Peer to peer mentoring network for younger learners on Level 1 modules in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics – impact and challenges
This project aligns with current initiatives across the university aiming at finding novel and impactful ways of supporting our students, and it is building on a number of successful peer support initiatives in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics (LAL), for example the student buddy programme (Kan et al) running since 2014, or a number of current APP-funded community building and support initiatives targeting specific groups of students, i.e. language-specific cross-level self-help groups or peer support groups for students with additional requirements. Furthermore, we have experience in teaching younger learners with significant numbers of YASS students under 18 for whom languages are a core subject area of OU study. We will build on findings from Heiser’s report about YASS students in England and Olivier and Burton’s (2020) study highlighting the importance of supporting younger learners in making a successful transition from school to HE. Initial studies confirm: younger students new to HE study require a sense of belonging if to be successful. To create a sense of belonging for LAL students, the project lead facilitated successful online sessions for our younger learners, but realised that the students would benefit from building further relationships, not just with tutors who provide academic guidance and support, but also with other students who are slightly ahead in their own learning journeys. In line with the OU’s mission to be ‘open to people and places’, our aim is to support students from marginalised and under-represented groups, particularly at the early stages of their OU experience. A relationship with a peer mentor could be a vital tool to help these students navigate their first module. Peer mentoring has been shown to impact significantly on students’ development applying to those who are mentoring and those who are mentored. ‘By exploring the use of an institution’s key asset, its own students, there is an opportunity for the creation of a true ‘win-win-win’ situation in which new students belong, existing students develop new skills and institutions experience minimal student attrition. Peer mentoring offers an approach whereby students help students discover the new world of university life through the formation of safe and supportive peer relationships’ (Andrews and Clark, 2011, p.5). There is further evidence that mentored students ‘perceived themselves to be performing better academically, were more satisfied with their academic progress and with general student satisfaction’ (Andreanoff, 2016b, p.207). Mentors are reported to gain satisfaction in the knowledge that they have helped new students, they also gained in confidence and developed their listening and communication skills (Robson and Hutton 2019). Whilst there have been previous projects related to peer mentoring schemes across the OU, these have tended to be one-to-group schemes which may only cover the first few weeks of a student’s journey (Robson and Forbes 2015). Although previous schemes have given mentors a certificate of achievement for completing their role, we would like to collaborate with other faculties to develop a badge for mentoring which would build on work already being undertaken in WELS (Perez-Cavana et al, 2020).
Cite items from this project
Funding
Praxis
Project lead(s)
Danielle Pullen ; Sylvia Warnecke
Team members
Lilian Winkvist-Woods
Authorship group
- Academic - Central
Project reference number
PRAXIS 2021/22 02 DP
Project start date
Project end date
Project status
Completed
Institutional priority category
- Achieving Study Goals
- Students Learning Experiences
Themes
- Awarding Gaps
- Employability
- Student Academic Experience
- Student Satisfaction
- Student Experience
- Peer Support/Mentoring
Subject discipline
- Languages and Applied Linguistics
Project findings and recommendations
It is clearly difficult to make generalisations when findings are based on such a narrow group of informants, however real progress has been made in terms of being able to respond to the initial research questions. The needs of younger learners have been identified, the role of the student mentor has been explored, and mentors are now accredited with a digital badge. The Mentor: Reasons for becoming involved One of the key themes emerging from both the questionnaires and the focus groups was that mentors had chosen to become involved in the project for largely empathetic reasons. Having reflected on their own learning journey, they felt that they would have valued a mentor when they began their studies and that they wanted to share their own experiences and help others, ‘I felt like when I started my journey with the Open University as a student and I was a young learner, so I had literally just come out of A levels and it was all very overwhelming for me…when this opportunity came along, I thought…that would be so good. If I had had…someone to just help me one to one.’ The mentors were very keen to ‘give something back’ and they saw mentoring as a way to support students at their own level ‘It's realizing what people may need help with…[something] I went through as well. Sometimes it's as simple as for people to know that there are other people in the same situation they are in… We are all overwhelmed… for different reasons.’ One of the mentors highlighted that this feeling of being engulfed is particularly challenging for younger learners, ‘I think they felt like I was someone who understood what they were going through. The whole feeling of being overwhelmed… being surrounded by students who were arguably more mature and obviously had more experience with life and… whereas they felt like they were being thrown into the deep end.’ Although, as a by-product, the mentors had gained skills and a digital badge, they had not undertaken the role for these reasons, ‘I personally don't really know the benefits of having a digital badge like I have no idea what it kind of accounts for’. The Mentor: Role and Skills Development Responses suggested that the mentoring role is complex and personal. As expected, mentors saw themselves as sign-posters to information, providers of generic support and problem solvers ‘it was kind of just helping her to know that there are things such as student forums, you know, Tutor Group forums’ but they also felt that their role was to raise the confidence of their mentees, ‘she had … a great fear…of approaching her tutor. And when she was…struggling…I was…that person to be like, no, it's actually OK…they are so used to receiving emails like this, they don't mind. They actually want you to get in touch with them.’ Communication was a key theme. Mentors felt that both talking and listening were equally important - ‘Just being that listening ear.’, but there was a realisation that every relationship would be unique, and that one size did not fit all when it came to supporting mentees. Mentors stressed the importance of being able to empathise ‘Learning to adapt, learning to...take a step back, put yourself in that person's shoes.’ This individual and personalised response to each mentee’s needs was facilitated by the one-to-one nature of the Project. Mentors felt that this approach led to an authentic, two-way relationship which benefitted both the mentor and the mentee, ‘It's been a learning journey for me as well’, ‘We're living through something together.’ It was pleasing to note that mentors reported some unexpected benefits. ‘This is such a great opportunity for me to …. boost my confidence and my self-esteem.’ By helping others, mentors reflected on their own strengths and weaknesses, and they were able to become more efficient learners too, ‘I feel like it kind of reinforces your own learning journey.’ The Mentor: Successful Mentoring The matching of mentor to mentee was noted as a key factor for increasing the chances of a successful relationship. Mentees felt that, as a starting point, the matching process gave them an ‘in’, ‘I have some personal experience to share because we have that common ground’. One of the mentors also noted that having those shared characteristics made her alter her response and advice making it more appropriate for the individual, ‘So I think that definitely helped the relationship and also…for me in in terms of finding that reply and that solution.’ Once a relationship between mentor and mentee was established, an emphasis was placed on being authentic and not fulfilling a particular role, ‘Being open… embracing the process and also sharing a bit about you…Being willing to really share… and make it a two-way conversation.’ Mentors. felt that they did not want to be seen as an official voice, ‘It’s… an objective person and you are in a safe place and you can talk to someone who is not…involved in your daily life… a safe place where to share… what worries you’. The need for patience, compassion and sensitivity were all mentioned as qualities that would be expected in a successful mentoring relationship. The Mentor: Low Points and High Points The biggest low point reported by mentors was when the relationship with the mentee broke down. This often led to feelings of self-blame and disappointment, ‘when my first mentee decided to defer….I.. felt like… I could have done so much more.‘ Mentors reported that contact was often difficult and non-linear. In these situations, it is important to be resilient, ‘there are times, especially with the lack of engagement, don't give up…be understanding… everyone has things going on in their lives. It's not necessarily study related’. Moreover, the mentors demonstrated some real maturity and common-sense with the realisation that ‘There's only so much… we as mentors can do….You can encourage them. But obviously life gets in the way and we understand that.’. In essence, ‘the ultimate doer has to be the mentee.’ The findings demonstrated that the mentors had found the project to be overwhelmingly positive. They reported that they would like to continue with the scheme. ‘It was great to be involved and so I'm really looking forward to being involved again.’ Positive relationships were formed, and this is borne out by the observations that the mentee contacted the mentors to share good news, ‘I received an e-mail… about her receiving… 90 plus on her TMA …and she…just wanted to share this...It's so nice to know that… I'm someone that she wants to share such news [with]. Makes you realize how much they do actually value you and which is so lovely.’ Mentors also appreciated knowing that they had been able to share knowledge and skills, often when they had not realised their input was valuable, ‘you realize that you have something to offer to the other person and that it's valuable...sometimes something that you take for granted is actually valuable to the other person.’
Keyword(s)
mentoring ; equality ; access and participation ; diversity and inclusivity ; younger learners ; language ; retention ; support
