Mentor Training Program--First Iteration

Background

A major project objective is "to create a mentor program, organized in tiers.  A professor mentors a limited number of experienced mentors, each an undergraduate."  To reach this objective, we need to train our students to be effective mentors.  As part of this training, we will be implementing workshops.

This task involved the creation of a workshop for beginning mentors.  The goals of the workshop were that the participants would 

  • Develop a concept of mentoring as a process that can be learned (i.e. not somehow "natural" or innate to some people, but not to others).  Develop an awareness of the complex array of skills necessary to effectively mentor
  • Improve their valuing of the benefits of mentoring from both the mentee and mentor perspective
  • Develop an awareness of the basic process of mentoring as a purposeful application of the teaching cycle
  • Develop ideas for improving the next mentor workshop

Figure 1.  Elger describes the overall scope of the mentoring workshop.

The task was accomplished and the first workshop, approximately 2 hours in length, was held on October 4, 2002 in the Crest Room of the UI Commons.  The workshop was lead by Elger and attended by Miller, Statler, Khalid, Smelser and Williams.

Results of the Task

The design and goals of the workshop may be seen by viewing the power point presentation or by accessing the raw ppt presentation data file.

Assessment data was gathered from the participants during the workshop.  The participants generated the following list of elements of quality in mentoring.

  • Elements of quality in Mentoring
    • Open, approachable with questions, reciprocal willingness to help or serve
    • Self-directed learning and shared learning occurs
    • A mentor is someone who shows what success looks like (an example) by working with you
    • Listening and hearing occurs and sometimes there are probing questions
    • There is an environment that balances support with challenge
    • There is forward focused feedback which generates growth by both parties
    • A mentor is calm and thoughtful (especially in a time of crisis)
    • Mentors provide a personal connection for resources and help
    • Best mentors are those who truly love their work; their passion motivates the mentee
    • In mentoring, there is often an inquisitive feeling, but it is not an inquisition
    • Mentors are people who are experienced and provide leadership (i.e. a role model)
    • Mentors help others see the positive outcomes from all experiences and learn from mistakes
    • Mentors are encouraging and instill confidence in mentees
    • Mentors use both direct and indirect teaching as appropriate
    • Mentors and mentees create and maintain confidence
    • Mentors constantly assess the mentee (real-time feedback)

    Figure 2. Elger and Williams trade ideas on instruction 
    while Khalid and Miller synthesize their findings from the workshop.

    The participant generated a list of benefits to being a mentee.

  • Benefits to a Mentee
    • Real-time assessment and continuous feedback on performance
    • Enhanced results when performance reviews occur (largely because of relationship of trust)
    • A friendship relationship with the mentor
    • A real opportunity to grow multiple skills at all levels
    • A different view of how theory applies in real life
    • The mentor helps the mentee see things in a new or different way
    • Comfort tackling new challenges and tasks because of safe environment
    • Learning from the mentor’s experiences (avoid the same mistakes)
    • Receiving help in things, mentee doesn’t (sometimes cannot) understand
    • A growth pace set by the mentee, monitored by the mentor
    • Immense transfer of experience and knowledge from mentor to mentee
    • Feeling of acceptance for who you are, not what you do
    • Counsel from a seasoned expert on what is vital and what is non-essential
    • Opportunity to spend time with someone who excels in their field

    Figure 3.  Khalid and Miller discuss the best ideas learned at the workshop.

    The workshop participants generated the following list of benefits to being a mentor.

  • Benefits to a Mentor
    • Lasting friendship with the mentee
    • Gain experience by talking and teaching a topic (using technical terms)
    • Sometimes mentor got rewarded by feeling needed
    • Develops deeper insights into things
    • Less frustrating ways to teach
    • Benefits from deeper trust in relationship
    • Mentoring the area of interest they (mentor) like
    • Self-development
    • Chance to live vicariously through mentees' accomplishments
    • Relationship develops life long friendships.

    Figure 4.  Lists of benefits to mentor and mentee 
    as well as elements of mentoring generated by participants.

  • Strengths of the workshop (team assessment)
    • Faculty participation
    • Richard's presentation on iterations was excellent
    • Responses by participants to prompts and questions was very thoughtful
    • Clearly stated the mentor program objectives
    • Good fluids example used to illustrate new ways of mentoring (see slides)
    • Visual communication of the mentoring process
    • Great balance between group interaction and lecture or instruction
    • First step in the iterative process for developing the mentor training workshop
    • Creating the list of benefits for mentors and mentees greatly increased the motivation for being here on a Friday evening.

    Figure 5.  Williams and Smelser observe the audio-video workshop "set."

     

  • Specific ideas for improving the workshop (team assessment)
    • Wanted more instruction on the difference between evoking the knowledge from the student and simply withholding the answer from them
    • More examples of mentors in action
    • More activities that get everyone out of their chairs
    • Easels for generated lists
    • Make notes on presentation more of a workbook format
    • Before the workshop, perform a "dry run" of the audio video equipment
    • Control room arrangement more (i.e. several round tables instead of a sea of rectangular tables creates a more personal atmosphere)
    • Video tape workshop (this could be used as an advertisement or promotional tool for the program)
    • Use the "skiing instruction" model (i.e. shake hands with each person as they arrive, ask them their past experience and what they hope to learn today)
    • Use food (or other motivation) to get people to the workshop early so pre-assessment of participants can occur.

Relationship to Overall Project Goals

  •  Project Goal 1 is to create a change process that leads faculty towards the ideas embodied in the enriched learning environment model.   This task supported this goal by involving both faculty and students in the workshop and by introducing a performance based paradigm of education (not a coverage based paradigm).

  • Project Goal 2 is to create a mentor program, organized in tiers.  This task supported this goal by developing the first-iteration of the training program.  

  • Project Goal 5 is to gather validated evidence that informs the relevant scientific and educational communities of the results of this research. This task supported this goal by providing the preliminary assessment data that is reported above. 

 

 
Grant # xxxxxx-xx funded by:

Scholars Community Leadership

    Steve Beyerlein    Don Elger    Dan Apple