The Mentor Role in Online Learning

1
The Mentor Role in Online Learning

• This presentation will probably involve audience
  discussion, which will create action items. Use
  PowerPoint to keep track of these action items
  during your presentation
• In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button
• Select Meeting Minder
• Select the Action Items tab
• Type in action items as they come up
• Click OK to dismiss this box
• This will automatically create an Action Item
  slide at the end of your presentation with your
  points entered.

• 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