An ALTA Online Mentor is a literate family member, friend, teacher or facility staff member who helps an ALTA Online student get the most from the programme and acts as their link to ALTA Student Support.
Requirements
- Available when students need help Issues may arise at any time. However, you can set a day and time period for regular follow up with students.
- Time to attend training – two training sessions, each two hours long. Training is typically virtual.
- Patience as students may not always understand some ALTA Online instructions the first time around or may be new to using a web browser or mouse.
- Laptop/Desktop with Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.
- Reliable internet connection.
- WhatsApp or Zoom to communicate with students.
Responsibilities
Help students log in and log out
While a video explains this, the first few times the student uses ALTA Online, you may need to talk them through opening ALTA Online in a web browser and entering their username and password. It is important that students log out at the end of their session, especially if on a device used by others.
Help students access and navigate the various books of ALTA Online
The student’s first book is the Assessment Book to determine their literacy level. The first activity in this book audio instructs the student on how to complete the book, but users may need help with navigation.
Keep in contact with students
Using ALTA Online regularly, preferably completing two lessons a week, gives the student a feeling of progress and success. Check the student report on ALTA Online and follow up once a student has not done any activities for a week. Tell ALTA if the student can no longer continue with ALTA Online. Also, ask them what they like and don’t like about ALTA Online and give ALTA this feedback.
Solve issues
Students may encounter random issues like forgetting what the various buttons do, wanting to hear an instruction or word again, or not hearing sound in their headphones. The mentor is there to help the student overcome these issues with quick and direct support.
Report issues you can’t solve
- Liaise with ALTA User Support until resolved. The reporting system is simple and taught on the second mentor training session.
- Once resolved, you inform the student.
Ensure that students generate their end-of-level e-certificate
Students who have completed the three books in the level with gold (80%) in each of the 10 skills are awarded an e-certificate. Mentors must remind the student to click on the graduation button to view their e-certificate and assist with downloading or printing.
Training
Student Portal training
Virtual or in-person
- Second and fourth Tuesday of every month facilitated by ALTA Online User Support.
- Two hours 10:00 am – 12:00 noon.
- Participants must confirm their attendance at least one week in advance so that log-in credentials and training resources (documents) can be sent to them. This allows them to prepare for the training. If the participant does not confirm one week before, they will have to attend the next available session.
Reporting Portal training
- This training session only comes after a mentor has been assigned students and the students have made some progress with the ALTA Online programme.
Call 624-2582 or email altapos.tt@gmail.com to sign up to be an ALTA Online Mentor today!