Student Mentoring and Peer Tutoring

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Define mentoring

In an educational context, the work of the student mentor has been defined in the following way: “The mentor acts as a facilitator and a catalyst for learning rather than as a ‘teacher’. The learner is responsible for her own learning. The mentor is responsible for supporting, facilitating and learning with the learner.” (Kehoe 2007, p. 6).

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Benefits for Mentors (including training)

Training

The Study and Learning Centre (SLC) trains student mentors who participate in academic mentoring programs across RMIT and developed the Student Mentoring Handbook (PDF 803kB) which is designed to be used by student mentors undertaking this training.

Each SLC Student Mentor Training Program is contextualised to meet each school or programs mentoring objectives and to ensure mentors have the skills required to achieve positive outcomes for students and the school. Although mentor programs have varying priorities, training typically includes (PDF 71KB 1p) activities to develop skills and knowledge in the areas of mentoring, communication, awareness of diversity, peer learning, group facilitation, learning styles and reflective practice.

Recognition

Students who volunteer for 15 hours and complete 5 hours of mentor training in a recognised mentor program will be eligible for the RMIT LEAD certificate signed by the Vice Chancellor and have their contribution recorded on their official RMIT academic transcript.

Other benefits for mentors

• Consolidation of academic skills
• Increased confidence and experience working in groups, resolving conflict and leading a team
• Improved cross cultural communication and leadership skills
• Satisfaction from helping others to succeed, make new friends and to widen personal and professional networks
• Enhanced employability and CV/ resume
• Learn about RMIT social, transition and academic support services

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Benefits for Mentees

• Increased motivation, improved study techniques and confidence as academic learners,
• Increased social engagement and enhanced motivation to attend classes and engage in learning as a result of interaction between students and mentors
• Improved critical skills, problem solving ability which assists pass rates, grades and retention
• Opportunity to develop study groups and networks of supportive fellow students
• Increased interpersonal, cross cultural and social skills in a diverse and demanding environment
• As mentors attend scheduled classes no additional time commitment is required from students and all students (whether struggling to succeed or just wanting to get ahead) have equal access to mentors support, knowledge and experience
• Students learn about RMIT social, transition and academic support services

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For staff thinking about starting a Mentor program

Are you thinking of establishing your own Student Mentor program but have a few questions or concerns?

Over the last 6 years of assisting academic and professional staff (Champions) to conceive, design, implement and improve mentoring and peer tutoring programs a multitude of issues, concerns and ‘perceived’ limitations have been raised and overcome. Creating successful mentor programs is possible because developing and delivering the mentor program is done in collaboration between staff in the school, the College ADG and RMIT SLC.

Although mentoring programs in the College have much in common, each has in fact been individually designed to meet the Champions (the school’s, program or course’s) objectives, context and resource limitations.

For more information contact Rick Ryan.

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Student Mentoring programs in the College of SEH

School	Mentor program name	Contact person or champion
Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering	SAMME Engineering Without Boarders Mentor Program	Asintha Nanayakkara
Applied Sciences	Environmental Science Communication Mentors	Robyn McCormick
Applied Sciences	Physics and Nanotechnology Student Mentors	Gary Bryant or Kay Latham
Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering	CIE-MAP (Civil and Infrastructure Engineering – Mentoring Assistance Program	Jie Li
Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering	SCECE Engineering Without Boarders Mentor Program	Tom Molyneaux
Computer Science and Information Technology	Mentors Assisting Programming Students (MAPS)	Anna Chan
Electrical and Computer Engineering	SECE Engineering Without Boarders Mentor Program	Andrew Jennings
Electrical and Computer Engineering	Transition Support Mentors for Commencing and Articulating Students	Katrina Neville
Electrical and Computer Engineering	SECE ENGenius and Open Day Core Group	P J Radcliffe
Engineering (TAFE)	TAFE Engineering Design mentors	Betty Richards
Health Sciences	Chiropractic Students Mentoring Program	Barry Draper
Health Sciences	CMM (Chinese Medicine Mentoring) Program	Lin Dong
Health Sciences	Psychology Peer Assisted Tutorial Support (PPATS)	Andrea Chester
Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences	Student Learning in Mathematics Education (SLIME) Maths & Stats Mentoring Program	Lynne McArthur
Medical Sciences	Pharmaceutical Sciences Mentor Program	Trisha Jenkins
Medical Sciences	Medical Radiations LEAD Mentors	Simon Cowell or Evan Read
Medical Sciences	Physical Education Mentoring Program	Bernie Holland
Medical Sciences	Biomedical Science Mentors	Jeremy Keens
College of SEH	In2science at RMIT	Kristy Dean
College of SEH	The Science Experience	Clare Russell

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Academic papers, presentations and grants about Mentoring and Peer Tutoring in the College of SEH

• Telley, A., Chester, A., Xenos, S., Li, L., & Ryan, R. (2010, July) Improving Student Wellbeing, Academic Performance, and Group Work Skills Using Peer Mentoring (PDF, 177KB, 6p). 27^th International Congress of International Association of Applies Psychology, Melbourne, Australia
• Chester, A., Xenos, S., Ryan, R., Elgar, K., Telley, A., Li, J. Fennessy, L., Keogh, P., Brown, A., & Saunders, P. (2010, June). Supporting and challenging first year students: Evaluation of an embedded tutoring model in three disciplines. 13th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education conference, Adelaide, Australia.
• Chester, A., Xenos, S., Ryan, R., Carmichael, R., & Saunders, P. (2009, September). Using peer assisted learning to enhance transition, engagement, and acquisition of foundational academic skills in large first year classes (PDF, 14KB). Paper presented at the Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Darwin, Australia.
• Ryan, R., Chester, A., Xenos, S., Carmichael, R., & Saunders, P. (2009, February). Engaging first year students through embedded peer tutoring (PDF, 1.5MB, 211p). First Year Experience Curriculum Design Symposium, QUT, Brisbane, Australia.
• Xenos, S., Chester, A., & Ryan, R., (2009) Using Peer Tutoring to Enhance Engagement and Improve Academic Performance across Disciplines (PDF, 462KB, 18p), 2009 RMIT Learning and Teaching Investment Fund (LTIF) ($44,500 grant)
• Chester, A., Carmichael, R., Ryan , R., Saunders, P. & Xenos, S. (2008) Psychology Peer Assisted Tutorial Support (PPATS): Using Peer Assisted learning to Enhance transition, Engagement and Acquisition of Foundational Academic Skills in Large First Year Classes (PDF, 1.04MB, 15p), 2008 RMIT Learning and Teaching Investment Fund (LTIF) ($22,000 grant).
• D'Souza, D., Hamilton, M., Harland, J., Muir, P., Thevathayan, C. and Walker, C. (2008). Transforming learning of programming: a mentoring project. In Proc.Tenth Australasian Computing Education Conference (ACE 2008), Wollongong, NSW, Australia. CRPIT, 78. Simon and Hamilton, M., Eds., ACS. 75-84.
• Brown, A., Ryan , R., & Carmichael, R., (2008, July) An Apple a Day: Supporting 1st Year Learning and Teaching through Academic Mentoring and Peer-Tutoring (PDF, 37KB, 4p), 11th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education (FYHE) Conference, Hobart, Tasmania.

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Other relevant links

For more information

Contact Rick Ryan.

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