Supporting skills development by means of an inclusive mentoring trajectory

Abstract

A structured mentoring trajectory has been integrated into a master's curriculum to foster student competency development, with a specific focus on interdisciplinarity. From the beginning of the program, each student is assigned a faculty mentor who provides personal guidance throughout their academic journey. The trajectory's core objectives are threefold: to systematically track student progress against established learning outcomes, to assist students in choosing their specialized study tracks in the second year, and to create an accessible platform where students can give feedback on the master's program. This contribution explains how this mentoring program serves as a flexible and adaptable tool for personalized learning. By using a growth portfolio and one-on-one meetings, the program shifts the focus from a one-size-fits-all model to a student-driven journey with room for self-reflection and ownership. Our submission will use a series of comic strips to visually articulate this unique approach, highlighting its contribution to creating a more inclusive and responsive learning environment. Extended summary: (max. 750 words) This contribution describes the implementation of a mentoring trajectory into a two-year master's program in the interdisciplinary field of material sciences. In this master's program, students are trained to embrace and integrate different perspectives in order to tackle societal grand challenges. Students thus learn to think beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, fostering innovative problem-solving skills and preparing them to collaborate with professionals from diverse backgrounds. As a support for this crucial interdisciplinary mindset, the program has integrated a structured mentoring trajectory. Self-reflection on the competence development of interdisciplinary, academic, and employability skills is the core of the mentoring trajectory. From the very start, each student is paired with a faculty mentor. This is a member of the academic staff with a teaching task in the program. This one-to-one relationship is a constant throughout the two-year program, ensuring continuity and personalized attention. The mentoring process is not merely a passive check-in; it is a dynamic, collaborative partnership with three objectives: to systematically track and foster the development of student competencies, to provide guidance in composing a specialized, second-year study trajectory, and to establish an informal feedback channel for students to provide valuable input on the program. This contribution explains how this mentoring program serves as a flexible and adaptable tool for personalized learning. By using a growth portfolio and one-on-one meetings, the program shifts the focus from a one-size-fits-all model to a student-driven journey with room for self-reflection and ownership. Our submission will use a series of comic strips to visually articulate this unique approach, highlighting its contribution to creating a more inclusive and responsive learning environment.