E-Mentoring Tools

This unit aims to enable adult educators to perform mentoring in an online environment by using management tools, intervention tools, organizational tools, action plans, assessment tools, online tools for icebreaking and support tools.

The tools will be described briefly and are structured into three groups:

• Communication tools e.g.: voice, video-chat, email, messenger services and chat tools
• Tools for documentation (visual and in writing) e.g.: questionnaires, notes, mind-maps etc.
• Tools to support the process and establish rapport e.g.: videos, blogs, games

Each of the groups will be covered in one of the lessons of this course.

Since the key element of all these things is communication, there are two lessons that will specifically focus on the topic of communication tools. The first of these lessons introduces the types of communication tools and describes them briefly. The second lesson contains a matrix for direct comparison of these tools and their effect on relationship-building, way of communicating and the structure of the process.

Lessons three and four give a good overview on useful documentation tools as well as additional online means to support the mentoring process.

Please also pay attention to the “Theoretical and Pedagogical Basis” document. There are many valuable considerations included that will be helpful when wanting to successfully establish a e-mentoring process.

The learners who undergo this course will gain a comprehensive overview of tools that can be used to engage in a mentoring process with the support of digital elements. They will be able to understand the types of communication tools they can use and grasp the peculiarities of each of them. The different types of tools have various advantages and disadvantages that should be considered in this kind of setting.

Furthermore, learners will obtain a catalogue of tools that they can use for documenting, planning, and supporting this process.