Abstract:
Mentoring relationships between mentors and protégés can be established within mentoring data that conforms to standards of a mentoring framework. For each mentoring relationship, a mentoring path can be established. Each mentoring path can include a set of defined phases, each phase having a bounded beginning and ending, each phase further including at least one goal, at least one activity completion of which marks a progression towards achieving an associated goal, and timelines associated with at least one of the activities. Interactive user interfaces can be presented upon network attached client devices to users assigned a mentoring role who participate in at least one mentoring relationship for which the mentoring data is maintained. Performance input can be received via the interactive user interfaces, which results in the mentoring data being updated. “Web 2.0-style” techniques can be leveraged to gather rating and access information associated with content or electronic assets, thereby augmenting “conventional” approaches that rate only the delivery of the mentorship relationship itself A progression along the mentoring path can be changed based upon the updated mentoring data.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of professional mentoring and, more particularly, to an electronic professional mentoring framework. 
         [0002]    Mentoring is a common practice utilized in a variety of situations for individuals to improve or expand their knowledge and/or experience. In the corporate sector, mentoring is often a means to prepare an employee for new responsibilities or improve existing skills. Such professional mentoring programs are generally loosely organized and without standardized governance or monitoring. 
         [0003]    As such, current professional mentoring programs fail to measure the effectiveness of the mentoring relationships, called mentorships, between mentors and protégés. This lack of a framework that captures data and feedback about the interactions conducted during the mentorship propagates a cycle of ineffectiveness, frustration, and unrealized potential for both the professional mentorship program and the protégés. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0004]    One aspect of the present invention can include a method and computer program product for implementing mentoring in conformance with a mentoring framework. In this aspect, mentoring relationships between mentors and protégés can be established within mentoring data that conforms to standards of a mentoring framework. For each mentoring relationship, a mentoring path can be established. Each mentoring path can include a set of defined phases, each phase having a bounded beginning and ending, each phase further including at least one goal, at least one activity completion of which marks a progression towards achieving an associated goal, and timelines associated with at least one of the activities. Interactive user interfaces can be presented upon network attached client devices to users assigned a mentoring role who participate in at least one mentoring relationship for which the mentoring data is maintained. Performance input can be received via the interactive user interfaces, which results in the mentoring data being updated. “Web 2.0-style” techniques can be leveraged to gather rating and access information associated with content or electronic assets, thereby augmenting “conventional” approaches that rate only the delivery of the mentorship relationship itself. A progression along the mentoring path can be changed based upon the updated mentoring data. 
         [0005]    Another aspect of the present invention can include a system for providing an electronic professional mentoring environment. The system can include a mentorship path configured to define a series of interactions between at least one mentor and a protégé to achieve a predetermined end-goal for the protégé. The mentorship path can be supervised by at least one mentorship administrator. The series of interactions of the mentorship path can include a set of phases, each having at least one activity to be performed. The system can also include a mentorship framework configured to enable mentors, protégés, and mentorship administrators to perform a set of operations within an electronic environment. The operations can signify progression of the protégé along the mentorship path. Mentorship data generated by the set of operations can be captured to create a knowledge base for use by mentors and administrators to improve subsequent mentorship paths and interactions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario for utilizing a mentorship framework for a mentorship program in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for implementing a mentorship framework in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a sample logical component diagram for the mentorship framework in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates a collection of sample textual-environment mentorship interfaces to a mentorship framework in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates a sample virtual world-based mentorship user interface to a mentorship framework in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The present disclosure includes a professional mentoring framework that provides electronic facilitation and governance of mentorships. A mentorship can be expressed in an electronic document called a mentorship path, which defines the various phases and activities that the protégé is to complete to achieve a predetermined end-goal. The phases and/or activities of the mentorship path can have associated mentorship requirements that define additional parameters of the phase/activity, such as the assigned mentor and time constraints. 
         [0012]    When performing the phases/activities of the mentorship, the protégé and the mentor can utilize the mentorship framework to capture and share information. The mentorship framework can represent a conglomerate of software tools configured specifically for the professional mentoring program, providing a variety of services and interfaces. A variety of mentorship data, such as participant feedback, can be collected within the mentorship framework. A mentorship administrator, overseeing the overall mentorship path as well as the performance of phases/activities, can utilize the mentorship data to mitigate mentorship issues as well as improve the professional mentoring program. Mentorship data can also be utilized by mentors and protégés themselves, as they also have the capability to oversee phases and activities. 
