Mentoring Graduate Students as Nascent Researchers in a Blended Learning Environment
Abstract: The rise of blended learning environments has created a shift in the mentoring relationship between faculty and doctoral students. The existing paradigm of doctoral students’ induction into the world of academic research through learning and working on campus must change to encompass those students who complete their studies at a distance. This qualitative study of eight doctoral students and their professor illustrates the protégés’ and mentors’ thoughts, feelings, and experiences learning through a blended environment for the first time. Initial findings show that while growth in research abilities and confidence in themselves as researchers occurred, some students felt the blended environment did not meet their learning needs.
Presider: Joyce Pittman, Drexel University