1. Developing e-mentoring for collaboration between ADpractitioners and mentors: Issues and challenges Najwa Norodien-Fataar Najwa Norodien-Fataar

2. Introduction How e-mentoring can promote engagement in learning among peer mentors? How e-mentoring can enhance the capacity of peer mentors to support mentees effectively?Why?To develop effective peer support programmes.To develop the educational and leadership capacity of peer mentorsTo overcome time and geographical barriers

3. Aims To provide educational and leadership training and support to senior students ( mentors) through online support via Blackboard To provide peer support to first year students through peer mentorship, face to face, Blackboard, social media, Facebook, BBM and MXit To improve first year students performance and reduce attrition rates in the first year To provide academic and social support to first year students

4. Issues peermentors will Time management Note-takingassist with Learning Styles Exam preparation Study Skills Unfamiliar administrative issues Balancing competing deadlines Assignment writing Information technology skills (ICTs)

5. How? Through online discussion support and engagement with AD lecturer via Blackboard 2 day training workshop Ongoing support Reflection process 100% engagement = Certificate of Participation

6. How do mentors benefit? Leadership and capacity building of senior students Sense of satisfaction Self worth Enjoyment in sharing expertise Gaining new personal insights

7. Why peer support? Research by McInnis, James and Hartley (2000). Heirdsfield, Walker and Walsh 2005 Peer mentors more effective during the first year transition Assist in making social connections with new students Sense of belonging, retention and skills development

8. Why e-mentoring? To overcome time and geographic barriers Out of classroom time- inside classroom time Geographic link between Faculty and Fundani Social Presence awareness ( Garrison and Arbaugh 2007) Social presence give students the feeling of connecting and belonging to a community

9. BlackboardPERCEPTIONS POSSIBILITIES Repository Learning environment Students: perceived Access to online as a place where you resources, internet, get notes engagement, reflectio difficult to access, n, discussion, cant logon connection with Unfamiliar, formal lecturers, students Lecturers: deposit notes Only for lecturers

10. Nature of engagement AD Practitioner Lecturer in Mentees Department Mentors

11. Blended Learning Support Online Support Social Face2 Face Media, MXit, FB, BBM, Twitter

12. Thank you any questions?