         [0013]    The present invention may be embodied as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer usable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied in the medium. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer usable or computer readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer usable program code embodied therewith, either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. The computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc. 
         [0015]    Any suitable computer usable or computer readable medium may be utilized. The computer usable or computer readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. Examples of a computer readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or Flash memory, a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disc-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD. Other computer readable media can include transmission media, such as those supporting the Internet, an intranet, a personal area network (PAN), or a magnetic storage device. Transmission media can include an electrical connection having one or more wires, an optical fiber, an optical storage device, and a defined segment of the electromagnetic spectrum through which digitally encoded content is wirelessly conveyed using a carrier wave. 
         [0016]    Note that the computer usable or computer readable medium can even include paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, for instance, via optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. 
         [0017]    Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the C programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). 
         [0018]    A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of instances code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. 
         [0019]    Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. 
         [0020]    Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters. 
         [0021]    The present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0022]    These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0023]    The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario  100  for utilizing a mentorship framework  115  for a mentorship program  110  in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. In scenario  100 , a mentor  102 , a protégé  104 , and a mentorship administrator  106  can utilize the mentorship framework  115  to support the conduct of the mentorship program  110 . 
         [0025]    The mentorship program  110  can represent a general set of guidelines that define the basic conditions of a mentorship between a mentor  102  and a protégé  104 . For example, requirements for participating as a mentor  102  and/or protégé  104  as well as completion deadlines can be defined within the mentorship program  110 . The mentorship program  110  can be designed to function entirely within an organization or as a foundation for creating mentorships with external entities. 
         [0026]    A key function of a mentorship program  110  can be to increase the knowledge and/or skills of individuals, called protégés  104 , through interaction with a knowledgeable entity, called a mentor  102 . For example, a high-level manager can act as a mentor  102  to a lower-level manager  104  to improve the management skills of the lower-level manager  104 . Mentorship relationships between mentors  102  and protégés  104  can include one-to-one relationships, one-to-many relationships, many-to-one relationships, and many-to-many relationships. 
         [0027]    The mentorship administrator  106  can represent one or more people who oversee the performance of the mentorship program  110 . In general, mentorship administrators  106  can provide a variety of services to the mentors  102  and protégés  104 , such as, but not limited to mentorship management, mentorship creation, dispute resolution, resource assistance, and the like. 
         [0028]    The mentorship framework  115  can represent an electronic infrastructure usable by the mentor  102 , protégé  104 , and mentorship administrator  106  that supports the functions of the mentorship program  110 . Within the mentorship framework  115 , the mentoring of a protégé  104  can be represented as a mentorship path  140 . The mentorship path  140  can represent an outline of phases  150  and/or activities  160  to be performed by mentors  102  and protégés  104  to achieve a predetermined path end-goal  145 . 
         [0029]    Phases  150  can correspond to broad steps, skills, and/or concepts that protégés  104  require experience with and/or knowledge about in order to exit a current phase  150  and ultimately progress toward the end-goal  145 . For example, a protégé  104  with an end-goal  145  of “Management Position” can have a mentorship path  140  containing phases  150  of “Business Administration” and “Personnel Handling”. 
         [0030]    To drive acquisition of the necessary skills and understanding, a phase  150  can contain one or more appropriate activities  160 . An activity  160  can represent an assignment or event, such as a meeting, to be performed by a mentor  102  and/or protégé  104 . Expanding upon the above example, the “Personnel Handling” phase  150  can have activities  160  for “Conflict Resolution”, “Performance Reviews”, and “Hiring/Firing Skills”. 
         [0031]    A phase  150  and/or activity  160  can have one or more associated mentorship requirements  155 . The mentorship requirements  155  can represent specific conditions or assignment of resources for the performance of the phase  150  or activity  160 . As shown in the above example, the mentorship requirements  155  of “Phase A” can include sub-goals, activities, a mentor, an administrator, milestones, time constraints, and assets. 
