ABSTRACT
Introduction The term mentoring has become something of a buzzword in higher education of recent years, following trends of business and industry where mentoring schemes have flourished for many years. Mentoring in higher education mostly occurs in face-to-face settings and generally takes the form of either staff-staff mentoring, where experienced teachers provide support for new academic staff, or student-student schemes, where on-campus students provide support to new learners. This chapter focuses on the somewhat neglected area of mentoring in open and distance learning contexts, where opportunities can be created to enhance student interactions, learning and well-being. We initially discuss models and definitions of mentoring, and the confusion regarding terminology is clarified. We also briefly examine two applied case studies of mentoring at a distance. Evaluation of these case studies and issues emerging from their first few years of operation are also covered in some detail. Finally, we draw some tentative conclusions regarding the value of mentoring in open and distance contexts and suggestions for those interested in developing their own mentoring programmes.
