Bridging Cyberspace through e-Mentoring

1. Bridging Cyberspace through e-Mentoring Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA Nancy Doyle, OTD, OTR/L

2. Presentation Outline • Overview: e-Mentoring in the OTD program • Peer-peer mentoring • Faculty-student mentoring • Review of the evidence base literature • Tools and strategies for e-mentoring • Building a community of learners present and future through e-mentoring • Faculty and student perspectives

3. Defining e-Mentoring • Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) is mentoring using computer-mediated technology such as electronic communication platforms (Adobe Connect, Wimba), e-mail, message boards, etc. to provide and receive guidance and support. • Includes a variety of formats such as peer-peer and faculty-student

4. Case Example: e-Mentoring • Distance education post-professional doctoral program in occupational therapy • Two pairs formed at matriculation: • Student-student peer mentoring • Faculty-student mentoring • Relationships sustained until graduation • Mentoring agreements negotiated each semester

5. Review of the Evidence Literature • Peer mentoring: • Instrumental and psychosocial support • Program satisfaction (Grant-Vallone & Ensher, 2000) • Faculty mentoring: • Professional development and identification • Academic direction, skill-building • Creative and independent thinking of mentees (Milner & Bossers, 2004; Webb et al., 2009)

6. e-Mentoring Evidence Base • Promising alternative to in-person mentoring • Success related to: • Prior experience with internet use (DiRenzo, Linnehan, Shao, & Rosenberg, 2010) • Motivation to be involved in mentoring (DiRenzo et al., 2010) • Self-efficacy and task-efficacy for peer mentors: • Frequency of e-mentoring interactions (DiRenzo et al., 2010) • Limitations: • Published research limited to written e-mentoring methodologies (DiRenzo et al., 2010; Smith-Jentsch, Scielzo, Yarbrough, & Rosopa, 2008)

7. e-Mentoring Tools • Web camera and electronic communication platform

8. e-Mentoring Strategies • Semester-long mentoring agreements • Weekly face-to-face meetings • Document reviews with specified deadlines

9. Building a Community of Learners • Peer and faculty report high satisfaction • Benefits for online students: • Motivation, connection to the university, and commitment to one’s academic and professional work • Strong sense of community and support • Potential for long-term professional relationships in clinical, research, and academic work

10. Student and Faculty Narratives • Distance is not a barrier • e-mentoring around the globe

11. Summary • e-mentoring defined • Program example • Review of evidence base literature • Recommendations for tools and strategies • Outcomes: learning community and potential for long-term working relationships

12. References • DiRenzo, M., Linnehan, F., Shao, P., & Rosenberg (2010). A moderated mediation model of e-mentoring. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 76, 292-305. • Grant-Vallone, E. J., & Ensher, E. A. (2000). Effects of peer mentoring on types of mentor support, program satisfaction and graduate student stress: A dyadic perspective. Journal of College Student Development, 41, 637-642 • Milner, T., & Bossers, A. (2004). Evaluation of the mentor-mentee relationship in an occupational therapy mentorship programme. Occupational Therapy International, 11, 96-111. • Smith-Jentsch, K. A., Scielzo, S. A., Yarbrough, C. S., & Rosopa, P. J. (2008). A comparison of face-to-face and electronic peer-mentoring: Interactions with mentor gender. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72,193–206 • Webb, A. K., Wangmo, T., Ewen, H. H., Teaster, P. B., & Hatch, L. R. (2009). Peer and faculty mentoring for students pursuing a PhD in gerontology. Educational Gerontology, 35, 1089 -1106.