         [0032]    The mentorship paths  140  can provide various levels of granularity for the use of mentors  102  to assist protégés  104  in achieving their end-goals  145 . As shown in the above example, a mentor  102  can be assigned at the phase  150  and/or activity  160  level, allowing for the skills/experience of the mentors  102  to be utilized more effectively than traditional mentorship programs  110  that foster the relationship of a protégé  104  and only one mentor  102  for the entirety of a mentorship. Additionally, flexibility within mentorship paths  140  can result in protégés  104  only needing single mentorship paths  140  throughout their careers, as additional phases  150  and/or activities  160  can be added and mentorship parameters  155  modified to correspond with career developments. 
         [0033]    To support performance of the mentorship path  140 , and the mentorship program  110  as a whole, the mentorship framework  115  can include tools  120 , content sources  125 , and a repository  130  containing mentorship data  135 . The tools  120  can correspond to a variety of software applications that support functions required by the mentorship program  110  and mentorship path  140 . The tools  120  can provide the mentor  102  and/or protégé  104  with access to the mentorship path  140  as well as various content sources  125 . 
         [0034]    The content sources  125  can represent a variety of electronic assets such as documents and videos that can be presented to mentors  102  and/or protégés  104  during performance of phases  150  and/or activities  160  of mentorship paths  140 . For example, content sources  125  for use with the “Conflict Resolution” activity  160  can include an electronic copy of an internal memo and a simulation for the protégé  104  to work through. The content sources  125  can also include items created by the tools  120  as well as paths or links to data that is stored external to the mentorship framework  1   15 . 
         [0035]    In addition to basic operational data, such as information about mentors  102  and protégés  104 , mentorship data  135  can be collected by the various tools  120  within the mentorship framework  115  about the mentorship paths  140  of the mentorship program  110 . For example, feedback from mentors  102  and protégés  104  about various interactions can be collected. Tools  120  can be used by all mentorship framework users  102 ,  104 ,  106  to assess/improve user  102 ,  104 ,  106  effectiveness and that of the mentorship program  110 . 
         [0036]    The mentorship framework  115  can support a variety of different types of mentoring programs established for any definable goal. Specifics of the mentorship paths  140 , tools  120 , content sources  125 , and managed mentorship data  135  will vary depending upon implementation specifics. In one implementation, for example, the mentors  102  and protégés  104  can physically interact in proximity to one another, in which case the mentorship framework  115  is used for guidance and recording purposes. In another implementation, interactions between mentors  102  and protégés  104  can be conducted through remote correspondence mechanisms, such as email, on-line chatting, text messaging, co-browsing, and the like, each of which can be one of the tools  120  of the framework  115 . 
         [0037]    In one embodiment, a degree of anonymity can be maintained throughout mentoring relationships. That is, real-world identities of mentors  102  and protégés  104  can be selectively hidden from one-another. In such an embodiment, the mentorship framework  115  can verify the qualifications of a mentor  102  for a given purpose without necessarily disclosing identifying details to a protégé  104 . Of course, a qualification verification mechanism can optionally be built into the mentorship framework  115  and used when identities of the various parties  102 ,  104  are disclosed to each other. 
         [0038]    As used herein, the presented repository  130  can be a physical or virtual storage space configured to store digital information. Repository  130  can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including, but not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, a digitally encoded plastic memory, a holographic memory, or any other recording medium. Repository  130  can be a stand-alone storage unit as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices. Additionally, information can be stored within repository  130  in a variety of manners. For example, information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system, where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes. Further, repository  130  can utilize one or more encryption mechanisms to protect stored information from unauthorized access. 
         [0039]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example system  200  for implementing a mentorship framework  220  in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. System  200  can represent a specific embodiment of the mentorship framework  115  of scenario  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0040]    In system  200 , a mentor  202 , a protégé  204 , and a mentorship administrator  206  can utilize mentorship interfaces  215  that interface with software applications of various servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and  275  over the network  290  to perform activities supported by a mentorship framework  220 . 
         [0041]    The mentor  202 , protégé  204 , and mentorship administrator  206  can access the mentorship interfaces  215  using a client device  210  capable of communicating with the various servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and  275  over the network  290 . A client device  210  can represent a variety of electronic computing devices capable of executing the mentorship interfaces  215 . Examples of a client device  210  can include, but are not limited to, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a computing kiosk, and the like. 
