Student Mentoring & Peer

Learning: A partnership
approach
Gavin Jinks. University of Derby
g.jinks@derby.ac.uk

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 Intros

 Gavin Jinks
 The Project Members who are not here!

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 Contents

 Why?
 Recruiting mentors
 What we’ve done
 What’s been said
 Do it your own way!
 Developments
 Questions

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 Why did we bother with a ‘Student
mentoring and peer learning project’?
 A belief that sometimes students feel more comfortable
asking their peers for advice, guidance or help.
 The ‘been there, done that, got the t shirt factor’
 We wanted to increase the level and types of support
available to year 1 students
 We wanted to create something that was a genuine
partnership between students and tutor

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 How did we do recruitment?
 In the first year of the project a small number of students (5)
were invited to become mentors to Year 1 students. They were
all students with high levels of academic achievement
 In the second year of the project 16 new students were invited to
become mentors. This time the key criteria focused on the level
of engagement with the programme
 This year recruitment of new mentors has been based on my
choice and on nominations by other students. We have 16
mentors in Year 3 who mentor Year 2s and 20 in Year 2
mentoring Year 1s. (And 6 graduates mentoring Year 3s)

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 What we’ve done

The Facebook Group

 Before students start the programme
 Not administrated or overseen by academics
 A forum for raising questions, sharing info, getting
support etc

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 What we’ve done
Induction
 Getting to Know Each Other & Working in Groups.
 Choosing friendship and study groups
 Study Skills
 Looking after yourself on the programme
 Managing relationships with people at home and outside the programme
 An insider’s guide to lecturers and tutors
 Assessed Practice Placements

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 What we’ve done

Named Mentors
 Every year 1 and 2 student has a named mentor who
they can contact to raise issues or questions they want
to discuss
 Guidelines are provided to mentors and mentees
 This year we need to more actively encourage take-up
by the mentees of one to one support

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 What we’ve done

 Mentors run the election of student reps for the year 1

and 2s

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 What we’ve done

Peer Learning
 Excellent students providing assignment
guidance and teaching input
 Mentors are proposing to run study groups this
year

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 What’s been said

 Mentees
 “Your mentors are a credit to you and themselves. They are so
confident. I hope I can develop so quickly in a year”

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 What did the mentors say?
 “I felt honoured to be asked to be a mentor”
 “It helped create a link with year 1 students”
 “It was good to be trusted to write our own induction materials
for the year 1s”
 “It helped me develop presentation skills and develop my
confidence”
 “It developed my relationships with fellow mentors”
 “It was good to be treated as an adult and partner in creating
and developing the project”
 “I could recommend Student Wellbeing
Services”
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 What do I think?

 Partnership really works

 A partnership approach fosters self-belief-SEE Jinks and
Harber 2018 (Article to be published in the Human Givens
Journal December 2018)

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 Do it your own way

 One size does not fit all

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 Developments

 Regular planning and consultation

 Produce an information sheet for both mentors and
mentees on the responsibilities of being a mentor
 Expanding the project so that Year 3 students support Year
2 students. Students who have moved into employment
retain a supportive link with year 3 students.
 Informal mentor led study groupsoutcos?

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 Sources of Inspiration

 Human Givens: Griffin and Tyrrell 2003: The importance to

humans of finding a sense of meaning. The human need to give
and receive attention.
 Strengths perspective: Saleebey 1996: Recognise and utilise the
strengths that people have to create change.
 Person Centred Practice: Rogers 1980: Fundamental belief in
the potential for human growth.
 See also Jinks and Harber

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 Questions/Discussion

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