By Valérie Chazalon, instructional designer at K-lab.

This year’s Pedagogical workshops explored the link between pedagogy and inclusion.

After a keynote by ESSEC Professors Karoline Strauss and Junko Takagi (see article “Nurturing Inclusive Leaders: Exploring Pedagogy and Care in Higher Education”, Pedagolab, 22/03/2024), working groups brought together experiences and pedagogical expertise to take a holistic approach to what is being done and/or could be done better for “pedagogy and inclusion” at ESSEC, from three points of view :

• Group 1: Teaching inclusion
• Group 2: Teaching inclusively
• Group 3: Pedagogy as care

Teaching inclusion

Group 1 proposes two possible ways of promoting inclusive teaching at ESSEC: 

1. Integrate inclusion into academic programs: from simply mentioning inclusion issues in courses to creating content and a dedicated course, the use of case studies, readings and discussions on diversity and equity are all ways in which the ESSEC community can get to grips with the subject.
2. Promote inclusive teaching practices to teach inclusive management: for example, mention the principles of diversity and inclusion at the beginning of the course, ensure inclusive behavior and language (gender neutrality), etc.

Inclusion can be treated globally or categorically (cultural diversity, intersectionality, discrimination, privilege, gender equality, ethnicity, etc.).

Teaching inclusively

Group 2 defined key messages to be discussed regularly with students, such as:

• “Each person in our classroom brings unique experiences and perspectives. Let’s respect and celebrate our differences.”
• “Listen to others’ viewpoints with an open heart and mind. We can learn so much from each other.”
• “Take the initiative to include all classmates in discussions, group activities, and social interactions.”

In addition, some adapting teaching methods, such as composing work groups in advance ensuring a diversity of profiles within the group (nationality, gender, age…) can be explained, in particular when training or onboarding new teachers.

And lastly, the group has come up with solutions and tools for developing inclusive teaching practices and managing diversity in the classroom: 

• Inclusivity Award for profiles that promote inclusion throughout their practices and initiatives.
• Respect for Others Protocol: resources and procedures to follow in case of discrimination or harassment
• Icebreaker activities to be carried out with students to highlight common points that unite them

Pedagogy as care

After sharing experiences and knowledge of prevention and direct or indirect support for students’ health, with a view to their well-being and the best possible follow-up to their studies, group 3 has mapped out the statements, existing situation and best practices.

The aim was not to generalize these characteristics to all students but simply to start a reflection and better understand the complementary nature of each person’s role at ESSEC.

The group wishes to continue its work on “Pedagogy as care” by producing the materials resulting from its discussions: 

• To answer the question “How can teachers and other staff members report a student’s difficulties without fear of stigmatization?” Produce a document to help professors to redirect students to the resources/persons that can help them (a kind of process)
• Summary sheet on the specific features dedicated to programs and people that can help students (document for students, to display on classroom doors)

The transversality of the groups enabled the sharing of existing initiatives and systems, and consolidated the foundation of our common values. Thank you to professors,  staffs, students psychologists and nurses, but also teams from the Student and Residential Life Department, Career Services, K-lab, the Languages and Cultures Department and the Centre for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

The contributions of the working groups will then be reworked, in the form of best practices or recommendations.

Launched in 2022 by the Dean’s Office and the K-lab, the pedagogical workshops offer quarterly meetings to share knowledge and specific experiences: ESSEC professors and external speakers talk to their peers about the projects and pedagogical innovations they have developed and led. Following the presentations, there are opportunities for discussion and exploration of the digital tools employed in these projects. The workshops are organised by videoconference and the recordings are then made available to the ESSEC teaching community.