Name and position of the participant and other supporting staff if relevant

Andrea J. Klér, PhD

Associate Professor

Name of the course and discipline, level and year of study and any useful background info.

Diversity Management

Postgraduate in Human resources management, 2^nd year students

Name of community partner and/or any other supporting partners (public or private sector)

Aura Association

CERL project title(s)

How do Aura’s brochures about living with autism and employment, available for potential employers sound like with the ears of an HR person?

When looking through the lens of autism how do the students’ own employers look like?

Can you provide any tangible info – e.g. module descriptor, learning outcomes, assignments, assessment criteria – please copy paste below if yes – NB Get module code

VTSM042LMSB

Mini project proposal for Diversity Management course regarding Autism

A) Reviewing the brochures of AURA

B) Assessing employers from an autism point of view, contact search

C) Preparing promotional material for HR purposes

How was it taught:

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?

1.      4 students

2.      They worked together as a group

3.      Students evaluated the brochures of the partner available for potential employers of people living with autism, from an HR point of view.

4.      The partner introduced themselves, what and how they do for people living with autism and provided information about their material available for potential employers they aim to support when employing people with autism. The group worked with the brochures they got and analysed them.

5.      The students from the group and the community partner both filled the feedback form as the Spring semester group work ended.

6.      The partner was present when the students presented their group work at the closing block of the course and reflected live on the results. The group got a formal evaluation and grade for their work from the lecturer

7.      Maybe – I’ll invite them to my next course…/info sharing/

8.      MS teams, ppt, video, chat

9.      Last semester – very short course – postgraduate course for HR experts

10.   For a month – 4 Saturdays afternoon. Our community partner was involved from the beginning.

What did you CHANGE about your programme/course in relation to CERL during CIRCLET?  

1.      Offering alternative projects /similarly engaging to the AURA project/

2.      Involving community partner and preparing for the project together

3.      Empowering them /students + comm. partner/ to cooperate closely.

CHALLENGES and how you overcame them?

How to “make space” for the main topic?

How to properly frame the topic compared to other tasks of the course

How to agree on a realistic project both for the partner and the students 

What did your STUDENTS LEARN or how will they benefit?

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

“We could come up with real and useful observations that can provide tangible added value to the work of Aura.”​

How important it is to understand others’ /e.g.: the partner/ REAL demands and circumstances

How important it is to see our professional possibilities and responsibilities for different groups in society

What do you think the BENEFIT was TO THE PARTNER?

Do You have any feedback from the partner?

The partner was reassured about what they already do well and was grateful for the feedback they got about their work from an HR professional point of view.

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

“I was amazed how many ways you could grasp it and give us feedback on it. I thank you very much for analysing where the potential fears lie. We encounter this every day but couldn’t put it into words and thank you for encouraging us to focus on what we already do well.”

HOW could/will you IMPROVE YOUR CERL teaching practice next time?

Clearer messages at the beginning for the students – about the main values of CERL and the frames of this work.

3 TANGIBLE PIECES OF ADVICE you would give to someone starting a CERL project with students?

1. Frame the partnership carefully

2. Devoted students – is the key for success

3. Give them enough time to understand the goals and the situation

Any good, QUOTABLE FEEDBACK you received from students, partners, colleagues, family, etc.?

You can’t be sure – that this was only a little impact on your student’s life! Maybe less can be enough in a short course. Don’t be perfectionist! 😉

Anything else you want moving forward with your CERL practice?

Be more conscious and better day by day in my CERL practice. Learn from my failure and try to innovate my praxis.