Publish at September 20 2020 Updated December 13 2023
It may seem 'normal' that practical work should only be carried out in a laboratory, but is this systematic organization always justified? Can we question this principle? Some have already taken the plunge and set up approaches that enable them to work remotely.
We'd like to give you some ideas about the extent to which, and the conditions under which, remote practical work can be envisaged, as well as a few examples of concrete achievements, based on the informal riposte créative workgroup and the Prodagéo blog article on the subject.
Before defining how to organize the practical work sessions, it is essential to specify the objectives and assessment methods to ensure the overall coherence of the activity. It would seem that practical work can have two main objectives:
Can you define your objectives for each of the practical sessions you prepare? It's highly likely that several manipulations will enable you to work on the targeted gesture or highlight the phenomenon under study, and perhaps some can be carried out outside the classroom?
Once the objectives have been defined, the question arises of how to assess the students' practical work. It's not a question of grading the student's work, but of providing feedback to help him or her progress. This feedback can be provided by 3 types of trace:
By making the link with the targeted objectives, it appears that a skilful mix of these 3 elements is often necessary, and it remains to be defined which observables the teacher will choose to enable the most relevant evaluation possible.
Two factors can complicate the implementation of distance practical work:
We'll look below at the useful tools and strategies that can be put in place to overcome these constraints to a greater or lesser extent.
These different approaches show that it is possible to work on professional gestures from a distance (as in the case of pastry-making), and to a certain extent, do away with complex equipment (by relying on smartphones, emulators, simulations). There are also a number of ways in which support can be provided.
Practical work of this kind, "out of the lab", seems conceivable. They can even provide added value by integrating collaborative methods and being rooted in students' everyday lives, which can be a real source of motivation and commitment. Last but not least, teachers need to be well-equipped to support students in their approach, and to be rigorous in monitoring them effectively and regularly over time.
References
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