Inès Allag and María Angélica Mejía Cáceres have one thing in common: they are working to rethink the way we learn and teach, and they talk about it with passion. Meet two women involved in educational engineering and innovation at the Institut des Défis (IDD), supported by the Learning Planet Institute and Université Paris Cité.
International career paths, teachers' reflections
Inès Allag has traveled to many different countries and encountered many different modes of education. She spent all her schooling in France, and doesn't consider herself very proficient in English translation. However, during a university exchange to Turkey, her local translation teacher complimented her on her work and even asked her to teach! It was a baptism of fire for Inès, as her adventure in the field of education began. During her travels, she experiments with new ways of teaching, such as in New Zealand, where she uses digital tools to run her French classes.
Returning to France brought her face to face with a completely different reality, and after a brief stint in the French education system, Inès decided to train in educational engineering. «As a teacher, I particularly cherished pedagogical freedom, the fact that I could create my own sequences. I therefore wanted to work in a profession linked to the creation of course structures, and in this respect, pedagogical engineering met my needs».». Inès became a pedagogical engineer in 2022, and joined the Challenge Institute in the process.
It was also his teaching experience that prompted María Angélica Mejía Cáceres to take an interest in educational innovation. «I'm Colombian, and I did a bachelor's and master's degree in education and science. (biology, chemistry and physics) - particularly in environmental education.» María Angélica went on to earn a doctorate in science and health education in Brazil, with the aim of training teachers in environmental education. She teaches at primary, secondary and university levels.
During a trip to Germany as a guest teacher, María Angélica discovered the Learning Planet Institute by chance on the Internet. She felt right at home: «The work on the environment, education and the multicultural context immediately appealed to me, she explains. María Angélica joins Inès and the Institut des Défis team in February 2024, to take charge of the pedagogical innovation aspect of the project.
Educational engineering and innovation: two approaches at the heart of the Learning Planet Institute's DNA
It's not entirely by chance that Inès and María Angélica crossed paths with the Learning Planet Institute, where they now work. Innovative teaching methods such as Builders of Possibilities, to the methodologies developed for inclusion projects (HOP!), through to the co-design of academic training models as well as teacher training in new pedagogical and collaborative approaches, all these programs testify to the central role of pedagogical engineering and innovation at the Institut.
«Pedagogical engineering is the art of creating training programs to meet learners» needs first and foremost", points out Inès, whose job it is. «This involves selecting specific resources, choosing appropriate teaching methods, and selecting suitable tools.», she points out. « At the same time, there's training engineering, which goes beyond mere pedagogical content: the organizational and logistical aspects also have to be taken into account. This is engineering at a more meta-level. »
For Inès, educational engineering and innovation are complementary. «Moreover, in my opinion, the word «innovation» is not necessarily appropriate. We're discovering that it's old methods - like the Socratic method - that work and are being reused in the classroom». María Angélica nods with a smile. «What we have in common is that we rethink traditional teaching methodologies by finding alternative pedagogical strategies. For example, we get students more involved by creating a more participative and collaborative environment, we work more with project-based teaching, we mix art and science in the learning process...»
The Institut des Défis, a laboratory for educational experimentation
Within the Challenge Institute (IDD), Inès and María Angélica have no shortage of missions. «You asked us what a typical day in our jobs looks like, there isn't one!», they enthuse. Co-created in 2020 by’Université Paris Cité and the Learning Planet Institute, this interdisciplinary institute has a role to play: designing new teaching and pedagogical approaches to support ecological and societal transitions in the university and the city. It's been a journey of successes, challenges and failures, connecting the university, the city and civil society players around sustainability-related projects and issues. Since its creation, the IDD has seen the birth of 8 experimental programs in fields such as digital technology, pedagogy and teaching.
Training differently: between project-based pedagogy and mentoring
María Angélica and Inès haven't completely put away their teaching hats - quite the opposite, in fact. They have both worked on the design of the pedagogical model for the new AIRE Master's degree in global health, in collaboration with the Master's teaching team and students. «We worked hard to design a coherent model, based on feedback from students. This is very important so that we can improve our approach each time.», explains María Angélica.
In Master 1, she teaches a course in sustainability science. «Sixteen nationalities are represented in this Master's course, and we have taken into account students» demands in this area: they needed an approach to the environment that was not only biological but also (multi-) cultural. Today, we use project-based teaching in this course: students identify a problem that speaks to them, that is close to their hearts, and try to find a solution."
Inès adds: «This is where our engineering/innovation complementarity is strong. In this course, for example, I advised on the methodology to be adopted in project pedagogy by anticipating what needed to be put in place to succeed, and also accompanied the mentoring program.»
In the AIRE Master's program, students are mentored, and the role of mentor is not something you can improvise," stresses Inès, who has been able to develop her skills in this area at the IDD. «Even good teachers are not necessarily good mentors! In educational engineering, everything that's supposed to be obvious is called into question. We often think that someone who is an expert in a field will be able to teach it, but that's not true. Pedagogy can be learned. That's why we're here, to guide mentors and teachers.»
Building bridges between teachers and disciplines
Guiding teachers is one thing, connecting them is another. «Everything is often very siloed between subjects within the university».», explains Inès. «We're trying to break down the walls and open up a little more to build bridges between teachers, get them to think together and share their practices on setting up pedagogies, for example». In response to teachers' isolation, IDD has set up a community of practice, PedaGo!, This is a forum for discussing educational issues and sharing experiences and best practices. «IDD planted the seed», says María Angélica, and PédaGo! continues to operate independently.
These programs are just a few examples. The Institut des Défis team recently worked on the publication of the iN&Di guide, A document that bears witness to the IDD's approach to creating an intersectional program to raise awareness of inclusion and diversity.
A community on the move to rethink education
There's no doubt that Inès and María Angélica are passionate when they talk about their work. Both emphasize how lucky they are to be at the crossroads of disciplines and to be able to train in a wide range of skills (marketing, digital, project management, training...). They also consider themselves fortunate in the creative freedom they are able to develop. «Here at Learning Planet Institute, everyone is given the space to be creative, to do things their own way, and that gives rise to beautiful things.»
Learn more
Find out more about’Challenge Institute
Find out more about Education division of the Learning Planet Institute
An article written by Marie Ollivier
Thanks to Inès Allag and María Angélica Mejía Cáceres for answering our questions.
