Reciprocity Over Hierarchy: An AI-Enhanced Reverse Mentoring Framework
Presented by:
Marquita Lyons-Smith, North Carolina Central University
Keywords:
Reciprocity, Reverse Mentoring, Engagement
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Transcript:
Key Statement:
An AI-enhanced model enabling students to mentor faculty and academic leaders, facilitating bidirectional learning, intergenerational knowledge exchange, and improved engagement in university settings.
Abstract:
Traditional academic hierarchies position faculty as sole knowledge holders, often silencing student voices and limiting institutional innovation. This presentation introduces an innovative AI-enhanced reverse mentoring framework that empowers students as knowledge experts, mentoring faculty and academic leaders in emerging technologies, digital culture, and evolving learning styles. Grounded in Growth Mindset, Emotional Intelligence, and the principles of Crucial Conversations, the model leverages AI tools to match mentoring pairs, track progress, and personalize learning exchanges. By dismantling hierarchical assumptions and embracing bidirectional learning, universities can cultivate intergenerational knowledge exchange, strengthen faculty-student engagement, and build more dynamic and connected academic communities.
Outcomes:
1. Identify the foundational principles of reverse mentoring and explain how Growth Mindset, Emotional Intelligence, and Crucial Conversations frameworks support reciprocal learning in academic settings.
2. Examine how AI tools can be strategically leveraged to match mentoring pairs, personalize learning exchanges, and track measurable outcomes within a university environment.
3. Describe strategies that repositions students as knowledge contributors, encourages bidirectional learning, and dismantles traditional faculty-student hierarchies.
References:
Chipeta, M. C., & Hwang, H. F. (2024). Defining and characterizing the nursing student–faculty relationship in clinical practice: A concept analysis. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 15, 1113–1125. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S494380
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.
Gordon, P. (2020). Reverse mentoring: Removing barriers and building belonging in the workplace. Bloomsbury Business.
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, J. (2021). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill.