How it works
Safe, secure messages and forums -
The system was designed from the outset to
minimise the risk of disclosure of
inappropriate information by the student to
the mentor* and vice versa. It provides
schools with a structure and monitoring
system to ensure that such things as email
addresses, websites and phone numbers
are not transmitted between student and
mentor but are flagged to an administrator
to either allow the message through, allow it
through with the inappropriate information
deleted from the message or not allow the
message through at all.
In addition to messages in and out, the
Mentor can also request a forum to be set
up by the administrator. As soon as a
student is added to the forum they are
alerted to this by text message or email, so
that they can go online and join in.
Monitoring
For security, any messages sent in by students from a variety of methods, can only actually be read and replied to by the Mentor via a secure 128 bit encrypted HTTPS website. All messages in and out of the e-mentoring system are checked and monitored both systematically and by the Administrator within the school. Each message sent in and out is checked for bad language, homophobic language and racist language. The phrases check can be added to or amended and deleted only by the Administrator of the Organisation.
Protected and moderated
Forums are an easy to use method of communication that promotes the sharing of ideas in a protected and moderated environment. They allow groups of students and their mentor to communicate using private, web-based online discussion areas. With the ability to add new topics and threads, students can organise and structure discussions and ideas to suit their needs. This also allows the Mentor to communicate with a large group of students at any one time.
Overview of the system
- Each time a student sends a message into their Mentor they are alerted and prompted to a new message arriving, this points them in the direction of the e-mentoring system, so they can log onto their secure website and view that message.
- These alerts can be straight away or they can be batched up into one email, a method many mentors prefer, so you will see from the screen shot above that the Mentor received an email at midnight informing them of how many messages they have from their students so they can log on and view them the following day.
- Any messages sent in and back out to the student builds up into a history so that the Mentor can see immediately what previous correspondence they have had with that student. All are timed and dated and the Mentor can view the type of message preferred by that student whether it is a message sent in online or by text message.
- As well as communicating effectively on a one to one basis with their students, the Mentor can also group message their students via text message or email via the e-mentoring site on any subject they wish, again this message is checked prior to it going out.
- It is also important that a Mentor keeps in communication with the organisation’s administrator as well, alerting them to queries they have over the e-mentoring system and their students, they can do this through the e-mentoring system via a simple message box. In addition should they want to set up a forum with their students they can message this request through to the Administrator.
- Any messages the Administrator receives, they are alerted to by email, they can then go online and view the message.
* Before a mentor can be added onto the e-mentoring system they must be CRB checked.
