A presentation given at Middlesex University's Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2016: "Unpacking Teaching Excellence

1. Annual Learning & Teaching Conference – LTRS Project:
Peer mentoring for outbound exchange students to
enhance student experience
Dr Nosheen Rachel-Naseem
Athanasios Mourikis
Slide 1

2. Aims
1. Student engagement -
(Recognition of academic and
cultural experience of returned
exchange students)
2. Enhanced student support
• Before and during
exchange
• Increase in number of
Exchanges
• Employability skills
3. Further development and
visibility of the project
Slide 2

3. The Project: Peer Mentoring for
Exchange Students
1. Theoretical Background: Action Research Project
2. Implementation
• Selection of Mentors and Training
• 1-1 Mentor-Mentee meetings
• Feedback and Evaluation
3. What our students say?
Slide 3

4. Methodology – Action Research
Slide 4
Carr and Kemmis (1986), Hudson (2000), Owen
(2001), Cohen et al (2011) and Whitehead (2012)

5. Literature: Why student peers?
Learning
Culture
Learning
Site
Learning
Style
Authentic
Learning
Site
(James and Bloomer, 2001)
Slide 5

6. Literature: why student peers?
Learning Culture
Learning SiteLearning Style
Learning Culture
Learning
Site
Learning
Style
Authentic
learning site
Mentee
Learning Culture
Learning
Site
Learning
Style
Authentic
learning site
Mentee
Authentic
learning
site Mentor
Authentic
learning
site Mentor
Student peer mentoring catalyses the positioning of the mentees’
authentic learning site within the host university’s learning site
through scaffolding provided by the mentors (Rachel, 2013).
Slide 6

7. Timeline and Implementation
• Application
call and
selection of
Mentors
(April/
September
2015)
Application
Process
• Mentor Training
(3 Repeat
Sessions June,
September &
November
2015)
• Total=38
Mentors
Mentor
Training
•January-June
2016
•Arrangements of
the first meeting,
1-1 mentoring
sessions
•Regular
Appointments,
Feedback
•"Refresh event"
for Project
Participants
(March)
Allocation
Mentees to
Mentors
•Regular email
correspondence
•Interim Evaluation
(Mid-April)
•Mentoring for Work
Placements (May)
•Final Evaluation
(June/July)
•Certificate award
ceremony & Focus
Groups (June)
Feedback/
Evaluation
Slide 7

8. Training for the Participants
Mentors’ Training
• 5 hours (role of mentors, case
studies, boundaries etc.)
Guidance during First Mentor-
Mentee Meeting
• Contracts
“Refresh event”
• For Mentors and Mentees
• Information about the Research
Project
• Consent Forms
Workshops on how to find Work
Placements
• Three repeat sessions
Slide 8

9. Slide 9

10. • Understanding of Mentoring prior to and after the Training.
• Relevance of training to the mentoring programme
• Suggestions for improvement
Feedback from the Mentors on Training
Sessions
Slide 10

11. Interim Evaluation (Mentors)
- Relevance of
Mentors’ Training
Sessions
- Skills development
- Experience
- Expectations
- Support from the
Exchanges Office
- Suggestions for
improvement
Mentors
20%
60%
10%
10%
Q3: How would you describe your experience as a
Mentor so far?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Slide 11

12. Interim Evaluation (Mentees)
- Reasons for
participating and
expectations
- Feedback on the
Mentoring
Programme
- Experience
- Support from the
Exchanges Office
- Suggestions for
improvement
Mentees
78%
22%
0% 0%
Q4: How would you describe your
experience as a Mentee so far?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Slide 12

13. Final evaluation (Mentors)
Q2: Which are the
core skills you
believe you have
gained from the
Mentoring
Programme, if
any?
Cultural Skills
Organisational
Skills
Guiding/
advising
Patience
Leadership
Communication
Skills
Interpersonal
Skills
Setting
boundaries
Volunteering
Mentors
- Overall experience
- Skills gained
- Challenges
- Suggestions/recommendations
- Participation in future promotional
activities
Slide 13

14. Final Evaluation (Mentees)
Mentees
- Overall Experience
- Impact from support received
- Challenging situation
- Become a Mentor
- Suggestions/recommendations
75%
25%
0% 0%
Q1: How would you describe your overall experience as
a Mentee?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
50%
25%
25%
0% 0%
Q2: How useful was the support/guidance you received
from your Mentor towards your preparation for
exchange study?
Extremely important
Very important
Neutral
Slightly important
Not important
Slide 14

15. Quantitative Analysis
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Total Numbers of Exchange Students and Mentors
Exchanges Withdrawals Mentors
Slide 15

16. What Students Say?
“I was given a Mentor who came for an
exchange to Middlesex from Beijing International
Studies University (…) she was my first
experience with China.”
Kaja Wisniewska-
BA International Business and Mandarin
Slide 16

17. What Students Say?
“After having “the time of my life” and benefiting so much
from my exchange time at BISU in China, I was pleased
when the Exchange Team at Middlesex University offered
me the opportunity to become a Mentor.”
Slide 17

18. What Students Say?
Slide 18
Skills Gained
• Independency.
• Commitment.
• Persistency.
• Photography.
• Hiking.
• Dancing.
Aisha Mohamud, BA Creative Writing and English Literature.
On exchange at California State University, Sacramento.

19. Dissemination
• Presentation of results at the European Association for International
Education (EAIE) conference Liverpool (15th September 2016)
• Publication in Journal of Mentoring and Tutoring; Journal of
International Education
• Basis for a bid for future ERASMUS+ funding under the Key Action 2
Capacity Building strand in collaboration with EU programme country
partners
Slide 19

20. References
• James, D. and Bloomer, M. (2001). Cultures of learning and the learning of cultures. Paper presented to
Cultures of Learning Conference, University of Bristol. Retrieved 15/03/2015 from
http://education.exeter.ac.uk/tlc/docs/publications/BR_DJA_PUB_04.01.doc
• Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
• MBF (2015). Mentoring and Befriending Foundation: Good practice examples. Retrieved 11/08/2015
from http://www.mandbf.org/guidance-and-support/good-practice-examples
• Rachel, N (2013). Structured peer mentoring for student support in higher education institutions in
Pakistan; catalysing change in the culture of learning. PhD thesis, Middlesex University.
• Whitehead, J. (2012) Educational Research for Social Change with Living Educational Theories,
Educational Research for Social Change, 1(1), 5-21.
Slide 20

21. Thank You!
Any questions?
Contact email: n.rachel-naseem@mdx.ac.uk
Slide 21