Building a community of learning at home: a virtual peer mentoring program for improving Hong Kong University students’ stress coping competency during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted higher education, compelling a rapid shift from traditional campus-based learning to remote home learning. This study evaluated a virtual peer mentoring program at a public university in Hong Kong, using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to assess its effectiveness in improving students’ stress management skills and Zoom’s utility. Participants included nine mentors and 30 mentees. A mixed-methods approach incorporating surveys, focus groups, and intervention logs was employed. Results revealed high engagement levels among both peer mentors and mentees during the period of enforced home learning. The use of Zoom for mentoring purposes demonstrated notable strengths over its few limitations. Quantitative data showed increased problem-focused coping and reduced avoidance strategies among mentees. Despite limited generalizability due to the small sample, findings suggest virtual mentoring enhances stress management during crises, offering insights for remote education.