Making the transition to a new learning environment: e-mentoring for direct entrant students from partner colleges in India

A pilot project in Hospitality Management sought to develop innovative ways of using e-mentoring to provide in-coming students with academic and pastoral support before arrival at Edinburgh Napier. Students currently in India (mentees) were put in contact with experienced peers already studying here (mentors). The project aimed to use mentors’ voices and expertise to pass accurate information to in-coming students and so ease their transition to academic study. All mentors participated in a training programme before contacting the new students.

The project is on-going and the mentees will arrive in Edinburgh in September 2010. Initial evaluation is very positive: mentors valued the training and contacts have been established and maintained. Most encouragingly, the students have sought to become actively involved in the project by setting up a social networking site and by making a podcast. Participants at the session will again knowledge and understanding of a system of student support that is currently being used to enhance the experiences of international students but that may be of wider value to the diverse range of students at the university.