Wikiversity:Mentors
From Wikiversity
A Wikiversity mentor is a person who volunteers to answer questions, provides advice, guides people in their learning and/or helps develop learning materials for Wikiversity. Mentors are not required to be experts and may be fellow learners. Individuals who wish to mentor are encouraged to identify themselves by placing userboxes on their user page, so learners can more easily find a mentor and to coordinate mentor efforts.
Contents |
[edit] Mentors and Learners
The formation of a mentor/learner relationship is established through mutual agreement between the learner and the mentor. Many of the best mentor/learner relationships begin informally and involve mutual sharing, learning and helping each other out.
[edit] Types of Mentors
There are several types of mentors, with considerable overlap between the types.
[edit] Education Mentor
An education mentor is a person who helps and guides learners in their education on Wikiversity. Mentors encourage learners to complete course work and their education objectives. Mentors help learners progress in their learning by offering advice, providing feedback on assignments, and by answering what questions they can. A mentor's ability to help may be limited by their own education.
Mentors often sign up for courses they are willing to take an active role in. Mentors that have chosen to take an active role in courses often help learners without having to be asked first. Mentors who have chosen not to take an active role may not have as much time available to help learners. Learners will often have to ask specifically for help from mentors who have chosen, for whatever reasons, not to take an active role.
Mentors should identify what courses and/or what subjects they are willing to help learners with, by using userboxes on their user page.
[edit] Research Mentor
A research mentor is a person who helps and guides Wikiversity participants in their research goals. Mentors help researchers form academic connections in their field of research, offer insight and advice in doing research, and provide feedback to help participants improve the quality of their research.
[edit] Content Development Mentor
A content development mentor is a person who helps and guides Wikiversity participants with editing and contributing content. Mentors may be able to help with the wiki markup language for example. Mentors may provide feedback or constructive criticism on your talk page about your editing. This role encompasses the role of a beta reader in nonfiction or fiction writing, and also includes collaborative editing.
WikiEducator hosts a very well-organized content development mentorship program called Learning4Content. It includes regular online courses on the wiki markup language, resources for self study, and levels of certification ranging from WikiApprentice to WikiMaster.
[edit] Custodian Mentor
A custodian mentor is a custodian who helps guide and oversees new custodians during their probationary period. Mentors offer advice and feedback to help new custodians understand what the role of a custodian is and what the community's expectations are, or in other words how to be a good custodian. Mentors decide whether or not to recommend probationary custodians for permanent custodianship.
[edit] Userboxes for Mentors
 |
This user is a custodian mentor. |
 |
This user is studying under GreySmith Institute |
 |
This user is an animal biologist mentor. |
 |
This user is a Python programming mentor. |
 |
This user is a filmmaking mentor. |
 |
This user is a vandal mentor. :) |
 |
This user is a sandbox server mentor. |
These Userboxes are for people who are interested in becoming mentors in specific fields. By all means, please create new Userboxes if your areas of interest are not represented here!
Instructions for creating new Userboxes are at Wikipedia's Userbox Maker page.