         [0042]    The mentorship interfaces  215  can represent the user interfaces used by the mentor  202 , protégé  204 , and mentorship administrator  206  to perform functions within the mentorship framework  220 . The mentorship interfaces  215  can be configured to provide access to and present data and functions specifically for each type of user. That is, a mentorship interface  215  used by a mentor  202  can present the data and functions that are specific to the tasks of a mentor  202 , whereas the mentorship interface  215  used by a protégé  204  can present different data and functions, and similarly with the mentorship interface  215  used by a mentorship administrator  206 . It is also contemplated that a comment set of one or more views be shared across any or all user roles (mentor, protégé, or administrator). 
         [0043]    For example, a mentor&#39;s  202  mentorship interface  215  can include a section that allows him/her to rate the performance of a protégé  204 . The protégé&#39;s  204  mentorship interface  215  can have a section for rating a mentor  202 . The mentorship interfaces  215  of administrators  206 , mentors  202  and protégés  204  can view the ratings provided by mentors  202  and protégés  204 . 
         [0044]    As shown in this example, the functionality of the mentorship framework  220  can be supported by a security server  225 , a collaboration server  230 , an affiliation server  235 , a mentorship server  240 , an asset management server  255 , a user experience server  265 , and a communications server  275 . The servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and  275  can be configured to utilize standard communication protocols to communicate over the network  290  with each other, the client device  210 , and mentorship interfaces  215 . 
         [0045]    Each server  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and/or  275  can provide a specific type of functionality to the mentorship framework  220 . The security server  225  can represent the hardware and/or software that control access to the mentorship framework  220 . That is, a mentor  202 , protégé  204 , and mentorship administrator  206  cannot access the mentorship framework  220  without proper registration with the security server  225 . 
         [0046]    The collaboration server  230  can represent the hardware and/or software that provide functionality for the mentor  202  and protégé  204  to perform online collaboration regarding various electronic documents. The functionality of the collaboration server  230  can be accessed through and/or presented within the mentorship interfaces  215 . 
         [0047]    The affiliation server  235  can represent the hardware and/or software that can determine degrees of affiliation between mentors  202  and protégés  204 . The affiliation server  235  can utilize the user data  272  collected by the user experience server  265  and/or separately requested data to perform such determinations. For example, mentors  202  and protégés  204  can be required to answer a questionnaire when registering for the mentorship framework  220 . The data of the questionnaire can be used by the affiliation server  235  to determine commonalities between potential mentors  202  and protégés  204 . 
         [0048]    The asset management server  255  can represent the hardware and/or software that control access to various electronic assets  262  contained within an associated repository  260 . In addition to access control, the asset management server  255  can also handle version control of the electronic assets  262 . The electronic assets  262  can represent a variety of electronic data, such as, but not limited to, text files, video files, audio files, simulation programs, image files, and the like. The electronic assets  262  stored within the repository  260  can be created by other software applications of the mentorship framework  220 , such as those of the collaboration server  230 , and/or imported from external sources. 
         [0049]    The user experience server  265  can represent the hardware and/or software that support the presentation of the mentorship framework  220  within the mentorship interfaces  215 . The user experience server  265  can include a repository  270  for storing user data  272 . User data  272  can represent a variety of user-specific data items, such as interface customizations and personal information. 
         [0050]    Presentations provided by the user experience server  265  can leverage the functionality of a variety of social networking applications that interact with the other servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 , and  275 . For example, the user experience server  265  can provide a protégé  204  with an interaction-capable virtual “world view” of the mentorship framework  220  in addition to a Web site perspective. While the same information can be presented within both perspectives, each perspective can provide the protégé  204  with a different interaction medium (i.e., graphical vs. textual). 
         [0051]    The communications server  275  can represent the hardware and/or software that provide communication services between the servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and  275  and client devices  210  over the network  290 . As shown in this example, the communications server  275  can provide the mentorship framework  220  with email/calendar  277 , media services  279 , Web site hosting  281 , and instant messaging  283 . 
         [0052]    It should be noted that the communications server  275  can be configured to accommodate any combination of communication services required by the mentorship framework  220 . Further, the communications server  275  can represent a cluster of individual servers that each provide a specific communication service 
         [0053]    Communications data  287  created by the various communication services  277 ,  279 ,  281 , and  283 , such as email messages and instant message conversations, can be stored in an associated repository  285 . 
