Peer mentoring in assisting retention – is a virtual form of support a viable alternative?

Support systems are vital for university entrants and one established means of support is peer mentoring, which has the potential to improve student engagement and retention. Peer mentoring models are generally based on face-to-face contact. However, given the increasing number of higher education institutions using social media, might online models be beneficial in a peer mentoring context? This article describes a literature review and case study that considers the advantages and disadvantages of three potential virtual models to facilitate a peer mentoring scheme. The case study, undertaken at Northumbria University, UK, involved an investigation of mentoring needs and current usage of electronic media where special attention is afforded to a diverse student body. The three models discussed are virtual learning environments (VLE), social networking sites and virtual worlds. We find that the VLE is established within institutions but lacks excitement; social networking is popular particularly with younger students but there may be resentment if this appears to be appropriated by the institution; whilst virtual worlds are unfamiliar to many students and require advanced skills to use successfully. Based on these findings the social networking model is now being run as a pilot study by business programmes at Northumbria University

CampusBookShare

Every few months, students in the US and abroad face the expensive and time consuming task of buying textbooks for the classes they are enrolled in. Despite the advent of the internet and social networking websites the ability for peer to peer textbook exchange is still limited. There are few if any dedicated websites for general purpose peer to peer textbook transfer for every university and college. The project I have created for my Senior Project is a peer to peer solution for buying and selling textbooks on US college campuses. The underlying idea is to create an authentication system that allows users attending US based universities to create accounts with their user names being their assigned “.edu” email addresses. I have decided to name the website/mobile application I create “CampusBookShare”

Peer Mentoring-a pilot study to compare the viability of two virtual environments for student support

Support systems are vital for new students at university and one of the established means of support on offer at many universities is peer mentoring which, through a community of practice, has the potential to aid student retention and increase student engagement. Peer mentoring models are generally based on face-to-face contact. However, given the increasing number of higher education institutions using various social media and some of the practical problems concerned with face to face mentoring meetings, might online models be beneficial in a peer mentoring context? Newcastle Business School in 2010/2011 will be piloting two potential virtual models based on new technologies to create a community of practice which aims to improve and extend the transition, induction and learning experience of students on Business and Management Programmes. It is anticipated that this proactive approach will also install a sense of programme identity through social interaction across year cohorts, with newly enrolled students in particular benefiting from the experiences of more experienced course colleagues. The two models examined are the virtual learning environment (VLE) and social networking site Facebook. The VLE is established in higher education but lacks excitement. In addition technical restrictions mean access is only available post enrolment. Social networking sites like Facebook are freely available, popular and heavily used particularly by younger students but literature suggest there may be resentment if this appears to be appropriated by the HEI. This paper will report on the research findings which led to the choice of models as wells as outline the pilot project in more depth

The role of problematic technology use for adolescents: The importance of sleep for wellbeing

Peer social-networks increase in their salience through adolescence. With access to technology, adolescents extend face-to-face peer interactions to the online environment. Adolescents’ heavy engagement in technology, however, can pose risks to their wellbeing. This thesis examines one potential mechanism through which this may occur, vis-a-vis problematic sleep. Two features of adolescents’ technology use were measured that related to peer interactions on-line, social-networking and mobile-phone use. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were drawn from a representative sample of adolescents. Study-1 used cross-sectional data including a new social-networking investment measure, and Study-2 and Study-3 used longitudinal data including students across Years 8 to 11. Study-1 investigated adolescents’ problematic social-networking using structural-equation-modeling. A serial mediation pathway was shown in which adolescents’ overinvestment in social-networking was associated with increased sleep disturbances and adverse perceptions of sleep quality, which in turn were associated with decreased school satisfaction. These results suggest that minimizing sleep disturbances from problematic social-networking could arguably improve adolescent school experiences. Study-2 examined a mediational process using latent trajectories; problematic social-networking was associated with a trajectory of disturbed sleep, which in turn associated with psychopathology (depressed mood, externalizing). Adolescents who increasingly invested in social-networking also increased in their depressed mood; half of this association was explained by the mediating role of increased sleep disruption. Adolescents who increasingly invested in social-networking also reported increased externalizing behavior (13% via sleep disruption). Again, these findings point to an important role of sleep disruption in adolescent wellbeing. Study-3 tested how adolescents’ problematic use of mobile-phones linked to a range of wellbeing indicators: depressed mood, externalizing behavior, self-esteem, and coping. Increases in problematic mobile-phone use predicted later increases in externalizing and subsequent decreases in self-esteem and coping. Importantly, changes in sleep behavior mediated the relation between early changes in problematic mobile-phone use and later increases in depressed mood and externalizing and later declines in self-esteem and coping. These results advocate for monitoring of and education about adolescents’ late-night mobile-phone use as well as further attention to pervasive effects of disrupted sleep on adolescent functioning

Peer mentoring – is a virtual form of support a viable alternative

Support systems are vital for university entrants and one established means of support is peer mentoring, which has the potential to improve student engagement and retention. Peer mentoring models are generally based on face-to-face contact. However, given the increasing number of higher education institutions using social media, might online models be beneficial in a peer mentoring context? This article describes a literature review and case study that considers the advantages and disadvantages of three potential virtual models to facilitate a peer mentoring scheme. The case study, undertaken at Northumbria University, UK, involved an investigation of mentoring needs and current usage of electronic media where special attention is afforded to a diverse student body. The three models discussed are virtual learning environments (VLE), social networking sites and virtual worlds. We find that the VLE is established within institutions but lacks excitement; social networking is popular particularly with younger students but there may be resentment if this appears to be appropriated by the institution; whilst virtual worlds are unfamiliar to many students and require advanced skills to use successfully. Based on these findings the social networking model is now being run as a pilot study by business programmes at Northumbria University

