Preparatory School and NEOMA BS professors co-design a Humanities course: a mutually rewarding challenge!
Published on 06/17/2019
NEOMA's world
Thematics :
NEOMA BS is hosting the annual congress of the Association of Economics and Business Preparatory Class teachers, which will bring together more than 300 professors on the Rouen campus. An opportunity to review the Humanities module launched at the start of this school year. Comprising 5 sessions that focus on the theme of work, the course was co-designed by preparatory school and NEOMA Business School professors, including Christophe Giolito, philosophy professor at the Lycée Saint-Cyr and Xavier Enselme, Economics professor at the Lycée Henri IV, who take a look back on their joint-teaching experience
1 - How was the course co-created with the NEOMA BS teachers? How do you think you complement one another and how is this expressed?
Xavier ENSELME : During the preparation of the module, a collaborative approach was adopted, where everyone read each other's work, shared their thoughts in order to be in a position where we could improve things. It's a great way to work! I am convinced that it is important to have access to the experience of other teachers.
Christophe Giolito : During the course development phase, we held a lot of discussions with the other course creators with the aim of offering students a homogeneous module and within a common, co-developed standard. A really positive working relationship emerged between the Preparatory Classes and NEOMA BS teachers. In the preparatory class, competition plays a positive role when it comes to helping students make progress. At Business School other work situations are prioritised, such as cooperation and collaboration during group work. This partnership really enabled us to forget our institutional differences.2 – What made you decide to work with NEOMA BS on the creation of this course?
Xavier ENSELME : I have always taught elsewhere than in the preparatory class: preparing colleagues for the agrégation teaching diploma or teaching at the university. I enjoy changing my environment, meeting different students and seeing how things are done elsewhere. For me it is a kind of freedom.In preparatory schools, the teams are very stable. This is what makes them successful, but it can tend to slow down the emergence of new teaching methods. The collaboration with NEOMA BS was a perfect opportunity to meet other people who share a different vision.
Christophe GIOLITO : I have been teaching students to prepare to enter Business Schools for many years without ever having the opportunity to see how things were actually done there, so I really wanted to have a look "on the other side of the fence" so to speak.
3 – Would you recommend this experience?
Xavier ENSELME : I'd highly recommend this experience to colleagues, because it is very interesting from a professional point of view. Both in the design of the course and in the way the class is managed. In preparatory school the course is highly teacher-centred and student participation is based on making sure that everyone has understood. In the Humanities and Management course, the aim was to form groups of students and prolong their discussion by intervening with comments.It is a good experience to be taken onto a new path and be confronted with something completely new, for teachers as well as students. The aim was obviously not to confuse the students or to really question things. The objective was to do things differently. Although the students have been working in the same way for two years, giving them the opportunity to work in teams and all the difficulties associated with this really does prepare them for their future professional life. It seems to me that they have not only learned notions of philosophy or human science, but also know-how and skills.
Christophe GIOLITO : Without any hesitation, yes! It was an experience I really enjoyed and one I would highly recommend. This type of experience could be part of the training for all Preparatory Class teachers.