         [0054]    The communication services  277 ,  279 ,  281 , and  283  of the communications server  275  can fulfill the communication requirements of other servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 , and  265 . For example, a social networking tool of the user experience server  265  can utilize the instant messaging service  283  of the communications server  275  instead of establishing a local instant messaging service. 
         [0055]    The mentorship server  240  can represent the hardware and/or software that provide governance of the mentorship framework  220 . The mentorship server  240  can include a mentorship toolset  242 , a mentorship path manager  244 , a federation engine  246 , a set of metrics tools  248 , and a repository  250  containing mentorship data  252 . 
         [0056]    The mentorship toolset  242  can be a software application configured to provide mentorship governance functions. The mentorship toolset  242  can enable mentorship administrators  206  to analyze mentorship data  252  for quantitative assessments of individual mentorship participants and/or the overall mentorship program. For example, all framework users  202 ,  204 ,  206  can utilize the mentorship toolset  242  to assess the performances of specific mentors  202  and protégés  204  based on the feedback provided for specific interactions. 
         [0057]    To perform such functionality, the mentorship toolset  242  can utilize a federation engine  246  and metrics tools  248 . The federation engine  246  can be a component of the mentorship server  240  that aggregates specifically requested data from a variety of sources, such as the various repositories  260 ,  270 , and  285  of the mentorship framework  220 . The metrics tools  248  can represent a software application that provides data analysis functionality. 
         [0058]    The mentorship path manager  244  can represent the software application configured to handle creation/modification of mentorship paths (not shown), such as that illustrated in  FIG. 1 , for mentors  202  and protégés  204 . 
         [0059]    It should be noted that the servers  225 ,  230 ,  235 ,  240 ,  255 ,  265 , and  275  shown in system  200  can be arranged and/or consolidated without detracting from the functionality of the present embodiment of the invention. For example, the user experience server  265  can operate on the same physical hardware server as the affiliation server  235 . 
         [0060]    In an alternate embodiment, repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and  285  can be logical segments of a single physical data structure, such as separate databases hosted on the same database server. In such an embodiment, a remote server can access the necessary data over the network  290 . 
         [0061]    The various components of framework  220  can interact in a number of different implementation contexts. In one context, for example, the mentorship server  240  can be a component designed and maintained independent of other ones of the framework  220 . That is, the mentorship server  240  can function as an integrator, which leverages applications and/or software components, such as commercial-off-the-shelf calendaring programs, email programs, social networking programs, etc., maintained by others and unifies them into a comprehensive mentoring package. 
         [0062]    In one embodiment, the mentorship server  240  can serve customized portals presentable upon client devices  210 , each tailored for a user  202 ,  204 ,  206  and that user&#39;s role in a mentoring relationship. In one implementation, a model-view-controller (MVC) approach can be taken for framework  220 , where programmatic distinctions are built into the framework  220  to isolate business logic from user interface considerations. In one implementation, Web 2.0 technologies (e.g., Mash-ups, Blogs, WIKIs, etc.) can be used to facilitate interactive collaborations and user  202 - 206  driven customizations during a mentoring relationship. In one implementation, at least a portion of the framework  220  can conform to a service oriented architecture (SOA) standard. In one embodiment, functional components of the mentoring framework  220  can be implemented as software services, which include Web services. 
         [0063]    Network  290  can include any hardware/software/and firmware necessary to convey data encoded within carrier waves. Data can be contained within analog or digital signals and conveyed though data or voice channels. Network  290  can include local components and data pathways necessary for communications to be exchanged among computing device components and between integrated device components and peripheral devices. Network  290  can also include network equipment, such as routers, data lines, hubs, and intermediary servers which together form a data network, such as the Internet. Network  290  can also include circuit-based communication components and mobile communication components, such as telephony switches, modems, cellular communication towers, and the like. Network  290  can include line based and/or wireless communication pathways. 
         [0064]    As used herein, presented repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and  285  can be a physical or virtual storage space configured to store digital information. Repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and  285  can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including, but not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, a digitally encoded plastic memory, a holographic memory, or any other recording medium. Repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and  285  can be a stand-alone storage unit as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices. Additionally, information can be stored within repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and  285  in a variety of manners. For example, information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system, where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes. Further, repositories  250 ,  260 ,  270 , and/or  285  can utilize one or more encryption mechanisms to protect stored information from unauthorized access. 
