The Nature, Perception, and Impact of e-Mentoring on Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students

This retrospective study employed a descriptive, quantitative design to investigate the nature, perception, and impact of the e-mentoring experiences of 29 graduates of an online post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Study results highlight positive features of electronic mentoring (e-mentoring); how multi-modal e-mentoring supports the accessibility needs of participants; and students' preferences to engage in real-time e-mentoring communication by web camera or telephone, supplemented with e-mail. E-mentoring positively impacted the professional development of participants during and after the online OTD program. As online education continues to grow, a better understanding of e-mentoring will assist in providing exemplary education to meet the needs of adult learners.