ALEQ Manual: Focus Group with Faculty, Students & Mentors
Work is currently underway on a guidance manual to accompany the Academic Learning Experiences Questionnaire (ALEQ). The manual aims to provide tailored, research-informed and co-produced recommendations linked to each ALEQ subscale, helping to translate different academic learning experiences into practical support strategies within higher education.
To help ensure the manual is both meaningful and usable across different areas of the university, we recently held an in-person co-production focus group involving university professionals and students. Attendees included autism mentors, support staff, researchers, and postgraduate students, allowing for a wide range of perspectives and experiences to inform the discussion.
The session began with an introduction to the ALEQ, its subscales, and the aims of the manual. Participants then worked in small groups focused on different ALEQ domains. Using the questionnaire items alongside draft recommendations developed by placement students, groups discussed how different learning experiences may present in university contexts and explored what kinds of support, adjustments, or pedagogical approaches may be most helpful. There were also biscuits, which definitely helped fuel the discussions!
The event generated valuable feedback not only on the content of the manual, but also on how it could be structured and presented in an accessible and practical way. The mix of students, practitioners, and researchers created space for collaborative discussion and co-creation, helping move the project beyond a simple list of recommendations towards something more reflective, applied, and grounded in real university experiences.
Overall, the focus group was a really productive and encouraging step in the development of the ALEQ manual. We came away with a wide range of ideas, reflections, and practical suggestions that will help shape the next stage of the project, and we hope to run similar collaborative events in the future.
