On January 21 and 22, the Châlons-en-Champagne campus hosted the Arts et Métiers national educational seminar Arts et Métiers to ELFs (Evolutive Learning Factories).
An annual event dedicated to education
Coordinated by ICIFTech (Institute for Consulting and Innovation in Technological Training), this edition brought together 180 participants, mainly teachers and teacher-researchers from all Arts et Métiers sites. The aim of this event was to better align courses, projects, and assessments with the skills expected in engineering schools, as well as to share concrete methods for helping students progress.
The program alternated between lectures, progress reports on ELFs and the skills-based approach, campus tours led by Chalonnais teachers, and disciplinary and interdisciplinary workshops built around real-life teaching situations.
The seminar also provided an opportunity to recognize the commitment of teachers through the presentation of the RELIAM (Ressources Éducatives Libres Arts et Métiers) award. This distinction was awarded to Lou Grimal, a teacher at the Chambéry campus, and Jean-Yves Dantan, a teacher at the Metz campus, for their contributions to this Arts et Métiers educational archive Arts et Métiers to sharing educational resources.
Practical, interdisciplinary workshops
Divided into groups, participants took part in several workshops on various topics related to ELF. First, they familiarized themselves with the "authentic situation," an approach that consists of placing students in a situation close to industrial reality in order to mobilize their knowledge, skills, and engineering judgment. The groups then worked on designing an authentic situation in ELFs, using the training spaces on each campus as a testing ground. Mixed by discipline and campus, each group produced critical feedback: clarify objectives from the outset, simplify materials, and make evaluation criteria (distinct from procedures) explicit so that everyone, including non-teachers involved, can contribute fully.
In concrete terms, students will benefit from better-structured projects with clear expectations and shared assessment criteria. In workshops, they will be required to analyze a real need, design, experiment, and justify their choices as they would in a professional situation, while developing collaboration, rigor, and critical thinking skills.
A local and responsible welcome
The campus logistics department worked hard to ensure that the event ran smoothly. Participants were able to discover the region through a meal showcasing local and seasonal products from Champagne producers: cheeses, fruit juices, fruit, and vegetables. The dining areas were decorated using recycled materials and elements evoking the Champagne vineyards, as part of an approach that was both convivial and environmentally friendly.
To mark the occasion, each participant left with a personalized champagne capsule, made by a local supplier, featuring a photo of the campus and the date of the seminar.
A highlight of sharing and collaboration
Beyond the educational content, this seminar was an opportunity for teachers to meet and exchange ideas, encouraging the sharing of experiences. It allowed everyone to leave with new ideas, practical tools, and a better understanding of future developments in education.
This national event thus confirms its essential role in the development of educational innovation at Arts et Métiers, while showcasing the region and local initiatives.