         [0065]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a sample logical component diagram  300  for the mentorship framework  310  in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The sample logical component diagram  300  can be a representation of the mentorship framework of  FIG. 1  and/or  FIG. 2 . 
         [0066]    The users  301  of the mentorship framework  310  can include mentors  303 , protégés  305 , and mentoring administrators  307 . All users  301  can directly access the user experience component  315  of the mentorship framework  3   10 . 
         [0067]    The user experience component  315  can contain the elements of the mentorship framework  310  that the users  301  utilize for interaction with each other and/or elements of the mentorship framework  310 . As shown in this example, the user experience component  315  can include an email environment  320 , a Web-based portal  325 , Web-based social networking  330 , virtual world-based social networking  335 , and a metric engine  340 . 
         [0068]    The user experience component  315  can interact with the asset management component  345 . The asset management component  345  can encompass elements of the mentorship framework  310  associated with electronic assets. In this example, the asset management component  345  can include an aggregation/federation element  350 , Web content  355 , file repositories  360 , and media libraries  365 . The aggregation/federation element  350  can be responsible for the extraction and/or proliferation of data from the other elements of the asset management component  345 . 
         [0069]      FIG. 4  illustrates a collection  400  of sample textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  to a mentorship framework in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The sample textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  of collection  400  can represent the mentorship interfaces  215  of system  200  and/or provide interaction with the user experience  315  of component diagram  300 . 
         [0070]    It should be noted that the textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  of collection  400  are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to represent a comprehensive embodiment. As such, additional components and/or configurations can be included without deviating from the spirit of the present disclosure. 
         [0071]    The textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  of collection  400  can present a variety of data and/or functionality to a mentor/protégé and a mentorship administrator, respectively. These textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  can be configured to present the data and/or functionality to the intended user that utilizes text as the primary presentation medium. 
         [0072]    That is, presentation of the data within the textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  can be based upon a textual file or document, which can be capable of incorporating the use of audio and/or graphical elements within the presentation. For example, a mentorship framework with a Web-based infrastructure can utilize Web browsers as the textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  to present data contained within Web pages, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0073]    The various entities (mentor, protégé, and mentorship administrator) participating in a mentorship can require access to different tools and content sources from the mentorship framework. As such, the textual-environment mentorship user interfaces  405  and  450  can be configured to present data and/or functionality tailored to the specific role of the user. In collection  400 , textual-environment mentorship user interface  405  can illustrate an interface configured for a mentor and/or protégé participating in a mentorship, whereas textual-environment mentorship interface  450  can represent an interface tailored to meet the needs of potentially all framework users. 
         [0074]    It should be emphasized that the mentorship framework can encompass a vast multitude of data and functions, and that those items illustrated within the user interfaces  405  and  450  of collection  400  are meant only as exemplary representations. 
         [0075]    As shown in this example, the mentor/protégé user interface  405  can be configured to present information about a specific mentorship activity  410  and its associated mentorship activity details  420 . The mentorship activity section  410  can display high-level information, such as the participants and schedule, of a specific activity occurring during the protégé&#39;s mentorship path. The mentorship activity details section  420  can present the specific information related to the activity displayed in the mentorship activity section  410 . 
         [0076]    The mentorship activity section  410  and/or mentorship activity details section  420  can also include the capability to perform various functions related to the data being presented. For example, the review of an online meeting can offer the option to view a conversation log. Execution of functions can be implemented in a variety of means that are commensurate with the implementation of the mentor/protégé user interface  405 , such as the EDIT button  415  and context menu  425  shown in this example. 
         [0077]    In another contemplated embodiment, the mentorship activity section  410  can perform a navigation functionality that allows a user to select various activities to view and/or actions to perform. In such an embodiment, the mentorship activity details section  420  can be configured to include presentation of the high-level activity data. 
         [0078]    Since the mentorship administrator supervises mentorships, the mentorship administrator user interface  450  can be configured to aggregate and synthesize data collected within the mentorship framework from users of the mentor/protégé user interface  405 . As shown in this example, the mentorship administrator user interface  450  can present the mentorship administrator with a different view of the data shown in the mentor/protégé user interface  405 . 
