Enhancing Mentorship Relationships through Symbolic Representation of Information States

Mentors and students often struggle to communicate effectively in mentorship relationships, especially when it comes to exchanging information. To address this challenge, researchers proposed using symbols to represent the different states of information exchange, such as "not read," "engaged," "reading," "verifying," and "organizing thoughts." These symbols help mentors and students understand each other’s cognitive status, reducing uncertainty and misunderstandings. The use of these symbols also improves communication efficiency by providing clear markers for information states, enabling recipients to convey their current status and inform senders when to expect a reply.
The proposed design is based on the steps humans undergo in information processing, with each symbol representing a specific state. For instance, the "engaged" state signifies that the mentor is currently occupied with other tasks, while the "reading" state indicates that they are actively processing the message. The use of these symbols can be applied to various scenarios, including literature review guidance, where clarity regarding information states becomes crucial for students to understand whether mentors have initiated the review of literature or if they need additional time to read and comprehend the materials.
By using these symbols, mentors and students can communicate more effectively and efficiently, leading to better outcomes in mentorship relationships. The proposed design is simple, yet thorough, providing a clear understanding of the complex concepts involved in information exchange.