Student Mentor Training

Process: 

During my internship at the Student Transition & Persistence department (at The University of Tampa), I was responsible for developing the virtual annual mentor training. The director of the department explained that they had previously followed the national training guidelines, but wanted to look into a more personalized and virtual option for mentors. The main goal was to create a more engaging training for student mentors of 1st generation college freshmen. 

 

I looked at the content guides with the director and set three main topics to cover: Academic, Wellness & Communication. Previously, I had observed the in-person training classes the mentors took at the beginning of the semester, so I had insight to the learner audience. Based on the materials I was given, I began to list the sub-topics for each category and prioritize them. I was also asked to follow the pre-existing learning objectives.  I developed the virtual training using Articulate Rise 360 and delivered three courses. I used Unsplash.com and Canva.com to add course visuals. Each section included a quiz to evaluate student knowledge. Lastly, I integrated the courses to the department’s LMS Blackboard for students to access.

 

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Key Takeaways/ What I would’ve done differently: 

I really enjoyed this project due to its impact. I was helping students help students! Looking back, I would have taken a deeper look into the analysis phase. Even though I was familiar with the learner audience from observations, I should’ve set time aside to have interviews or surveys to get a better understanding of needs and wants. I would’ve added videos as well, so mentors could share their experiences and best practices. The reason for this is that Gen Z engages best with video. I would have also liked to receive feedback once learners took the course, but I concluded my internship (graduated from my master’s program) before the roll-out.