Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 11 Summer 2019 | Page 58

Article #4 Peer mentoring benefits assessment
preparation and performance in
students new to higher education
An evaluation
of the effect of
peer mentoring
on assessment
preparation and
performance in
students new to
undergraduate
physiotherapy
education. Abstract
Background
Mentoring involves pairing inexperienced students with a more
experienced peer who can act as a positive role model. The
aim of this study was to explore the role of peer mentoring in
assessment preparation and performance for students new to
higher education.
Methods
A 60 minute café style workshop was arranged and students
were invited to meet with experienced mentors. Discussions
were facilitated focusing on: reflection on formative
assessment, experience of year 1 assessment, top revision
tips and free discussion. A questionnaire was used to gather
feedback identifying benefits and drawbacks and Semester
1 module results were compared to the year group mean
performance.
Author: M.McCluskey
DOI:
doi.org/10.21252/
4xsr-v872
Contact:
m.mccluskey@keele.
ac.uk
Results
29 students attended the workshop. 100% of students found
the meeting beneficial and reported receiving valuable advice,
feeling reassured afterwards and were keen to adopt new
approaches to study. Exam performance was above the
average for their year group in each module.
Key words:
Mentoring, Higher
Education, Assess-
ment
Conclusion
Peer mentoring from experienced students can play a
positive role in assessment preparation for students new to
higher education and its inclusion in should be considered
in undergraduate programmes. Students who engaged with
mentoring report it was beneficial, offered reassurance and was
associated with higher assessment performance.
Introduction
Transition of students into higher education has been an
area of increasing interest to researchers, academics, higher
education institutions and policy makers, yet it has no agreed
definition (Colley, 2007). There is thought to be three different
approaches to conceptualising transition: as induction, a
defined time period at the beginning of the higher education
journey; as development, complex transformations which lead
to changes in self-concept and learning; and as becoming,
linked to learning and development beyond higher education
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