Jörg Köhler
Overview
Every year in January, a theme week is held in which the senior students of the Integrated Comprehensive School in Nieder-Olm prepare to search for a suitable university course or a suitable profession after they leave school. During this week, the 12th grade students visit the University of Mainz, and are either visited by various (large) companies or go on a field trip to visit the companies themselves. Furthermore, the careers advisor from the Federal Employment Agency visits them at the school.
Topic
The theme week reported on in this case study also involved conducting an assessment center. The purpose of this assessment center was to enable the students to try things out for themselves in a very special way. All of the main classes visited me as organizer, trainer, and feedback provider in a specially prepared classroom. Everything was set out in such a way as to give the participants the feeling that they had applied for an apprenticeship place, which they of course were keen to get.
Staging
a. Preparation
For the staging, I took on the role of the managing director of a fictitious company called TAS Electronics, which had three apprenticeship positions on offer for about 20 candidates. The class teacher was also involved in the assessment center and acted as co-manager in the staging scenario. I had set the four tools up in advance, so that they could be immediately used, and arranged chairs in a circle so that all of the students could immediately find a seat in the assessment center. On the board in the room and on a flip chart there were posters with information about TAS Electronics. There were about 20 folders with applications on a table, easily visible and recognizable to all, which reinforced the serious nature of the assessment center.
I explained to all of the “candidates” how assessment centers work. I emphasized that my own son had gone through several assessment centers himself when he was looking for an apprenticeship. The goal was for them to sell themselves as positively as possible in order to win one of the three apprenticeships, for which – as everyone could see – there were about 20 candidates.
b. Performance
After a short introduction, I sent all the participants out of the classroom again and then changed my clothes. I initially appeared in front of the students as they knew me – in jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie. I then “disguised myself” with a blouse, jacket, and smart shoes. When the students entered the classroom again, I looked even more like the CEO of TAS Electronics. Because this was not how the 12th graders had previously known me, this immediately created a whole new level of intensity. From the moment I re-entered the room, I used very formal language and acted and behaved like the managing director to whom they had submitted their applications.
SysTeam
After greeting all of the candidates as the managing director of TAS, I got everyone to stand up. I asked two of the candidates to set up SysTeam in the middle of the standing circle and explained that the wobbly plate was symbolic of the fact that different people of different cultures, ages, genders, and character traits worked in my company. Just getting the plate to stay up was a challenge for the students I had chosen randomly for the group. In the center of the plate, I placed a circular TAS folder. This was a taboo zone where no figurines could be placed.
All 20 candidates then placed their wooden figurines on the plate and introduced themselves and their strengths. I emphasized that imbalances could always arise, that there were always different ideas and approaches – but in the end it was important to pay attention to each other and also personally ensure that the necessary balance was always created and maintained. Everyone at TAS Electronics was important.
I used a blindfold and made one person “blind” to emphasize the inclusiveness of our company. Helping the “blind” person and what this person did were important factors for feedback later on for me and also for all participants.
TeamNavigator
I prepared the TeamNavigator by pre-drawing a path. All participants were to take hold of a string each and the task was to travel the path together. Drawing a parallel to TAS Electronics, I explained that the task was to follow the prescribed path together in order to respond to and satisfy a customer’s wishes. They all needed to communicate effectively and work as a team to ensure that the goals were reached and put into practice.
All students moved along the marked path and at three recorded points each student in turn answered the questions: What am I personally really proud of in my life so far? Why am I exactly the right person for TAS Electronics? A major talent of mine is …
Ultimately, they travelled along the path together and I, as the managing director, regularly pointed out the need for cooperation between all those involved. Occasionally, I intensified the process from the outside by exerting time pressure, or prohibiting any verbal communication, or by stipulating the need to communicate in a specific way.
