1. TEACHING AND LEARNING CONFERENCE ‘TRANSITION AND SUPPORT’
SOHAR UNIVERSITY
7th of September 2016

2. A cross faculty workshop on mentoring students, with emphasis on the L1 students particular needs
Session C - Activity 16
Dinesh Kumar Saini and Lakshmi Sunil Prakash
Computing and Information Technology, Sohar University
P.O.Box.-44, PC-311, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

3. Transition
In transition close observation is needed for the students entering into level-1, this transition is supported by
academic advising,
close observation under advisors,
and individual mentoring.
The issues that are observed for students are
Learning Behaviors and styles,
Determination,
Environmental – At home or hostel,
Cultural – Social media or in isolation,
Marital status – Married or non-married
Educational Resources – Availability

4. What need to be observed
Competencies
Participation
Regular class room monitoring
Parental pressure
Geographical proximity
Communication
Perspectives

5. What need to be emphasized
Influences
Personnel Styles
Professional Approach
Consultation Process
Credibility
Students special needs
Responsibilities

6. Mentoring Financial need and lack of financial support
Lack of academic success
Personal, emotional, and family problems
Feelings of isolation, adjustment problems
Lack of commitment
Inadequate potential for success
Inadequate language skills
Definition and attitudes about success
Responsibility for learning/motivation
Maturity
Lack of student services, counseling, tutoring, etc

7. Mentors across the Life Course
Well established Institutional norms for mentoring
Impact of Positive mentoring for academic motivation
Implications of Poor mentoring on students’ confidence
Positive role models
Early on identification of potential mentors
Strong Support structures for mentoring activities

8. Stephen Curry – poor score on athletics – NBA best Player
Dr. Seuss- 27 publishers rejected – Best Seller in History
Albert Einstein –couldn’t read till the age of 7 and his teachers says he cudn’t study – Nobel Prize winner
Steven Spielberg- but was turned down from film school, because of his "C" grade average – Prolific Movie Director
J.K.Rowling- 30 times her book was rejected – Best selling author
Walt Disney- was fired from news paper for lack of imagination- Entertainment Moghul
Oprah Winfrey- was fired from her job – Successful American media proprietor
Ludwig Van Beethoven – His teachers said he was hopeless - Most famous and influential music composer of all time
Steve Jobs – was a college dropout - Co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple Inc.

9. Barriers to Effective Mentoring
Mechanisms to measure effectiveness of mentoring programs
Mentor dedication, interest in student research
Emphasis on mentoring roles during staff and student induction
Follow up mechanism on feedback provided
from mentored staff /students.
Importance of appropriateness during mentor allocation
Mentoring services must be monitored and rewarded
to encourage excellence.

10. Balancing Approach Develop conceptual understanding
Enhances depth of understanding
Acquisition of procedural knowledge,
Declarative knowledge, and problem solving
Promotes generalization
Develop declarative knowledge