How student associations are “Learning by Doing” at Rennes School of Business
Rennes School of Business’ student associations adopt a new learning model
Student associations form an integral part of the experience at Rennes School of Business. In the first year of the Grande École Programme, all students must validate a module based on participation in one of the School’s 26 associations.
The student associations at Rennes SB are divided into five areas of activity with a vast choice of projects so that students are able to choose a project in which they feel personally invested. Projects can have a focus on business services, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, finance, humanitarian projects, sports, artistic and cultural events, student services and more.
According to Elodie Huré, Programme Director of the PGE programme: “Teaching through action is essential at Rennes SB and particularly within the Grande École Programme. We are careful to create a context where students can take responsibility, learn from it and also express their values and develop their curiosity. This teaching method, which is embodied in Learning by Doing, is an opportunity for students to refine their professional projects by better understanding what they like to do, and what they excel at.”
Learning by Doing
Within these associations, our students are led to design, build, develop, implement and manage a project. This experience is an integral part of the Programme Grande École and is an essential component of the School’s new “Learning by Doing” model. Supervised and assessed, students are able to apply their theoretical knowledge acquired in class, whilst obtaining new skills “on the ground” during the project.
Gwenaelle Delahaie, Student association coordinator at Rennes SB, tells us that “We are delighted with the opportunities that have been opened through Learning by Doing. Many new clubs have been created following the launch of this new system and we are increasing our links with the external associations in our region. This is the First Chapter of a new adventure for the associations of our School, with excellent prospects for future cohorts.”
The Learning by Doing ideology centres around three main actions:
Learning by Experimenting
Students join an association in which they can experiment by trying out a new skill or learn about a new sector. By acting on behalf of one of the School’s associations, students participate directly in the School’s identity and contribute to its influence.
Learning by Innovating
Students can develop their creativity in the service of an entrepreneurial project, with the support of the School.
Learning by Serving
Students can volunteer with a non-profit organisation outside of the school that is linked to the missions and goals of their School association. In this way students both participate in life at the School, and act as an ambassador during their service in the community.
Former president of the Bureau des Elèves, Pierre Le Maire, tells us more about the importance of student associations for student development: “Associations, within management schools such as Rennes School of Business, help to ensure that a student can really flourish. It is an opportunity for students who have a common interest to unite and move forward together whilst working on different projects.
I think that associations make it possible to create real “families”, they also make it possible to mature and to give more responsibility to people who need it. This means giving future managers the opportunity to organise an event from A to Z. In particular, students learn to work in groups through continuous communication, whether internal or external to the association.”
