Kimberly R. Burgess, Ph.D.
Troy University, Albany Site
Troy University
eTROY Colloquium
April 17-18, 2012
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Selecting Appropriate Content
Moderating Discussion
Building Community
Infusing Technology
Assessment & Feedback
Mentoring
Facilitating
Spiritual
Learning
Facilitating
Critical
Reflection
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What is mentoring?
Why is mentoring online necessary?
What are the challenges to mentoring online?
How does one mentor online?
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What is mentoring?
◦ A one-on-one relationship that lasts over an
extended period of time, where the mentor and
protégé journey together through phases of entry
to exit.
◦ Helping the less experienced be knowledgeable in,
and become a successful part of, the system within
which the protégé seeks to exist.
◦ Focusing on the long-term development of the
protégé rather than short-term performance.
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Why is mentoring online necessary?
◦ Supporting the novice
 New to the field
 New to the format
◦ Supporting the marginalized
 Histories of imposed silence and discrimination
 Issues of power and privilege
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What are the challenges to mentoring online?
◦ Faculty-student interaction is often brief, sporadic,
and isolated.
◦ Issues of position (race, class, gender)
◦ Time, time, time
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How does one mentor online?
◦ Keeping your eye on the student
 Mentor from dependence to independence.
 Embrace a culturally relevant paradigm.
 Seek individual connections as much as possible.
 Actively listen to students’ stories.
◦ Providing windows to the future
 Model revelation and reflection
 Expose students to the profession
 Develop social capital
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How does one mentor online?
◦ Inviting chaos when appropriate
 “Toss ‘cow plops’ on the road of truth” (Daloz, 1999).
 Use frustration as a learning opportunity?
◦ Inviting others to mentor
 Peer mentoring
 Graduate assistants
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Mentoring reminds the instructor that
students are individuals who are at different
learning stages, have differing goals and
expectations, and have needs different from
those of their instructors.
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The experience of spirit is outward looking
and allows the individual to connect to
relationships and realities beyond the
immediacy of body and mind.
Spiritually is the expression of an individual’s
quest for meaning.
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Spiritual learning helps us to:
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Connect with a higher consciousness
Move beyond the limits of our model of reality
Connect to others in meaningful ways
Move toward a holistic sensation associated with
total involvement.
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Facilitators need to provide very safe,
supportive, environments in which
openness to new ideas will not result in
feelings of being discounted or devalued.
Facilitators need to provide a variety of
activities in which learners can become
aware of and identify different states of
consciousness.
Facilitators need to avoid agreement,
approval, or rejection of both positive and
negative ideas and feelings about self.
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Provide opportunities and “lots of time” to
reflect on and share thoughts and
experiences.
Facilitators need to encourage learners to
look for connections in unlikely places.
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Significant learning experiences in adulthood
involve critical self-reflection – reassessing
what and how we perceive, believe, feel, and
act.
Accelerated courses are criticized for
providing less time for reflection and
analysis.
Online courses are criticized for presenting
passive learning contexts that limit the
capacity for learners to move toward
reflection.
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The Instructor Matters
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Preparation matters
Questions matter
Challenges matter
Safety matters
The Student Matters
◦ Experience matters
◦ Interaction matters
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The Design Matters
◦ Privacy
◦ Accountability
Mentoring
Facilitating
Spiritual
Learning
Facilitating
Critical
Reflection
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Online instructors who choose to incorporate
mentoring techniques into their practice are
acknowledging that students deserve
attention and nurturing both within and
beyond the content.