With the advent of computer networks, e-mentoring becomes feasible and indispensable to enlighten protégés. E-mentoring comes into play where conventional mentoring is unable to assist students, if they are unable to reach at specified location and time. This chapter elucidates concepts, challenges, impact, and evaluation of e-mentoring by referencing scholars. This chapter retains juxtaposition of traditional mentoring and e-mentoring, which is computer-mediated communication (CMC). It also explains technologies for e-mentoring like web-based and different programs that have been carried out in literature. This chapter also includes best practices and the role of e-mentoring in different fields such as medicines, entrepreneurs, and for students with disabilities.
TopIntroduction
The objective of this chapter is to provide the audience with information about e-mentoring. E-mentoring originated from mentoring initiatives with the invention of internet and started to get popularity around 1993. In 1990, Canada had developed first e-mentoring program to provide school teachers online guidance, support and training by the experienced mentors (Andrew Miller, 2002). It is now popular in UK, us and some parts of Europe. Over the past 10 years, 25000 students of poverty-sicken schools came by the supervision, guidance, counseling and encouragement from the mentors and they have not met them face-to-face even once. Many organizations including MentorNet, Brightside, Aluminati, could be, student mentor, and new teacher center are playing very important role to connect the mentees to the number of specialized groups of mentors. The chapter comprises the following sections, each section and subsection will be discussed in more details.
A roadmap of discussed topics in this chapter is given in Figure 1.
TopBackground
E-Mentoring term is generally used to explain the relationship between the more experienced individual (a mentor) and the less experienced individual (a mentee) over the internet. Different studies defined this term in different words but all derived same concepts of e-mentoring, a mentor and a mentee. Some of them are discussed below:
Sandra Williams et al., (2012) conducted a study of evaluation of online course offered to graduates of human resource development in which each student had to deal with field projects and mentors were assigned to students. Mentors were professionals who provided ideas to mentees and shared their experiences with them. Sandra et al. defined e-mentoring as follows:
E-mentoring is a process of advising, counseling and training the young professional (mentee) by the experienced professional (mentor) over the internet using electronic communication mediums i.e. online software or electronic mail.
Above definition contains four parts; 1) a process of advising, 2) to mentee, 3) by the mentor, 4) using electronic means. So this is important to know that a mentor, a mentee and electronic mediums are major component of E-Mentoring.
Kimberly (2012) discussed e-mentoring and compared traditional with e-mentoring in his study, he also discussed the benefits and the limitation of e-mentoring in detail. He defined e-mentoring as:
A computer-mediated communication which uses synchronous and asynchronous means of communication to establish mentor-mentee relationship by collaborating virtual group of teams.
E-mentoring builds guided mentoring relationship between a mentee and a mentor and permits the participants to liaise at their own convenience and beyond time zones. It eradicates obstacles such as to be there in same physical location by imparting the opportunities of global reach and binds the mentors and mentees in associated connection whether living in rural or urban areas, around the world.
After studying e-mentoring this is necessary to discuss about the mentor and the mentee. Throughout the literature the mentor is explained as a counselor, adviser, tutor, trainer and facilitator (Lonnie & Crawford 2005). He/she is a person who has mastery to develop the requisite understanding, skills and attitude of mentee, spends his/her time and shares expertise to direct a mentee to the progress development (Stephanie J. Bird, 2001). He/she proffers the complete directions towards specific profession, provides guidance and support with a career exploration curriculum. He/she empowers the mentee to learn, grow, and acquire knowledge in the workplace and protects the mentee from adverse forces within the organization. A successful mentor understands the behavior of mentee, encourages the mentee and builds trust first, he/she understands that his/her rule is to be reliable, active, engaged, sterling, and adapted into the needs and necessities of the mentee’s both personal growth.