ESSEC is one of the leading business schools in France. With its prestigious “Grande École” status, it attracts more than 5,000 students each year and employs 160 permanent faculty members. Committed to the quality of its programs, ESSEC continuously seeks digital innovation to help students improve and succeed.
At Beekast, we are dedicated to highlighting successful collaborations. In this context, Valérie Chazalon, instructional designer at ESSEC’s Knowledge Lab, agreed to share her experience using the Beekast platform within the school.
Based on insights gathered from Valérie Chazalon.
In what context did the idea of using Beekast to facilitate classes at ESSEC emerge?
As we all know, the successive lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 profoundly transformed teaching methods. Despite this situation, ESSEC professors still needed to deliver high-quality courses to their students.
As part of her role in identifying digital tools that meet the needs of professors and lecturers to enhance their teaching, Valérie explored various collaborative platforms available on the market.
“After the lockdowns, we were approached by instructors who wanted to bring more energy into their classes and make them more engaging. Before adopting Beekast, we were already using tools, but none offered such a wide range of features.”
How was the Beekast platform received by professors?
During the first and second quarters of 2021, Valérie explains that tests were carried out with volunteer professors and lecturers to assess whether the platform met their pedagogical needs.
“After this testing phase, we received only positive feedback! So, in the summer of 2021, we launched an institutional license for the start of the 2021 academic year.”
Which features are the most appreciated?
“It’s the whole package! There are many diverse activities that allow us to activate different learning levers for students.”
When professors discuss what they like most about Beekast with Valérie, several key points stand out:
- The simplicity of the tool, with easy and intuitive session creation
- The ability to generate reports and summaries at the end of a session
- Activities such as word clouds, brainstorming boards, and discussion walls that effectively stimulate interaction
“It’s a complete solution. We stay in control of interactions, and it’s easy to use.”
Has Beekast addressed the initial challenge?
For those who needed to introduce more interactivity into their classes: yes. According to users, the platform’s ease of use effectively solves the initial challenge. Professors are satisfied, and students provide positive feedback.
“So overall, we’re happy with how it’s being used.”
Looking ahead, what are the goals for Beekast at ESSEC?
For Valérie, there are no specific targets in terms of usage volume, but rather a focus on optimal use of the platform.
“Our goal is for each professor to see the pedagogical value of the platform—we don’t force anyone to use it. What matters most is inspiring them to use Beekast and showing how simple it is.”
The implementation of Beekast at ESSEC has already helped optimize certain learning processes thanks to its wide range of collaborative activities. Both professors and students are satisfied with the solution and its ease of use. The Beekast team is proud to contribute to pedagogical innovation at one of France’s most prestigious business schools.
