In Summary

The team behind Swinburne University of Technology’s globally successful Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on Autism will share their expertise in two free events this month, as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week.  

In 2015 Swinburne hosted the first MOOC on Autism. More than 15,000 people from 82 countries took part in the course, which was designed to assist parents, families and carers who live and work with individuals on the Autism spectrum.

Swinburne researcher Emma Donaldson said, “the workshop, ‘What is an Autism MOOC?’ will be valuable for people interested in finding out how we addressed and gave feedback to such a large number of participants from the Autism community, in an online environment.

“It will also look at some of the Autism support issues, including communication, special interests, transitions and resilience. It will give an insight into these issues from the perspectives of both the carer and the individual with Autism.”

“We are keen to share these experiences with others and also discuss how we could make the online learning experience even more engaging for participants in the future.”

Swinburne Associate Professor Mick Grimley, who is co-presenting the workshop ‘Autism MOOC: Building a Community of Knowledge’ said this workshop was aimed at family members and practitioners who care for people on the Autism spectrum.

“We will be taking participants through the 'person first' thinking approach that we used in Swinburne's Autism MOOC for family members and practitioners  to develop strategies for approaching the day-to-day issues involved in managing the environment surrounding an individual with Autism.”

These events are part of Melbourne Knowledge Week, 19-25 October 2015, proudly presented by the City of Melbourne.

Details:

What is an Autism MOOC? 
Wednesday, 21 October 2015, 10am to 12pm
Swinburne City Campus, 196 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 
Register to attend

Autism MOOC: Building a Community of Knowledge
Wednesday, 21 October 2015 from 1pm to 3pm 
Swinburne City Campus, 196 Flinders Street Melbourne VIC 3000 
Register to attend