The Role of E-Mentoring in the African American Higher Education Experience (Work in Progress)

In this work in progress paper, we discuss the utility of electronic mentoring also called e-mentoring. E-mentoring is mentoring that occurs via electronic mediums such as email, phone, Skype etc. as a means of engagement and development. E-mentoring is not a new phenomena. For years, mentors and mentees have used electronic means to connect with each other while bridging geographical, social, racial, gender and cultural gaps. A more recent advance is the use of chatbots as emotional or intelligent agent mentors, specifically embodied conversational agents (ECAs). ECAs are computer-generated representations that have human-like appearances and mannerisms, and are designed to have a human-like relationship with the user. The challenge and goal that accompanies using ECAs is how to deliver mentoring that promotes skill building, academic and career development, and psychosocial support. In this literature review, we provide a brief overview of e-mentoring and its relationship to African American students' experiences. In particular, we discuss the characteristics, uses, benefits, and disadvantages of e-mentoring and the use of ECAs. We also provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities of e-mentoring uses for minoritized populations such as African American undergraduate students. In addition, we propose that e-mentoring and ECAs should implement culturally sustaining practices, especially when engaging with minoritized populations. In this paper, we explore the feasibility for using e-mentoring as a more contemporary technique for assisting African American students.