Social Networking Technology, Social Network Composition, and Reductions in Substance Use Among Homeless Adolescents

Peer-based prevention programs for homeless youth are complicated by the potential for reinforcing high-risk behaviors among participants. The goal of this study is to understand how homeless youth could be linked to positive peers in prevention programming by understanding where in social and physical space positive peers for homeless youth are located, how these ties are associated with substance use, and the role of social networking technologies (e.g., internet and cell phones) in this process. Personal social network data were collected from 136 homeless adolescents in Los Angeles, CA. Respondents reported on composition of their social networks with respect to: home-based peers and parents (accessed via social networking technology; e.g., the internet, cell phone, texting), homeless peers and agency staff (accessed face-to-face) and whether or not network members were substance-using or non-substance-using. Associations between respondent’s lifetime cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine use and recent (previous 30 days) alcohol and marijuana use were assessed by the number of non-substance-using versus substance-using ties in multivariate linear regression models. 43% of adolescents reported a non-substance-using home-based tie. More of these ties were associated with less recent alcohol use. 62% of adolescents reported a substance-using homeless tie. More of these ties were associated with more recent marijuana use as well as more lifetime heroin and methamphetamine use. For homeless youth, who are physically disconnected from positive peers, social networking technologies can be used to facilitate the sorts of positive social ties that effective peer-based prevention programs require

Building Stronger Nonprofits Through Better Financial Management

The Wallace Foundation's four-year Strengthening Financial Management in Out-of-School Time initiative(SFM) was designed to improve the financial management systems of 26 well-respected Chicago nonprofits that provide out-of-school-time (OST) services. SFM grew out of the Foundation's longstanding commitment to improving the quality of services for youth during nonschool hours and the realization that even successful nonprofits face financial management challenges that have an impact on their ability to achieve their missions. To address these challenges, the initiative is working to reform public and private funding practices that strain OST organizations' financial management capacity and providing participating organizations with financial management training and peer networking opportunities (using one of two models that vary in intensity and in the balance of individual vs. group-based training and support)

Academic writing retreats for nurses and allied health professionals: developing engagement, dissemination and collaboration opportunities

Background: COVID-19 raised the profile of nursing globally, with widespread recognition of nurses’ valuable roles during the pandemic. Concurrently, the United Kingdom played a crucial role in leading COVID-19 healthcare research breakthroughs. There exists a unique opportunity to capitalise on this momentum to support nurses to become more engaged in, and disseminate, their research widely. One approach to enabling this is through the development of academic writing retreats for nurses. Aim: To report on the development of academic writing retreats to engage nurses in research. Discussion: Four writing retreats were set-up in South England between September 2019 and April 2021. Two were delivered face-to-face on hospital premises and two online due to COVID-19. The retreats provided uninterrupted writing time to draft an academic publication, mentorship, peer support networks and question and answer sessions. . The retreats were attended by 42 health professionals, with over 25 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. The retreats have enabled learning communities to develop, fostering long-term networking opportunities. Mentorship and uninterrupted writing time were rated 4.7 and 4.9 respectively across all retreats (1 for poor, 5 for excellent), with peer support and networking rated 3.3 and 3.9. Conclusion: Academic writing retreats for nurses have widespread benefits, providing nurses with uninterrupted time and space to focus on writing high quality publications and creating networking opportunities through peer support and mentorship channels.  Implications for Practice: Academic writing retreats are a simple, yet effective way to get nurses to engage in research by writing about their own sphere of practice. The retreats continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling research to be published that demonstrates the valuable work of nurses across the international healthcare landscape

Innovative models for collaboration and student mobility in Europe

This report is based on new developments in higher education and international collaboration as collected by EADTU's Task Force and Peer Learning Activity on Virtual Mobility. The result is a report on three types of collaboration mobility: physical, blended and online. Main parameters for innovative education and mobility formats are defined as well as basic principles of international course and curriculum design. Examples illustrate the complete opportunity space between fully face to face and fully online collaboration. They relate to mobility within single courses, exchange mobility (classical Erasmus), networked programmes and mobility windows and joint programmes with embedded mobility. Mobility offers opportunities to institutions to strengthen their programmes and to students to enrich their study. They benefit from an international learning experience or following courses not provided by their own institution. The report shows concrete mobility schemes used in the membership (and beyond). It underpins policies for international networking and delivers tools to organise innovative education and mobility formats

Internet safety helplines: exploratory study first findings

Executive Summary: This is the first short report on a study of Helplines, an essential component of the network of Safer Internet Centres coordinated by Insafe. 70% of all helplines are general service helplines with 30% dedicated specifically to internet safety. All helplines offer a confidential service that offers information, support, guidance and referral. Helplines offer a range of services using a variety of platforms: telephone counselling services, email support, support using online chat, text services, online forum, peer support, social networking and in some instances face-to-face support. Among the most important success factors identified by helplines include: ‘positive feedback from callers’, the ‘number of calls’ and ‘participation from stakeholders’. Among the most persistent risks identified by helplines are bullying and cyberbullying (92%) followed by hate speech (88%) and sexual content (75%). Recommendations arising from the study call for development of an alert system for emerging risks, access to technical expertise for helpline staff and support for further stakeholder collaboration