Abstract
Background Mentoring involves pairing inexperienced students with a more experienced peer who can act as a positive role model. The aim of this study was to explore the role of peer mentoring in assessment preparation and performance for students new to higher education. Methods A 60 minute café style workshop was arranged and students were invited to meet with experienced mentors. Discussions were facilitated focusing on: reflection on formative assessment, experience of year 1 assessment, top revision tips and free discussion. A questionnaire was used to gather feedback identifying benefits and drawbacks and Semester 1 module results were compared to the year group mean performance. Results 29 students attended the workshop. 100% of students found the meeting beneficial and reported receiving valuable advice, feeling reassured afterwards and were keen to adopt new approaches to study. Exam performance was above the average for their year group in each module. Conclusion Peer mentoring from experienced students can play a positive role in assessment preparation for students new to higher education and its inclusion in should be considered in undergraduate programmes. Students who engaged with mentoring report it was beneficial, offered reassurance and was associated with higher assessment performance.
