E-mentoring in the nGAP mentorship program : practitioners' narratives

Abstract

Mentoring has earned itself growing popularity in higher education due to its impact on the development of both the mentee and mentor. While some institutions use mentoring in their undergraduate and postgraduate education, others have found it a tool to advance their early career academics. In some institutions, mentoring involves individuals with similar experiential levels, whereas in others, it involves individuals from different levels of experience. Very little, though, has been said on the use of e-mentoring as a device that connects individuals and enhance their learning. Furthermore, researchers are found to rely heavily on interviews and questionnaires as their sources of data, with rare cases where practitioners have room to narrate their lived experiences. The purpose of this article is to share the learning experiences of the three colleagues (a mentor and mentee in the nGAP mentorship program and an instructional designer [practitioners]), in a South African university who participated in and narrated their e-mentoring experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used relational-cultural theory as it enabled their connection and interaction despite extreme differences in experience and knowledge. We used thematic analysis technique and specific developmental relationships— zest, empowered action, increased sense of worth, new knowledge, and desire for more connection—emerged as the findings in this study. Besides institutional resources such as workshops, technological infrastructure, and constant communication, sociopsychological factors such as dedication and commitment, communication and trust, openness and willingness to learn, courage and availability for one another, made the connection, relationships, and learning possible.