Mentor Training Program for a Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment: Leadership vs. Curriculum Balance

In a computer engineering technology program, mentors are expected to have a high level of technical knowledge and skill. However, mentors must also be able to serve as guides and role models for their mentees. A key dynamic in the mentor training process is finding a balance between technical knowledge and the intrapersonal skills necessary to create a supportive learning environment. The College of Technology - Computer Engineering Technology (CoT - CETE) program at the University of Houston has implemented an undergraduate peer mentoring model as part of an NSF-sponsored program examining the impact of concept mapping and undergraduate mentors on student learning. The training for this mentoring model has been adapted from a peer-led team learning program and incorporates concept mapping as a primary pedagogical tool for increasing mentee understanding of key concepts. Expected challenges include: social issues among mentees, possible tension between mentors and mentees. Since a mentor candidate may become a mentor in one's mind when there is actual feeling of taking him/her as a role model, the interaction is purely psychological. Hence there is an element of best effort to create this environment. The paper will present challenges, experiences gained and lessons learned through this program implementation.