Re-imagining Active Pedagogy: A Collaborative Learning Experience at Paul Sabatier University

Joel Muzard & Pascal Bernardon from A-I-A recently collaborated with Maher Slouma and his students from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France to host a unique event where the students took an active role in the learning process. This session, named a Café-Data demonstrated the power of active pedagogy, where students became direct participants in their learning journey rather than passive listeners.

Students divided into three groups to explore data organization through Web-Idea-Pro, focusing on: Data Players, Data Ecosystems and Dangers of Data

Unlike a typical university class, students separated themselves into three groups and instead of listening to a lecture, read articles about data organization and added bubbles in Web-Idea-Pro to explain what they understood.

As usual, there’s no limit on what can be expressed during ideation time—every idea and thought is welcome. The goal is to create a space free of pressure or expectation of outcome and to give permission for anything that comes up—this is where the most interesting ideas are born.

After ideation time, each of the three groups took a turn describing the different concept bubbles they created in the co-construction space. It’s here where they elaborated on their thoughts and ideas regarding data organization.

Next, we did something new—using the AI feature of the new toolbar, the students exported parts of their work into different AI assistants in order to compare and contrast how different models process data While students acknowledged AI's efficiency ("fait gagner énormément de temps") and its ability to synthesize ideas ("ça condense énormément de bonnes idées et énormément de données intéressantes"), they also noted the importance of a balance between AI capabilities and human involvement.

Lastly, in the closing circle students created bubbles and shared take-aways from the experience—they had several positive things to say:

• First, they appreciated the collaborative approach, finding it more engaging than traditional passive learning. As one student noted in French, "ça nous a permis de pouvoir participer et pas juste être là. Passif à écouter, donc c'était assez agréable."

• Students noted the value of diverse AI tools and the importance of fact-checking—students commented on the value of multiple perspectives and the importance of ensuring accurate information.

• Web-Idea-Pro to be a useful tool for learning learning according to the studens. They praised its effectiveness for synthesizing information and as a means for facilitating group collaboration. As expressed by one participant, "l'outil Webide Pro, qui est vraiment un outil intéressant pour les travaux de collaboration."

Web-Idea-Pro helped turn the class from a lecture to a collaborative event. Students were active participants in the learning process as they produced thoughtful concept bubbles and experimented with how generative AI can synthesize academic information. This type of participation helped them stay engaged and enthusiastic about their course material making the Café-Data an engaging educational process for all!

Interested in learning more? Get in touch to join an upcoming Knowledge-Lab here.