Team²
Ten volunteers took a seat at the prepared table with the ten Team² squares, where they immediately started “playing” and completed the task. As the principle was that everyone was to have something to do, all of the other candidates were given tasks. For example, one person was responsible for ensuring that the rules were followed, and another was responsible for how the group communicated in general. Furthermore, a supervisor was assigned to note any violations of the rules. Some candidates were appointed to look after certain teammates and give them feedback once the activity was over.
I spontaneously introduced disruptive elements from the outside by asking the highly concentrated participants a question, or I introduced time pressure, evaluated previous successes, or I called out individuals by name with the aim of revealing resilience, innate coolness, or even identifying stress factors.
StackMan
As the managing director of TAS Electronics, I had received the order to stage a Linkin Park concert at the Festival Hall in Frankfurt. Five candidates were to demonstrate their skills as employees of the company and were given the task of building a “mock-up” of the requested stage for Linkin Park using the wooden elements of StackMan.
Five candidates who did not have an active role during Team² were charged with setting up the stage. As the managing director, I also had the right to spontaneously specify additional tasks and appoint further participants. And here, too, feedback was given after the activity.
In this activity, I again intervened by setting time limits and/or interfering with the stage builders, and integrated intensifiers. The point was to enable the participants to realize that, under stress, they (re)acted differently to normal, and to let them put a name to, and reflect on, this new behavior.
Transfer to the real world (SysTeam)
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| (Wobbly) bistro plate | “TAS Electronics” with its diverse employees |
| Wooden figurines | Individual candidates and/or employees; varying order levels |
| Blindfolds | Differently abled employees |
Transfer to the real world (TeamNavigator)
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Drawn path | Varying assignments that are accomplished through constructive teamwork |
| Strings | Work equipment; tools |
| Stopping points with questions | Intermediate steps, reflection phases within the company |
Transfer to the real world (Team²)
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Individual figurines | Varying order situations, problems arising during order fulfillment |
| Placement zones | Work areas and customer expectations that have been clearly agreed upon and must be adhered to |
| Disruptors | Problems occurring in normal daily working life |
Transfer to the real world (StackMan)
| Elements in the learning project | Elements in the real world |
|---|---|
| Wooden parts | Work equipment to be used |
| Solution sheet | Description of work processes |
| Egg-timer | Time pressure |
Reflection
When all of the students – the candidates for the three training positions – had retaken their seats, we reflected on the assessment center together. We reviewed the individual tasks and analyzed whether they succeeded or failed. This was where we focused on the students’ performance. I, the managing director, and my fellow co-managing directors provided invaluable feedback on the behavior we observed in the students.
They also the other candidates questions in order to give each other feedback. It was important in this phase to preserve the level of seriousness. Ending the assessment center with feedback was important for the learning success of all participants.
I asked very generally who thought they had done a good job with the tasks and who thought they would get the apprenticeship position. when answering any questions, the aim was for the participants to explain and justify their opinions and appraisals. As before, the key point was that TAS Electronics was going to take on three trainees and the reflection on what happened would take this fact into account. The adults let the candidates explain themselves and then gave feedback on their behavior.
Conclusion
For many years, our school has consistently seen that students perceive the assessment center as a valuable experience. The feedback from the students has so far been overwhelmingly positive, as the experience of interacting in a group and the managing director’s feedback are highly valued. The assessment center in the 12th grade theme week is a fixed element of the school’s profile and is a highlight of the week for many participants.
As an integrated comprehensive school, experiential learning and the EOL concept are anchored in our school profile. We have a large number of METALOG training tools and can use these tools again and again in a variety of ways in the classroom. Students attending the assessment center have already come into contact with the tools in different contexts. Therefore, it is important to develop new staging scenarios when using the tools again. Staging the learning project as the search for an apprenticeship position at TAS Electronics and dressing up, and consistently acting, as the managing director help make this learning intervention a success.
The whole program is occasionally requested as a training workshop, and interested colleagues from other classes and schools frequently visit us to observe the tools in action.
Prior to the event, in order to be better prepared, I ask the students’ class teachers about the behavior of individual students who will go on to become candidates. I can also use other tools in the assessment center, depending on the class and the general situation.