Educación superior - Ecuador, Educación a distancia, Proyecto de Mentoría, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Licenciado en Psicología – Tesis y disertaciones académicas

Abstract

This study is based on a mentoring pilot program between equals that was conducted among Distance Learning students of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja. The mentor, a final year student, provided support to 10 first year students while they adapted to college life and, in particular, Distance Learning. The purpose was to respond to high levels of desertion, particularly among first year students, by acknowledging their specific orientation needs in order to develop and apply the most appropriate techniques. The research design was a descriptive study, specifically a participatory action research approach. The employed methods where: the analytic-synthetic method, the deductiveinductive method, as well as the statistical method. The results suggest that a mentoring process can very beneficial in reducing or preventing desertion caused by a poor integration of students in the university system, provided that mentees remain engaged in the process.