Digitalising Student Support: How Vygo is Transforming Peer Mentoring at Coventry University

Overcoming Challenges in University Student Support

University life is a significant transition for many students, bringing a host of new challenges and opportunities. At Coventry University, the diverse student body and numerous qualification programs necessitate a range of strategies to ensure student success. For many students across the sector, starting university can bring up challenges with settling in, feeling a sense of belonging, and forming connections. For international students and those entering through multiple entry points, these challenges can be even more pronounced.

University staff work tirelessly to provide support, but the variety of services can often be overwhelming or difficult for students to navigate. Traditional methods of peer mentoring, while effective, can place a high administrative burden on staff and often lack comprehensive tracking and scalability. This is where a digital solution like Vygo comes in.

Vygo, an online student support ecosystem, has been leveraged by Coventry University to enhance their peer mentoring program. By providing a platform that connects students with trained peer mentors, Vygo offers a scalable and trackable solution to support every student.

Supporting Students

Coventry University already employs a large team of Student Success Coaches (SSCs) who work individually with students from day one. Peer mentoring had been implemented in some siloed areas of the university but due to the lack of tracking and high administrative demands the reach and impact is limited. Traditional welcome weeks provide ample opportunities for students to meet others, but these opportunities are also limited to certain times in the academic year. Coventry has multiple intakes for different cohorts of students on different courses across several UK campuses so a solution that can provide ongoing support for new students is key.

Vygo addresses these issues by offering a digital platform where students in any location can easily register, join relevant programs, and connect with their peers based on shared interests. Mentors receive continuous development, ensuring they have the necessary skills to support their peers effectively. The platform uses chat messages to form connections and facilitate session requests, both in-person and online. Importantly, Vygo tracks engagement data, which can be used for proactive and reactive intervention strategies.

Impact

In Term 1 of 2023, survey scores from students who used Vygo were high, averaging 4.1 out of 5 across six core questions. Continuation rates for Vygo users stood at 80%, with only 1% of students failing. Additionally, 78% of students reported a positive impact from peer mentor support. Chat messages were the most popular form of communication, with over 6000 sent this year. 64% of sessions booked on Vygo took place in-person. This was interesting as although the digital aspect clearly helped students from a range of locations connect, there was still a desire to meet in-person where possible. This trend was also noted in the attendance at face-to-face events such as mentor training.

In the new academic year, Coventry University intends to use this data to continuously evolve their peer mentoring strategy, encouraging mentors to form small groups and engage with their own face-to-face events facilitated using the Vygo platform.

These statistics underscore the potential for digital platforms to revolutionise student support. Research, for example Strand, Eng and Gammon (International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2020) shows that blended online and in-person peer mentoring significantly enhances students' sense of belonging and integration within the university community.

Vygo's digital ecosystem not only surfaces relevant services to students but also ensures continuous engagement opportunities, data tracking and tailored solutions. By integrating Vygo into their support strategies, Coventry University provides a comprehensive, easily navigable, and effective peer support system.

Co-Authored by;

Hannah Giles

Student Success Lead Practitioner at Coventry University

Chris Baker-Brown

Senior Partner Success Manager, Vygo.