Online Mentor Performance Reports: Supporting Student Satisfaction and Success

1. Online Mentor Performance Reports: Supporting Student Satisfaction and Success Ronald C. Thomas, Jr. Assistant in Distance Learning Florida State University

2. 2+2 Distance Learning Initiative (1999) Materials-based Mentor-supported Degree completion programs Blackboard (Bb) course management system (CMS) Includes communication tools for one-to-one (email), one-to-many (discussion board), many-to-many (chat) Online Learning at Florida State University

3. FSU’s Student Support Model

4. Why Mentors? • Office for Distributed and Distance Learning (ODDL) tasked with design and implementation of student support systems • High withdrawal rate in distance learning due to students’ feelings of isolation • Faculty fear of too many students for preparation, instruction, monitoring, communication, and evaluation.

5. Why Mentors? • Distance and detachment from the institution, the instructor, and coursemates • Different demographic with which to relate • Adult learners – careers, families • Delivery – online communication challenges • Start-up issues – familiarity with Bb CMS

6. Master’s degree (or higher) in relevant discipline or Bachelor’s and experience in field Enthusiasm! Must care about and enjoy relating to students Active listener, have empathy with students Take initiative in communications with students and maintain engagement Accept monitoring and guidance of lead instructor Must be highly organized and keep detailed records What Are the Mentor KSA’s?

7. Where Are Mentors Found? • Florida Community College System • Referrals • Faculty • Adjuncts • FSU Graduate Students • Current • Recent graduates • Actively-employed Mentors’ referrals • Advertisement by brochure and web site

8. How Are Mentors Selected? • Applications are screened for minimum requirements by ODDL staff • Appropriate applications are forwarded to faculty for endorsement

9. What Comprises the Training? • Time with ODDL staff to learn online support, issues with adult students, referral resources at FSU • Time with discipline area faculty for collegial and instructional contact • Technical training with Blackboard CMS (face-to-face and online)

10. What Are the Duties of Mentors? • Completing Course Materials • Initiating and Maintaining Contact with Students • Responding in a Timely Manner • Facilitating Electronic Learning and Discussion Groups • Attending to Student Progress, Grading Assignments, and Reporting Grades • Communicating with Faculty

12. How Does ODDL Support Mentors? • Implementation Coordinator • Models engagement with mentors that mentors must develop with students, regular communication • Provides referral resources, liaison to student services • Ongoing training and development • Mentor Team Website • Audio-conferences • Face-to-face meetings and focus groups

13. How Is the Model Evaluated? • Faculty evaluations – formal and informal • Student evaluations – formal surveys, voluntary telephone interviews • Student performance indicators • Dissemination of plan, processes and results for feedback from partners (Florida community colleges) and external audiences • Mentor performance reports *

15. Mentor Performance Reports(Summer, 2001 - Summer, 2003)

16. “Anyone who gets (her) as a mentor is lucky. She makes the semester go more smoothly.” “There has been excellent and timely communication this semester --- It has been great!” “She is great at explaining assignments to me that I don't understand and reminds me of goals for the week that I should complete.” “(He) is very involved both in our work and the discussion area. He is trying to challenge us and pushes for interaction. This is key to distance learning.” “(She) is great in motivating the class in discussions on the virtual classroom board.” Student Comments

17. Is Mentor Support Working? • Mentor-supported courses • By the end of Summer, 2003, 118 courses with mentor support had been delivered • 156 current mentors formally trained, supporting four degree completion programs • Computer and Information Sciences • Information Studies • Interdisciplinary Social Science • Nursing (RN-BSN)

18. Student Performance Indicators • Completion Rate (through Summer, 2003) = 92% • Success Rate (completers earning a grade of C- or better) = 89%

19. What We Learned • Communication function is the most important and effective • 72% of responses in this area were positive • 21% of responses were neutral • 7% of responses were negative • Students report that clarification of materials & processes and encouragement are the two main contributions of mentor support

20. Implications for Teaching • Mentor support allows scalability. To increase class size, add another mentor (at 20-25:1). • These are often non-traditional students with varying levels of computer skills, balancing their education against their jobs and family obligations. They need “High Touch” to go with High Tech. • Supporting faculty IS supporting students. Mentors are conduits for two-way communications.