Saturday, October 5, 2019

Online Mentoring: an innovative supplement to face to face mentoring





According to the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), mentoring should be provided as student support and counseling (CHED, 2016).  A classical mentor is someone “who oversees the career and development of another person, usually a junior, through teaching, counseling, providing psychological support, protecting, and at times promoting or sponsoring” (Bierema LL, 2002).



Online mentoring, also known as e-mentoring or computer virtual mentoring, is an innovative twist to traditional mentoring.  It is defined as the merger of mentoring with electronic communications to develop and sustain mentoring relationships linking a senior individual (mentor) and a lesser skilled or experienced individual (protégé) independent of geography or scheduling conflicts (Rowland, 2011).

Online mentoring reduces the distance between a mentor and a protégé, and breaks the barriers of geography, time and expense.  Collaborative learning through interaction with others requires learners to engage actively in idea exchange and meaning negotiation by looking at and reflecting on the multiple perspectives of fellow students (Murphy KL, 2005).

The roles of the mentors in the collaborative virtual learning environment (CVLE) are identified as supporters, collaborators, editors, friends, evaluators, teachers, leaders and role models (Fonga NS, 2012).  Kang, Yoo and Park (Kang M, 2012) identified four phases of a mentoring program, mainly (1) preparing, (2) matching, (3) being a mentor and (4) ending a relationship.






Mutual respect, trust, and comfort are essential components of this relationship and must be allowed to evolve naturally.  Both parties must be committed to the relationship, and expectations must be articulated.  Successful mentoring involves frequent and regular interaction (Bierema LL, 2002).  I would consider HealthXPH as online mentoring, as more experienced individuals share positivity and expertise freely thru their digital presence.  On #HealthXPH tweetchats, there is a safe space for healthcare workers, teachers, trainers, policy makers, students and patients to express their thoughts, share their experiences and develop their own opinions about issues on health and our healthcare system.  The #HealthXPH tweetchats occur every Saturday with participants committed to the relationship and social online interaction.



Join us on #HealthXPH as we discuss the merits of online mentoring:

T1.  For what purposes/situations would online mentoring be applicable?

T2.  What would be the risks and benefits of online mentoring?

T3.  Give examples of successful online mentoring.



References

Bierema LL, M. S. (2002). E-mentoring: Using Computer Mediated Communication to Enhance the Mentoring Process. Innovative Higher Education, Vol. 26, No. 3. Retrieved from https://www.insala.com/e-mentoring.pdf
CHED. (2016). Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Doctor of Medicine Program. Quezon City: CHED Memo 18 series of 2016. Retrieved from https://ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/CMO-18-s.-2016.pdf
Fonga NS, M. W. (2012). The Roles of Mentors in a Collaborative Virtual Learning Environment (CVLE) Project. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 66, 302 – 311. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812052573
Kang M, Y. Y. (2012). Analyzing online mentoring process and facilitation strategies. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46, 5158 – 5162. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812021362
KN, R. (2011). E-Mentoring: An Innovative Twist to Traditional Mentoring. J. Technol. Manag Innov. 2012, Volume 7, Issue 1, 229-237. Retrieved from https://www.jotmi.org/index.php/GT/article/view/art246
Murphy KL, M. S.‐D. (2005). A Constructivist Model of Mentoring, Coaching, and Facilitating Online Discussions. Distance Education, 26:3, 341-366. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01587910500291454




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