First assignment of group n° 116
Resources used by the team[modifier | modifier le wikicode]
First description of our project[modifier | modifier le wikicode]
The future of higher education: facing the overcrowded lecture halls[modifier | modifier le wikicode]
1. What Problem do you want to solve ?
Our project is to face the problem of overcrowded lecture halls in French universities. Indeed, we noticed that in higher education the students are too numerous and it’s deteriorating the working conditions. It’s a threat to their abilities of understanding. They can’t sit (more than 250 students for 150 places in a lecture hall) or listen carefully, they are distracted more easily and at the end many of them will give up their studies before the graduation. Moreover, the growing rate of absenteeism is the paradoxal consequence to this problem : indeed, the lecture halls are full and the students can’t access to the lecture.
An other important consequence is the decrease of interactions between the students and the lecturer who are becoming less and less accessible. Furthermore, many students are forced to choose a different formation from the one they wanted at first.
2. Why does this problem exist?
This year the registrations in French universities have increased. There are 65 000 more students than last year, which represents the equivalence of three universities. This is a very critical situation because sometimes, for example in Toulouse, the universities have to draw/choose by lots (tirer au sort) their students.
We can explain this problem of overcrowded lecture hall with three main causes: the lack of space, professors and budget allocated by the government (€200 million are missing to finance the universities this year). Even if the problem is raised by professors and students, the ministry of National education hasn’t created any adequate solution or proposal. Indeed, during October 2015, a demonstration day has been planned by students in front of the ministry of higher education in Paris. Moreover, students from all over France have created a tumblr « MaSalleDeClasseVaCraquer » to denounce this disturbing problem.
At the end, we notice that any organization proposes solution to face the lack of budget and structures. Indeed, the government seems unable to act and find an alternative solution for the universities.
3. What breakthrough are you commited to creating?
We have to face the major problem of the lack of budget and structures which would permit to receive all students registered every year to the university. Currently the government doesn’t have the adequate resources to finance it.
This is why we want to find an alternative. Indeed our goal is to allow all students to have access to the courses they want in the best conditions. We think that it is unacceptable that many students are not able to make a good choice of studies just because there is a lack of places in the universities. This is why we would like to find an easy and maybe virtual way that could link the students and the professors. The goal is to allow every students to follow the formation that he really wants and to remove the barriers to higher education. So our project would be to create another method of teaching in order to replace the face-to-face lectures.
Potential experts already identified
We though about a potential experts: the director of the Paris Sorbonne University because we saw an interview where she said she was procupied by this matter. We although though about interrogating professors and students who care about this problem. Moreover we would like to get in touch with the administrator of the tumblr "MaSalleDeClasseVaCraquer". Indeed we want to know their opinion about the solution they would like to be organized.
