Virtual Mentoring in Higher Education: Teacher Education and Cyber-Connections
This study explored the benefits and limitations of mentoring relationships between pre-service and practicing K-12 teachers. Thirteen pre-service education students at a university in the southeastern United States and 17 practicing teachers from four states participated. The student participants were in their senior year in a teacher education program, during the semester just previous to their student teaching experience. Pre- and post-surveys, email exchanges and student email reflections were utilized to gather data concerning the effectiveness of the project. Results indicated that online mentoring was overall a highly positive experience that provided the student participants unique and practical insight into the field of teaching. The experience was not without problems however, as student participants voiced concern with the procedure for obtaining mentors, timely responses from some mentors and the degree to which their questions were addressed in some cases.
