100 projects
in 5 years

Active pedagogy and project-based learning: what is it?

Businesses need people who are more creative, capable of taking initiative, able to learn, and who have interpersonal relationship skills like “knowing how to work in a team”. However, changes in the world of education are not quick enough and suffer from inertia in their systems and behaviours, but also from lacks in the acquisition of new collective skills. In this context, which approaches allow us to stimulate creativity, initiative, and risk taking in order to overcome the challenges of the 21st century? How can we educate young people and prepare them to become creative and collaborative? What will be the future template for schools? Which pedagogical approaches should we privilege? How can we develop the talents and skills of students?

Our profound conviction is that we must put into place a pedagogy that is adapted to this new reality, in which a student will co-create their own educational pathway. Their studies should bring them a high-value learning experience. From the G.BS Bachelors to the Masters, the search for skills acquisition will allow students to develop a durable employability level, and constant adaptability.

For almost a half a century, we have been undergoing a change in the educational paradigm, which has progressively been passing from a logic of transmitting knowledge through a teacher or an expert in the field to a logic centred on skill-based learning targeted at professionalism. Knowledge is available easily and instantly, and the development of MOOC is further enabling this. The goal, then, is no longer to acquire knowledge, but rather skills.

Project-based learning is a type of active pedagogy, at the heart of our DNA, which allows learning through the realisation of concrete productions. The project can be individual or collective.

Why and how?

Being similar to the situations in which students will find themselves in their professional lives, projects help students to be better prepared for the world of work. Additionally, group work presents three advantages: it inspires motivation: it encourages working hard against obstacles; it allows students to be confronted with complex tasks and situations, and it develops collaborative skills and communication skills which are designed to overcome problems. Numerous studies show the benefits of project-based pedagogy: better class content integration (with as an added bonus know-how and social skills to resolve complex issues); increased motivation to learn; and better cooperation between teachers.

All of these elements converge today to change pedagogical approaches: students need to be accompanied in the construction of their career path and they need us to give them rich learning experiences, teachers want to rediscover the pleasure of teaching and to collaborate, businesses need competent, creative collaborators who are capable of taking initiative. The search for pedagogical excellence is a major issue. Project-based learning is a response to this search that is both ambitious and promising.