Pedagogy at ESSCA
At ESSCA, we place the student at the heart of our pedagogical approach!
Through the expertise of the Institute of Advanced Pedagogy (Institut de Pédagogie Avancée – IPA), we adopt a student-centred curriculum and competency-based approach. This provides quality training that is adapted to the challenges of today’s professional world, ensuring an enriching and relevant learning experience for you.
This approach enables us to focus on the development of essential skills in our students, preparing you to succeed in an ever-changing professional environment.
The IPA: An Institute Serving ESSCA’s Educational Excellence
The IPA, established in 2010, serves as ESSCA’s teaching centre. Its activities are divided into three distinct but interdependent areas:
- The professional development of teaching staff.
- The quality assurance of teaching and learning.
- The promotion of pedagogical innovation through the continuous improvement of teaching practices.
The IPA’s activities have gained international recognition. One of our courses was ranked among the top 30 teaching innovations by the American accreditation body AACSB. Furthermore, the quality of our online courses has been recognised by the European Online Course Certification System (EOCCS), a certification issued by EFMD. This recognition illustrates our commitment to providing students with a high-quality learning experience that meets international standards.
Testimonial
At ESSCA, we take pride in our commitment to educational innovation and our ability to prepare our students to succeed in a constantly changing world. With the support of the IPA, we continue to push the boundaries of education and offer our students the best opportunities for personal and professional development.
IPA’s expertise enables ESSCA to uphold the School’s pedagogical principles.
Programme Approach and Student-Centred Skills
At ESSCA, we adopt a programme-based approach that incorporates the latest advances in pedagogy. Our goal is to nurture students who are not only competent in their field, but also capable of adapting to a constantly changing world. In close collaboration with the IPA, we ensure that our programmes align with the needs of the job market and the expectations of employers. This is achieved through a rigorous pedagogical alignment process, which includes defining target competencies, devising teaching-learning strategies, and implementing effective learning assessments.
Quality Assurance and Evaluation of Teaching
The IPA ensures the quality of our programmes through its Assurance of Learning (AoL) scheme. This means that you can be confident that the courses you take at ESSCA meet the highest educational standards.
We strive to ensure that our courses meet the expectations of the most prestigious international higher education accreditation bodies. In addition, we regularly conduct Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET). This allows us to understand the quality of teaching, appreciate good practices, and also identify areas for improvement.
Our commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement ensures an enriching learning experience for you and all our students.
Developing the Skills of Teaching Staff
The IPA provides invaluable support to our teaching staff by helping them develop their teaching skills. Through specialist training, workshops, a community of practice, and one-to-one coaching, we ensure that our teaching staff stays at the forefront of educational practice.
We also conduct ongoing evaluations of teaching by students. This feedback guides us in constantly improving our teaching methods, thus ensuring the quality of our courses.
Pedagogical Innovation
The IPA’s Pedagogical Initiatives Fund stimulates innovation by financing projects each year that are designed to enhance learning. Thanks to this fund, our teachers can develop creative initiatives such as gamified applications, innovative learning spaces, and programmes focused on students’ professional development. This supportive approach fosters an environment that encourages experimentation and the continuous improvement of teaching practices.
Digitalisation of Teaching
In the area of digitising teaching, ESSCA’s teachers receive close assistance in analysing their needs and those of their teaching system. Our expertise covers several aspects, particularly the technical aspects of resource design and production, ergonomics, and accessibility.
We also guide our teaching staff in the choice of digital tools such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), AI (especially in the context of assistants created by generative AI), and complementary applications. The selection of these tools depends on their potential and relevance to pedagogical projects.
At the heart of all our decisions regarding digitisation are factors such as learner commitment, motivation, and success.
Examples of Pedagogical Projects and Innovations at ESSCA
The redesign of the Grande École programme from 2019 to 2023 provided an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to a student-centred programme approach and competency-based learning. This was achieved through effective teaching methods such as the critical incident method, case studies inspired by the students’ direct environment, and Art Thinking.
With the support of the IPA, ESSCA’s faculty has also developed innovative MOOCs on topical subjects. For instance, the Periscope project focuses on purchasing and supply management, while the FIRE and FIRE+ MOOCs address the integration of refugees through sport. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to high-quality online learning.
Several of the school’s projects stand out for their innovative nature and impact on student learning. One example is the ‘Accounting with Alice’ video series, which uses an entertaining story-telling approach to make accounting accessible to students. This project led to the creation of a mobile game application to help students learn basic accounting and information system concepts in a fun and effective way. The app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play.
Alice, an entrepreneur, has a tax or accounting question… The author answers Alice’s questions using practical examples. These videos, based on storytelling, cover the management topics discussed in the books and are presented during the courses given at ESSCA.
The content is serious, comprehensive but not austere. The originality of the project lies in its innovative approach to teaching, which can be understood by everyone!
Programmes focusing on students’ personal and professional development have also been created. They aim to provide you with the tools you need to succeed academically while promoting your well-being and personal development.
Finally, our commitment to sustainable development is demonstrated through projects such as the design of modules offering cross-disciplinary and immersive experiences for students on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, or raising awareness of sustainable marketing, bringing academic content closer to professional reality.
These projects, some of which are supported by the Alumni Foundation, reflect ESSCA’s constant desire to innovate in our pedagogical approach. We draw on the latest research and practices in education to prepare you to become the leaders of tomorrow.