         [0079]    The mentorship administrator user interface  450  can include sections to present general mentorship information  455 , specific mentorship details  460 , and alerts  465 . The mentorship information section  455  can provide basic and/or high-level information about the mentorship, such as the mentorship participants and activities. This information can utilize various formats and/or interfaces with other tools in use within the mentorship framework, such as the calendar  457  shown in this example. 
         [0080]    The mentorship details section  460  can present the mentorship administrator with an overview of the mentorship that can include data from both the participating mentors and protégés. As shown, the presented data can include designations as to the source, mentor(s) or protégé(s). 
         [0081]    The alerts section  465  can provide the mentorship administrator with important notices, as determined by the mentorship framework. Further, the data presented within the alerts section  465  can be synchronized with the data of the other sections  455  and  460 . As shown in this example, the highlighted alert corresponds to a date on the calendar  457  of the mentorship information section  455  marked with an “X”. 
         [0082]    As with the mentor/protégé user interface  405 , the sections  455 ,  460 , and/or  465  can also include the capability to perform various functions related to the data being presented. Execution of functions can be implemented in a variety of means that are commensurate with the implementation of the mentorship administrator user interface  450 , such as context menu  470  shown in this example. 
         [0083]    It should be noted that the information and functionality illustrated in the mentor/protégé  405  and mentorship administrator user interfaces  450  must be supported and/or accessible by the mentorship framework. That is, meeting schedule data must be available from a repository within the mentorship framework. Changes to the meeting schedule data from within either user interface  405  and/or  450  can only occur when the mentorship framework contains a corresponding calendar/scheduling tool. 
         [0084]    Further, textual presentation of the information within the mentor/protégé  405  and mentorship administrator user interfaces  450  can utilize a variety of approaches that are commensurate with the implementation of the user interfaces  405  and  450 , such as cascading style sheets (CSS), document templates, and the like. 
         [0085]      FIG. 5  illustrates a sample virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  to a mentorship framework in accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The sample virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  can represent a mentorship interface  215  of system  200  and/or provide interaction with the user experience  315  of component diagram  300 . 
         [0086]    The virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  can interface with a component of the mentorship framework, such as the virtual world-based social networking component  335  of component diagram  300 . The virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  can present the data and/or functionality of the mentorship framework as a graphically-animated experience. In one embodiment, for example, interface  500  can be a mentoring interface provided within a virtual world program, such as SECOND LIFE. 
         [0087]    As shown in this example, the mentorship framework is graphically represented similar to a shopping mall. Participants (mentors, protégés, and mentorship administrators) in mentorships can create virtual representations of themselves, called avatars, and can browse the offerings of the mentorship framework, herein referred to as the mentorship mall, by literally walking throughout the mentorship mall. 
         [0088]    Movement through the mentorship mall can utilize a set of navigation controls, such as navigation buttons  510 . For example, selecting the Left Arrow navigation button  510  can cause an avatar within the virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  to rotate a predetermined amount to the left. 
         [0089]    The mentorship mall can have multiple areas or sections which can be presented to a user as a directory  515 . Selection of an item presented within the directory  515  can result in that area of the mentorship mall being rendered within the virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500 . 
         [0090]    Services of the mentorship program can be represented within the mentorship mall as stores  520 . In this example, the portion of the mentorship mall presented within the virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  contains stores  520  for certifications and innovations. Using the navigation controls  510 , a user can maneuver their avatar  505  into a store  520  to receive information specific to that topic. 
         [0091]    For example, the certifications store  520  can be represented as a bookstore with shelves of books that represent various certifications. Selection of a book by the avatar can result in the display of information specific to the selected certification. 
         [0092]    Thus, a user of the virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  can interact with the various objects presented in the mentorship mall. This includes interaction with other users&#39; avatars  505 . The virtual world-based mentorship user interface  500  can include access to the communication services of the mentorship framework infrastructure. As shown in this example, avatars  505  in proximity to each other can communicate with each other using a chat room  525  or equivalent voice facility. 
         [0093]    The diagrams in  FIGS. 1-5  illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, have functions executed substantially concurrently, or those functions may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform specified functions or acts, or by combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
         [0094]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0095]    The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.