Digital mentoring in Australian communities - A report prepared for Australia Post

Australia Post provides one of Australia’s largest physical community infrastructure networks, and has focused its efforts to help Australians to connect online safely and with confidence since 2014. As a key player in the Australian digital inclusion effort, Australia Post is investing in research and programs that help people in diverse communities develop critical skills to participate in an increasingly digital society. Australia Post identified a critical gap in valuing and understanding the role digital mentors play in helping learners to develop their digital skills and confidence. At the same time, many of Australia Post’s community partners were also exploring how their digital mentors could better support learners in various environments, including group-based courses, peer-to-peer learning, and one-on-one sessions. Australia Post consequently partnered with Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) to investigate digital mentorship, in a variety of formats and community contexts. In particular, QUT was asked to explore the need for and develop relevant resources to assist digital mentors in the field. This report explains and justifies how these resources for digital mentors were developed.