Advantages and Limitations of Mentoring Students Online in Building their Art University Entrance Portfolios

Abstract This thesis explores the advantages and limitations of online mentorship with students who are developing their portfolios for university admission. The research included 10 participants aged 18 to 19 at the time the research began. As of July 24th, 2016, six students have been accepted to the school they applied, two students have not replied my query regarding their acceptance, and the rest of the two students are continuously developing and refining their portfolios for 2017/18 entries. This Design- Based Research went through four iterations. Each iteration included adjustments to workshop content and social media platforms. They were also adjusted to optimize teaching and learning efficacy. The results of the collected data revealed the affordances and limitations of the online mentorship activities. The affordances include the improvement of artistic abilities through constant practice, recurring feedback exchange, increased motivation through social recognition, and identity formation. At the other end of the spectrum, the limitations include lesson content delivery methods, students over-dependence on the teacher-researcher, and distractions that come with using mobile phones. This research concludes that this form of online mentorship in the field of art education is worthy of continued investigation and refinement, which can enhance the noted affordances and address the limitations that were noted in this study