Abstract
Research mentor training is a valuable professional development activity. Options for training customization (by delivery mode, dosage, content) are needed to address the many critical attributes of effective mentoring relationships and to support mentors in different institutional settings. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate a hybrid mentor training approach consisting of an innovative, 90-minute, self-paced, online module (Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring, OPM) followed by workshops based on the Entering Mentoring (EM) curriculum. Mentors (n = 59) were randomized to intervention or control arms; the control condition was receipt of a two-page mentoring tip sheet. Surveys (pre, post, 3-month follow up) and focus groups assessed training impact (self-appraised knowledge, skills, behavior change) and participants' perceptions of the blended training model. The intervention (∼6.5 hours) produced significant improvements in all outcomes, including skills gains on par with those reported previously for the 8-hour EM model. Knowledge gains and intention-to-change mentoring practices were realized after completion of OPM and augmented by the in-person sessions. Mentors valued the synergy of the blended learning format, noting the unique strengths of each modality and specific benefits to completing a foundational online module before in-person engagement. Findings from this pilot trial support the value of e-learning approaches, both as standalone curricula or as a component of hybrid implementation models, for the professional development of research mentors.
Highlights
Research mentor training is a valuable professional development activity
We packaged OPM with a shorter version of the Entering Mentoring (EM) curriculum to create a hybrid model for research mentor training, which we offered to the faculty in our Academic Health Center as a new professional development initiative called the Mentoring Excellence Training Academy (META)
Our research questions were: (1) Could we achieve favorable training outcomes with the hybrid model that were on par with those reported for the more timeand resource-intensive EM curriculum? (2) Would participants’ post-training knowledge gains and behavior change be additive for the two META components? (3) From the perspective of participants, is there synergy or unwelcome redundancy across the two components? And how might the META model be improved? We report our findings here, including data gathered from online surveys and focus groups
Summary
Research mentor training is a valuable professional development activity. Options for training customization (by delivery mode, dosage, content) are needed to address the many critical attributes of effective mentoring relationships and to support mentors in different institutional settings. A variety of approaches to research mentor development have been reported [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20], but one of the most widely disseminated [21,22,23] and well-studied [24,25,26] models is the Entering Mentoring (EM) curriculum [27,28] These workshops focus on improving mentors’ skills in six competency areas: maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations for the mentoring relationship, assessing mentees’ understanding of research, addressing equity and diversity in mentoring relationships, fostering mentees’ independence, and promoting mentees’ professional development. The University of Minnesota, participated in that landmark trial, prompting us to consider how to keep research mentor training a priority and pursue options for expanding its adoption across our campuses
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