Value Proposition
Tyfy.co takes peer mentoring online
Tyfy (Third Year First Year) automates peer mentoring in Universities, makingmentoring more engaging, more effective, and much much easier
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Overview
Connecting students with questions to students with answers.
Established in 2017 when Founder, James Doherty, was graduating from the University of Nottingham. James realised himself and his friends, as final year students, were beacons of knowledge about their university, courses, and the student experience – and that this was a hugely untapped resource of information and support those students just starting university could benefit from.
The primary aim of the Tyfy software is to ensure that every student has someone to turn to for help. By taking the software online, we make support more accessible practically, in that students can talk to mentors remotely, efficiently and at a time that suits them. However, at Tyfy we understand asking for help can be difficult; the idea of talking to a mentor face to face can be so daunting (especially for those particularly at risk) that they would rather not reach out at all. By allowing students to communicate with mentors behind the comfort and familiarity of a phone screen, we make it easier and more comfortable for them to reach out, thus maximising the chances of them accessing the correct support.
Tyfy is an online communication solution facilitating peer to peer mentoring support between university students. Students are matched with mentors based on shared characteristics and can communicate remotely using the software.
Software Features
Automated matching:
The Tyfy algorithm matches students with mentors based on shared experiences. Recommended mentors are displayed based on modules studied by the mentee, but mentees can also search for other key words relating to extra-curricular or pastoral experiences. This streamlined matching ensures mentors are well placed to help with queries, and that mentoring partnerships are efficient and genuinely useful.
Review systems:
The review system is designed to incentivise engagement with mentoring for the mentors. Mentors are reviewed in-app by the students they help at the end of every interaction. This enables them to build up a portfolio of reviews based on soft skills and other attributes employers look for, that can then be used to demonstrate the skills on their CV.
Monitoring:
All engagements can be reported by both the mentor and mentee using our report button. Students are encouraged to report behavioural and academic issues as well as any potential safeguarding concerns. Reports are sent directly to an academic administrator from the university, who can then review the conversation and take action according to standard university procedure. For example, if a mentor is worried about the wellbeing of a student they’re supporting, they can report the conversation and have it sent directly to the university’s wellbeing team. Similarly, if a mentee is made to feel uncomfortable or if a mentor is using the system inappropriately in any way, this can be reported to the university’s disciplinary team. This creates an ‘extra point of contact’ whereby staff can monitor these interactions in a way they could not if they’d taken place in person, because there is ‘proof’ of what went on. The benefits of monitoring also work both ways – if a student unwarrantedly or unfairly reports a mentor, staff can decide on what action to take.
Chat functions:
Students can communicate privately with mentors directly through the Tyfy software from their phone, tablet or desktop. This enables them to access support remotely and at a time that is convenient to them.
Forums:
Students can communicate in a group setting using the forum function. Users can ‘tag in’ modules to streamline discussions.
Tyfy is proven to increase student engagement with their mentoring scheme by over 200%
Benefits to Students
- Mentees have studied the same modules as them and can offer advice based on specific challenges
- By taking the process online, mentoring is easily accessible, especially for students with social communication impairments
- Students are matched with mentors based on shared experiences, meaning that when asking for help the student knows that their mentor is someone who can offer support tailored to their specific situation
- In the first instance, taking communication with mentors online means that students can access support wherever they area (whether they’re on campus, at home or on placement) and whenever they need it
- Using Tyfy, students can also interact with their course mates using our forums. This enables them to discuss more general queries in a public setting, and replicates the ‘in classroom’ feel online
Benefits to Mentors
- Mentors are reviewed by the students they help, providing tangible evidence of their skills and creating a metric to demonstrate their employabilty
- By taking mentoring online, we make it much easier for mentors to balance their mentoring responsibilities alongside their own studies and other commitments
- By matching students with mentors based on shared experiences, Tyfy also ensures that mentors rarely deal with queries they don’t know the answer to – they’ve been in largely the same position as their students, and will know how to help
Benefits to the University
- Reduces staff time spent matching and monitoring a standard mentoring programme
- Acts as a ‘first point of contact’ where issues can be reported promptly. Students are signposted to the correct existing student support services. Boosts attainment, retention and graduate employability
- Streamlined administration and monitoring
- By taking mentoring online, Tyfy makes it easier for students to get involved with mentoring, and therefore makes it much more likely that they will do so. Tyfy is proven to increase student engagement with their mentoring scheme by over 200%
- Tyfy contributes to a positive league table ranking by increasing student satisfaction and attainment through mentoring
Tyfy can improve an institution’s retention rate by up to 50%
How Tyfy supports University departments
Academic staff
- Mentors are trained by the university in the same way as always, meaning they know how to help
- Any worrying interactions can be reported, and conversations can be traced
- Taking mentoring online means students can access support whenever they need it, wherever they are
- Mentoring is incentivised through employability reviews, meaning significantly more mentors get involved
- Students are referred on to the correct sources of support, meaning less staff time spent signposting queries
- Marketing support included to help advertise the software to your students
- Communication is monitored and traceable to minimise the potential for academic plagiarism or incorrect advice
- Software handles administration and monitoring, dramatically reducing staff time spent on mentoring schemes
Careers department
- Tyfy allows universities to build links with external businesses, from local SMEs to larger corporate employers
- Students can be referred to the existing careers support you offer
- Potential to attract students who engage with careers services less often
- Mentors build up reviews based on their soft skills and employability characteristics, enhancing their employability in their spare time and making mentoring worth their while
- In our next round of development, Tyfy will help students make links with external employers
- Tyfy is supplementary to what careers services already offer, meaning it can be left to work whilst you focus on other aspects of support
Well-being teams
- Students can communicate with mentors wherever they are and whenever they need
- The software handles matching and monitoring - so you’ll be alerted if there’s a problem
- Mentors can refer students back to the other support services that you offer
- Students can access support without needing to meet face to face
- Online mentoring makes it easier for students with social communication impairments to reach out
- Used overwhelmingly by international and WP students.
- Tyfy’s reporting function ensures any at-risk students are referred directly to the university
- Increases connectivity amongst students and helps them to feel less isolated
- Increases connectivity amongst students and helps them feel part of their university community
What do students think?
By having access to experienced third year students I have been able to further my academic abilities, would definitely recommend to future first years.
Tyfy has given me tangible evidence of my skills through reviews, which helps me stand out from the crowd in interviews.
It is easy to see how well you are engaging with the buddy system.