Online peer mentoring and collaborative reflection: A cross-institutional project in sports coaching

Abstract

In recent years, calls have grown for the use of digital technologies to transform coach education and enhance student learning; however, empirical research evidence for their efficacy is lacking. This paper describes our initial experiences of a Higher
Education Funding Council for England funded project, designed to facilitate online peer mentoring and collaborative reflection
between bachelor degree students at two separate UK universities. So far, the pedagogical approach has been differentially
effective, with three categories describing our current perceptions of successful and/or unsuccessful student engagement in it.
Namely, students require an adequate knowledge base, an appropriate technological and personal skillset, and the attitudinal
dispositions to deploy them effectively.