Tele-Mentoring over the NetThe real power of the Internet is the energy generated by human interaction. -- Margaret Riel |
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3) Telementoring Resources |
Tele-Mentoring Programs |
I find it useful to divide telementoring into three types of programs as they have different constraints and requirements. |
1) Mentor Experts: These are information resources provided by companies and communities. In most cases the experts see their role as giving the information sought. In some cases, the experts are also great teachers who understand that giving other the skills to find one's own answers is often better than giving information answers. Mentors who take this approach are helping information seekers to acquire important skills as well as providing factual answers. |
2) Tele-mentor
Pairs:
The word mentor comes from a root that means enduring. When we think of mentoring we generally think of a relationship between an expert and a learner that is long term. In fact, there are some who want to save the term mentoring and tele-mentoring only for these types of relationships. In this list, I have made a distinction between different forms of telementoring. |
3) Tele-Mentor Partnerships Matching an expert or experts with a group or a class of learners is often a more effective strategy. In these partnerships there is room for different forms of contribution by all participants. The distributed expertise of the group becomes clear and everyone can be both a learner and a teacher. |
Design Issues
for Tele-mentoring
In thinking about new designs for telementoring, it is helpful to the discuss responses to following questions. |
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Telementoring Human ResourcesWho will mentor whom? How will the mentors be selected and what training will they be provided? Good mentors are also good teachers. |
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Matching ChallengesHow will mentors and learners be matched? Will it be based on content (matching inquiry to expertise), or talents of learners and mentors (person to person), or mentor to topic area (mentor to group)? The matching process should be as simple or automated as possible as it can be very different for the program to develop is the matching takes a great deal of interaction among individuals. |
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The Nature of the InteractionWhat is the focus of the mentoring? Will it involve modeling the integration of many different aspects into a specific role (role model), or will it be to provide expert advice on a specified domain (subject expert)? Will the mentor be proactive or reactive to the needs of the learner? When should one respond with questions and when with answers that promote inquiry? The answers to these questions are very important in shaping the design of the program. |
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ReciprocityWhat will both mentors and learners give and get? What are the benefits that each will gain. There are many benefits that occur to the people involved but it is important to be very clear about the rewards and the commitment from the outset. |
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SustainabilityHow will the program continue over time? What will motivate the mentors to continue? How will the matching structure be supported? If the program is to expand, plans for its growth will need to be set at the very beginning. If it takes a personal phone call to set up the matches, who will make the personal phone call when there are hundreds of matches? It is helpful to project the scale of the mentoring program and ask how each part of the process will occur at that scale.
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Web Tours to the Learning Spaces in the Present and Future Networlds
The Learn and Live book and video is another form of
telementoring as it is available online with all the links to the authors and projects.
Telementoring on the Web is a Webtour Tour by Margaret Riel, last updated March, 1999
Questions or comments to Margaret Riel at [email protected]