Jisc Change Agents' Network Conference 2024

In this session, attendees will hear about a reciprocal mentoring approach adopted as part of our ‘Virtual Apprenticeship Programme’, which has been structured around the priorities of the Open University’s Access and Participation Strategy. In this programme, during the 23/24 academic year, under-represented students were recruited to undertake internships supporting academic work in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the Open University. Working with interns from traditionally marginalised backgrounds, the programme aims to generate new knowledge and understanding about inclusive education. One of the outputs of this work is the development of a resource pack, produced by the team of eleven student interns, which aims to raise awareness of the experiences of students from marginalised backgrounds and the systemic barriers they face. Workshop attendees will hear from a small group of the student interns regarding the production of the resource pack, as well as their experience of reciprocal mentoring. 

• Information/ briefing regarding reverse mentoring and the OU’s APS student internship programme

• Exploration of the ‘Student Voices’ resource pack

• Discussion of how to develop staff/student collaboration supported by reciprocal mentoring