DOI: 10.21409/hal-01289533
title: Pédagogie et apprentissage par projet : cas des projets d’innovation réalisés dans le cadre d’un partenariat industriel

description: Dans le contexte de l’apprentissage par projet, la réalisation d’un projet avec un partenariat industriel constitue une réelle opportunité pour enrichir la formation des étudiants, en les plaçant dans une situation professionnalisante. Cet article présente une étude de cas illustrant les démarches déployées par les formateurs d’un réseau d’établissement dans le cas de projets d’innovation alimentaire, et l’analyse des perceptions des étudiants impliqués dans les formations.
description: Project-based learning is fully implemented in the curricula of French higher education institutions in agribusiness. For 15 years, twelve institutions have developed operational teaching approaches to integrate in their education curriculum participation of students in the food eco-innovation contest ECOTROPHELIA. Created in 2000, the contest succeeds in mobilizing and facilitating cooperation between higher education and representatives of the food sector to train future executives to business innovation. Recruiters recognize the quality of learning by ECOTROPHELIA projects. Students participate in teams of 3 to 10 to project-based learning, over a period of 8 to 12 months depending on the institution. They face the multidisciplinary complexity of an eco-innovative project: from the idea generation to the industrial transfer. The knowledge and skills acquisition is supported by 'technical' trainers. A coaching device supports students in developing the project specific skills: (i) project management, (ii) leadership, (iii) food eco-innovation approaches. In the framework of the ANR IDEFI ECOTROPHELIA research program (2012-2017), 12 higher education institutions are networking to build the referential educational model to support the teaching staff in their supervision of learning during the development of these food eco-innovation projects . Relying on an inventory of practices in 12 partner institutions, the development of a toolbox to serve trainers and students is a key step to ensure the sustainability of these approaches and consider their dissemination to all French food innovation higher education institutions. The construction of the toolbox is based on the opinions of students, collected during an annual survey on 18 teams and 120 students. The toolbox originality is to support students and assist teachers during learning. Designed on a shared digital platform among the 12 institutions , the toolbox aims to respond to several issues: (i) to assist students in the knowledge acquisition required for the achievement of the 10 steps of the project (creativity, market research, formulation, etc.). Students have access to knowledge  and a self-learning tool  to test their level of its acquisition. (ii) To propose methods to achieve project steps (e.g. development of packaging). (iii) To provide tools (e.g. software) to realize specific actions (e.g. tool for evaluating the environmental impact). (iv) To assist students in individual management skills development. (v) To assist trainers in their practices for supervising students in their projects learning processes through network exchanges. The aim of this article is to present the collective approach implemented for the design of a toolbox serving students and trainers to support the learning process through innovation projects. The device intends to strengthen the professional dimension of the training, in the center of the strategy of all French institutions of higher education in food innovation.