Empowering Students with Mentorship in Cohort-Based Learning.

In the fast-paced world of online education, simply giving high-quality resources is not enough to educate your students. Whenever students need help and guidance, mentorship is a key card to solve them. Increasing motivation, balancing student involvement, and improving learning results are not easy in this social media era. This is where mentorship becomes a game changer.

According to the Impact of Mentorship on Career Preparedness study, participants in mentorship programs reported a 60% increase in career readiness and adaptability, linking personal mentorship with successful transitions into professional environments

In this blog, we’ll explore how integrating mentorship into your cohort-based programs can lead to higher student retention, engagement, and course completion rates.

Why Mentorship is Crucial in Cohort-Based Learning

Cohort-based learning helps groups of students to complete a course together, encouraging partnership, accountability, and peer support. Even though, students still need guidance to stay on track and achieve their full potential. That's where mentorship steps in—bridging the gap between learning content and personal development. 

According to the International Journal of E-Learning study, students who have effective mentorship are 20% more engaged and 40% more likely to complete their courses than those who don't.

The Key Roles Mentors Play in Cohort-Based Learning

1. Providing Personalized Guidance.

• In a traditional classroom, students have regular face-to-face interactions with their teachers. However, in online learning, that direct connection is often missing. Therefore, few students feel lost in groups when they do not receive individual attention. 
  
  
• In this hard situation, a mentor can monitor and assist these students in connecting their real-life applications with what they are learning in the course. This type of approach motivates people to overcome their discouragement. 

2. Encouraging Accountability and Progress

• Due to improper check-ins, students often feel procrastinated and lack motivation. By acting as accountability partners, mentors can solve these issues easily. If mentors set personal goals and track their progress, learners will check in regularly and stay on course.
  
  
• This accountability encourages the students to meet deadlines and maintain a higher quality of work, fostering a stronger commitment to their learning.
  
  
• Use your LMS, like the Learnyst platform, to schedule regular one-on-one sessions where mentors review the student's progress, address challenges, and provide next-step strategies to keep them on track.

In fact, Stanford University conducted a study on cohort-based learning in their online programs and found that mentorship increased student satisfaction by 45%, leading to a more positive learning experience and higher retention rates.

3. Facilitating Peer-to-Peer Learning

• Without the proper mentorship, some students may shy away from asking questions, feeling embarrassed or unsure. In that low-confidence situation, mentors can guide them to work together, encouraging peer feedback and group projects.
  
  
• For example, without mentorship, the communication with the students will be more formal and transactional. You might answer the questions. Without deep conversations, the students often feel uncomfortable.
  
  
• Additionally, mentors can connect students who face similar challenges or career paths to promote a strong cohort community and collaboration. 

How to Incorporate Mentorship into Your Cohort-Based Learning Programs

If you’re an online class tutor running a cohort-based course, incorporating mentorship doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some actionable steps:

1. Assign Mentors Early: From the start of the course, assign each student a mentor. This could be you as the tutor or an experienced peer who has excelled in a previous cohort.
   
   
2. Use Your LMS: Most Learning Management Systems (LMS) have features that allow for personalised messaging, progress tracking, and mentor-student communication. Use these features to schedule regular check-ins and feedback sessions.
   
   
3. Host Group Mentoring Sessions: While one-on-one mentorship is essential, consider holding live group mentoring sessions where students can benefit from peer input while still receiving guidance. This hybrid approach can foster community while addressing individual needs.
   
   
4. Track Mentorship Impact: Collect data on the outcomes of mentorship. Are students completing more assignments on time? Is student engagement improving? Use this data to fine-tune your mentorship model and adapt it to different cohorts.

Conclusion: Mentorship as a Driver of Success in Cohort-Based Learning

A mentor’s role is not only to support students, but it is a key component in the success of the cohort-based learning program. By providing essential emotional support, personalised guidance, accountability, and opportunities for peer collaboration, mentors provide student learning experiences and significantly increase course completion rates. By adding a mentorship role, you empower your students to take ownership of their learning journey and ensure a higher level of success for both you and your learners.