HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Mentoring Strategies
This guide suggests the following two strategies for mentoring the
self-paced training in ...Getting Started.
Mentoring in a Computer Lab
Mentoring in a computer lab simply suggests that the mentor provide a
single environment in which several students can work on ...Getting
Started independently but at the same time. There are several advantages
to having students go through ...Getting Started in a computer lab
setting:
* The students are removed from a distracting work environment. This
enables them to concentrate on the course, to practice what they have
learned without being disrupted by other work assignments. They are
much more likely to complete the training in a timely fashion.
* Students may benefit from having access to other students, in order
to share their experiences of MPE XL and ...Getting Started. Such
informal exchanges can enhance motivation and reinforce the learning
that has taken place.
* The mentor can process a number of students at one time. This is
more efficient than mentoring them separately.
Suggestions for the Mentor. Follow the general guidelines suggested in
"Preparing the Students." Consult briefly with each student individually
ahead of time to make sure each knows which chapters are to be studied
and whether or not it will be necessary to take the final tests.
In the computer lab, each student should have his/her own terminal to
work on. ...Getting Started has been designed as individualized
instruction. Although sometimes it is beneficial to have two students
work together, in this case each student may have a different agenda,
different abilities, different objectives. Each needs to think through
and try out the new features of MPE XL for him/herself.
Let the students know that this training is self-paced, that there is no
fixed time limit for completing the assigned chapters. Remind them that
each individual may be following a different path through the book, and
that it will take different students different amounts of time to
complete their training. In general, it should take between two and six
hours for everyone to complete the course, depending on individual skill
levels and how much of the book each student is covering.
Mentoring at Individual Workstations
Some students may prefer to study at their regular computer workstations.
Others may find it necessary to do so because a computer lab is not
available, or because they are not able to leave their desks for the
requisite period of time. In such cases it may be particularly desirable
to have a mentor work with the students. The following are advantages of
this mentored approach:
* Students benefit from a structured, scheduled approach to learning,
which might be difficult to achieve without a mentor, given the
normal time pressures of most jobs.
* The mentor can provide the incentive/motivation to complete the
training in a timely fashion.
* Within the time limits agreed upon between each student and the
mentor, students are free to pace themselves without regard for how
quickly or slowly other students are learning.
Suggestions for the Mentor. Following the general guidelines suggested
in Preparing the Student, meet with the student after he/she has read the
preface and introduction. Agree upon a study schedule that includes one
or more discussion sessions between student and mentor. Decide not only
which chapters/lessons should be completed, but by what day and time each
chapter should be finished.
Encourage students to share their experiences of MPE XL and ...Getting
Started with other students and/or with experienced users. As in the
computer lab setting, such exchanges enhance motivation and reinforce the
learning that has taken place.