Icam pedagogy and its distinctive characteristics

 

• Experiential learning & Application-based approach (Science & Technology)

Icam learning programs address a large scope of scientific and technical fields. Theoretical courses are carried out via tutorials and practical exercises that ensure interaction in small groups. Learning-by-doing and critical thinking are at the core of Icam’s training approach.

 

• Human-centered engineering

The ability to think in a holistic way is an essential skill to tackle the complexity of the situations and problems. Ethical, cultural and social considerations are intertwined with technical and organizational perspectives. At Icam we apply the sentence “Think global, act local”. Icam students learn to decode cultural systems and the impact of technologies on the present and the future. They use an integral ecology approach. They interact in an intercultural context and get involved in various levels in action groups addressing real world  issues.

 

• Project-Based Approach [PBA]

This pluridisciplinary learning approach places the students in realistic and complex situations where they apply and develop their competencies. Students take on the central role in their own education. They learn to adapt scientific, creative and collaborative project approaches in multiple contexts with varying complexity. PBA-related activities are central to the professionalization of the student’s attitudes and skills, and ensure that the Icam engineer is able to address the scientific, technological, human, and societal dimensions that confront the world.

 

• Decision Making Approach [DMA] 

This learning approach invites students to undertake a process of self-reflection and discernment based on their diverse experiences throughout the program (including internships). This process enables students to define themselves within very broad and diverse fields of their present and future life (training, volunteer work, career prospects, and personal involvement). They develop a personal sense of decision making, responsibility and engagement in light of the needs of society and the common good.