Psychology Students' Experiences of Academic Peer Mentoring at the London Metropolitan University Writing Centre

Abstract

The London Metropolitan University Writing Centre has developed the Student Writing Mentor Scheme which involves undergraduate and postgraduate students providing writing support for other students. The scheme is collaborative, nondirective and nonhierarchical in approach and its purpose is to enable students to become confident and competent academic writers in their disciplines. The aim of this study was to investigate psychology students' experiences of using the Writing Centre during the first year and a half of its operation. Using an online questionnaire, we found that students came to the Centre for a variety of reasons, including wanting to talk to someone about their assignments and wanting assurance that they were on the right track. We also found evidence of psychology students wanting a mentor from the same discipline, and high levels of student satisfaction with tutorials and the Centre overall. Our evaluation suggests that peer mentoring schemes that focus on writing can be a useful aid in supporting students' development as academic writers. Future research should concentrate on the relationship between participation in the Student Writing Mentor Scheme and student achievement and progression –for both mentors and students.