Innovative teaching methods to welcome first-year students more effectively
- Education
Published on July 19, 2025
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Updated on July 19, 2025
Dates
on the July 18, 2025
At a time when the success of undergraduates is a key issue for higher education, Université Côte d'Azur is innovating with the Student Passport, an innovative system designed to welcome, understand and support new students from the moment they arrive at university.
Learning to be a student
Designed as a compulsory online course, the Student Passport is aimed at all first-time undergraduates, i.e. over 5,000 students every year. Its aim is to give students the keys to the student's job, to help them discover the university ecosystem, and above all to enable them to express their needs or difficulties as soon as they start the new academic year, in a clear, engaging and structuring learning environment.
An immersive, fun platform
Deployed on Moodle, the Student Passport stands out for its immersive graphic universe, inspired by the theme of travel, and a playful structure that encourages progression and commitment (colorful universe, challenges, signposted course...). Students progress at their own pace through nine modules, covering everything from administrative procedures and university services to work methodology and motivation.
Better knowledge for better support
The Passport includes questionnaires based on scientific literature on the student experience. They cover equipment, study context, motivation, work methodology, stress and feelings of personal effectiveness. The special feature of these questionnaires is that they are integrated into the Passport's pedagogical pathway, and are experienced as quizzes rather than as a survey.The aim is threefold:
> For the student: an immediate, individualized response, without the impression of taking a "survey".
> For teaching managers: a detailed view of student profiles from the very first weeks, facilitating targeted teaching management.
> For the university: a powerful knowledge tool to build more targeted, adapted and proactive support initiatives.
Developed as part of the PIA3 L@UCA project, the Passport has now become a cornerstone of the Université Côte d'Azur's institutional strategy for supporting student success. The aim is clear: to give every student the best possible conditions for a successful start to their university career, by fostering their autonomy, their understanding of the university environment and their sense of belonging.
