Mentoring for WebCT and Interactive Television Instructional Delivery

While mentoring may be considered part of an instructional dynamic, the ease of mentoring diminishes as the distance between the learner and provider increases. The increasing application of distance learning technologies has resulted in a potential worldwide separation of mentor and protege, the impact of which is virtually limitless. Despite its potential, technology is not a cornucopia of solutions to educational problems and issues. If we view the application of technology within the teaching-mentoring process, we find both restraints to be considered and virtues to be refined and continued. Our intent is to focus on the limitations and strengths of mentoring within a distance learning setting. Specifically, we address mentoring in two distance venues: Web-based and interactive television (ITV). Mentoring can be defined as the process that is used to guide and facilitate a learner's educational growth. Although related, providing instruction is not the same as mentoring, as instruction and mentoring entail two distinct sets of responsibilities and roles. Using the appropriate role requires smiled judgment and is dependent on accurately addressing the learner's needs. Mentors assist learners with developing their identity whereas instructors are predominately concerned with developing content knowledge and skills. Traditional mentoring suggests an experienced person working with a novice. Further mentoring adaptations have consisted of an apprenticeship, where proteges observe and learn from a mentor; competency-building, where consistent skill reinforcement feedback is provided to the protege; and reflective dialogue, which provides a mechanism for proteges to reflect on mental assumptions and decision-making logic (Guy, 2002). Distance mentoring, particularly that found in the WebCT/ITV format, also has the implied experienced person/novice component due to the formal classroom nature of the relationship. Some mentoring relationships begin with the formal assignment of mentor and protege; however, in the distance environment, the relationship typically begins as instructor/learner evolving into the mentor/protege relationship. The instructor begins by providing subject matter and social support that relates to the primary reason for connecting electronically: the class itself. As the instructor and learner discover more about each other, the deeper mentoring relationship begins to emerge. This relationship may last only as long as the class or it may extend long after the class is over. Role of Distance Mentor "Fostering effective mentoring relationships in adult learning environments is a complex process demanding flexibility and an understanding of human inter-relations" (Golian, 1995, p. 79). The first step in distance mentoring is to learn as much about it as possible. Professional mentoring organizations may be helpful to both the novice and experienced mentor. While most mentoring organizations focus on children or early adults, there are more than a sufficient number of organizations and resources to assist in effective mentorship. Typically, organizations, such as the International Mentoring Association, and other similar organizations afford easy access to mentoring resources. Regardless of skill, experience, and previous mentoring success, mentoring via a distance format presents both similar and previously unencountered challenges. It is incumbent upon the distance mentor to recognize that distance mentoring is a human interaction, heavily reflective of both mentor and protege values, and often restrained by the very technology that makes distance learning possible. The prospective distance mentor should be able to recognize the variance of need among students. Most students do quite well with no overt mentoring at all. The degree to which a student is offered mentoring practices should be directly related to the student's need for being mentored. Therefore, recognizing that not all students need to be mentored, let us consider those who do. …