Assistant Professor

BA in Human resources, Business and management, Commerce and marketing, Tourism and Hospitality, 2^nd year students

Students chose a topic from the social solidarity and social awareness point of view, connected to everyday othering and discrimination involving children.

1.      number of students

2.      student groupwork or individual,

3.      how they worked with the partner,

4.      how the project proceeded,

5.      any reflection done with students,

6.      evaluation or formal assessment of their learning,

7.      Could or should we follow up with students?

8.      tech used

9.      Anything else interesting?

10.   For how long have you been teaching this course, and since when there is a community partner involved?

2.      Students worked in three groups (Goodkids, Justkids, Lamantin), the course took place during the project week in Spring 2021

3.      Each group worked with one member of the community partner

4.      During the project week the students learned about several decision-making techniques and adapted their learning to the topics they’ve chosen within the field of children’s stigmatised behaviours, guided through the process by their community partner. Throughout the week every group met several times with their community partner member, to deepen their understanding of the topic, and to develop an action plan based on the decisions they’ve made.

5.      The student groups prepared a final presentation reflecting on their learnings from their implemented action plan, as well as individual reflection assignments about their personal learnings. Students also reflected on each other’s work during the project week and at the presentations. The students and the community partner both filled the feedback form after the action plans were implemented and the learnings presented.

6.      The partner members were present when the students presented their group work and reflected live on the results and their working together. The group got a formal evaluation and grade for their work from the lecturer.

7.       

8.      MS Teams   

2.      I regularly discussed the plans for the course before and after the actual course with the community partner for both parties (course leader and members of the community partner) to know the details of the partnership and feel comfortable. I insisted on seeing the bigger picture, that is to try to think about the partnership as a long-term commitment on both sides knowing or, more precisely, envisioning what each partner could gain from working together.

#1 – I asked a member of a student group working with the community partner (in the Spring semester 2020/2021) to share their experience and expertise concerning the course and the partnership with the community partner in the Fall semester (2021/2022). In the end it didn’t happen because the student got sick and could not join the class.
#2 – A certain topic (trauma awareness) was discussed and acted upon in a project week type course (Fall 2021/2022) at the beginning of September 2021 (lead by myself) and then it was introduced to be chosen and / or continued in a semester-long Decision Techniques course (Fall 2021/2022) lead by another lecturer, Judit GÁSPÁR, PhD.

“I think involving community partners had an absolutely positive impact on the course. It gave us the opportunity to tackle a topic we were interested in but that we wouldn’t have had the courage and the knowledge to handle without the help of a professional.”

 I think students learned how to listen to and co-operate with experts working in the civil society sector. They also felt empowered as active citizens who were capable to initiate and take part in a short and small project having an incremental impact on the everyday life of other people and contributing to the achievement of the goals of the community partner.

One student has written in their personal diary of the course that she realized that she had to cultivate her creativity and affinity to graphic design. She decided to study graphic design in the future.

Do You have any feedback from the partner?

The partner’s response in the science shop feedback form:

“The students tackled this difficult topic superbly. They demonstrated extraordinary care towards this sensitive topic. The educator did an amazing job with the students, the project was lead based on sound knowledge of decision-making techniques.”

 I think the community partner gained knowledge on the way of thinking and sense of responsibility of students nowadays studying at the Budapest Corvinus University, Hungary. They could use this knowledge in a communication campaign focusing on youth.

However, I have the feeling that the benefits and the outcomes for the partner should be more adequately planned and encouraged to come true. It is not an easy task, since the course is also based on the free will of the participating students and the freedom to choose, with all of its consequences and make decisions as a group using different decision-making techniques.

2.      First and foremost, you should get to know the partner (their way of thinking, their work, the place where they carry out their projects etc.) as much as its possible before the actual partnership begins with students. Equally important to let your goals be seen and understood by the partner. So, in short, transparency on both sides and enough time for the formation of mutual trust and understanding. It is a good idea to involve students in the process, too.