose
 Content knowledge is important
 Compensation issues may arise
• Graduate Assistants may not be able to receive additional
compensation

27. Establishing a Program
Training peer mentors
 Intake training will be required
 Senior mentors may “mentor” others ☺
 Tutoring and counseling staff may make valuable
contributions
 Assessments of the program should flow into the
training
 Don’t forget to assess the training itself

28. Establishing a Program
Compensation for peer mentors
 In order to rely on peer mentors compensation
should be a part of the program
• Tutorial/independent study credit a possibility
– Particularly for those who seek to go into teaching
• Compensation should reflect the time expectations
– Eight to ten hours a week may be appropriate
– Should be monitored by the faculty member
• $1,200 at $8.00/hour covers 10 hours a week for 15 weeks

29. Establishing a Program
Confidentiality
 Important aspects of the mentor’s role
 Faculty members need to rely on the
confidentiality of the mentor
• For exam material
• For some class strategies
 Students need to rely on the confidentiality of the
mentor
• For personal problems
• To protect against possible retribution

30. Center for Online Learning,
Research and Service
University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza
Springfield, IL 62703
217.206.7317
colrs@uis.edu