Live reporting

Initial situation

Courses given in an academic environment are often considered to be too disconnected from the reality of the field, even for relatively applied fields, if only because they take place in classrooms and lecture theaters.

Following the obligation to teach at a distance during the Covid-19 pandemic, the teaching team considered how to make better use of videoconferencing. The idea was to overcome the distance between the teaching team and the students, and instead exploit it through a new pedagogical framework: the course in real-time report format on Zoom. While it’s impossible to organize a meeting with 150 students in an elementary school classroom or simulation center, it is possible to set up a small teaching team to travel to the places where knowledge is mobilized. Students can then attend an “in situ digital” presentation in real time, to encourage and optimize exchanges with the “specialist” in the field.

Project implementation

During the 2021-22 academic year, the teaching team of the “Introduction to educational technologies” course organized and set up two reports broadcast in real time on Zoom to students. The first course report took place at the Centre Interprofessionnel de Simulations (UNIGE, HUG, HEDS, IMAD) and was designed to present the practice and technological equipment used during training courses, and to introduce the center’s general mode of operation. It thus replaced a traditional course on simulations. The second intervention took place in a primary school classroom, where the interactive whiteboard was heavily used by the teacher. These two courses have been renewed for 2022-23, and supplemented by two other courses: the use of tablets in the classroom and digital manufacturing, at the University’s Fac Lab. A final reportage course involved a visit to Uni-Dufour’s servers to demonstrate the materiality of digital technology and raise awareness of its ecological consequences.

When creating a teaching scenario, the teacher selects specific topics to introduce to students. In the “Introduction to educational technologies” course syllabus, for example, a section was dedicated to simulation. In order to give students a true picture of what a simulation involving digital equipment in an authentic setting is all about, the teacher contacted and exchanged ideas with the management of the Centre Interprofessionnel de Simulation. At the beginning of the year, students are given a schedule for the course (which is totally distance learning), informing them that the course in report format will take place synchronously. Indeed, the aim of this format is not only to introduce the use of the tool, but also to invite students to interact with the professional “interviewee”.

The reportage course lasts around 1 hour, and is generally followed by 15-20 minutes of distance lecturing by the teacher on the theme of the reportage course, recalling the theoretical principles and building on the previous reportage session.

Thoughts and advice

From a logistical point of view, the reportage format course requires at least three members of the teaching team, in this case:

A cameraman to film the professional in the field and the teacher in interaction;

the teacher, who will structure the report by interviewing the professional;

the assistant, responsible for ensuring that the report is properly transmitted (sound and video quality) and for relaying students’ questions to the professional.

In terms of equipment, on the day of the intervention, the team must bring a camera to film the professional in his or her environment. An iPhone and a stabilizer can be used. The course assistant takes a computer or tablet and logs on to Zoom to communicate with students and relay their questions. The teacher uses his/her laptop to deliver the concluding part of the course. It is necessary to ensure that the locations to which the team travels have either wifi or 3G access.

Live broadcasting via Zoom solves logistical problems such as space to accommodate the students, the fluidity of questions submitted to the professional or optimizing the angle of presentation of the digital object under study. Using the cell phone, the cameraman can zoom in on particular manipulations performed by the speaker. In this respect, it is strongly recommended that the teaching team setting up the course in reportage format ensure good broadcasting conditions (optimal wifi conditions, good sound feedback, good framing) so as not to diminish the commitment of the students. It is also advisable to get in touch with the professionals at least one month before the day of the event, to agree on the terms and conditions of the report, such as duration, speaking schedule, etc.

Student feedback

“I found it very interesting to have classes in report mode, I don’t know if it helped my learning or not, but what is certain is that I was able to stay attentive from beginning to end because things move more and the interaction with the speaker is much more in the form of discussion.” “Having external speakers was captivating and brought a lot to the learning. We remember information more easily than when we see it in a PPT without example.” “The reportage format is interesting, but depending on camera angles or vision that shakes a bit, it can be more complicated to follow. There are also certain technical problems with cuts or extraneous noise from surrounding elements and people that prevent the information from being properly understood.”