"The iPad is perfectly suited in terms of its vast experimental learning capacity. We want to imagine new ways of making use of it: developing new applications, more intuitive use of its e-book reader, access to online classes and distance learning, giving access to faculty publications via the e-book store etc..." explains Béatrice Nerson, deputy director of the Grenoble school.

"For over 22 years, all students have been asked to have a PC - which is now offered by the school since 2008 - the question now is to find out whether the iPad will replace PCs. We also want to examine new ways of using it, its inconvenient features, its advantages - for example, we may realise that the iPad is less ‘intrusive' than a PC, which, when open in the classroom, is like a barrier between the student and faculty..." explains Marc Humbert, head of the Innovation Laboratory.

An « innovation » laboratory launched in September 2010
Students will be selected to become beta testers in this new Innovation lab - a Laboratory of Experimental and Innovative Pedagogy - aimed at testing all that is new in the global learning environment.

Based on the results of these tests, new course contents and pedagogical resources will be made available to all at the Grenoble school. For example, the group will receive a preview of a new class on "Innovative Information Management". Furthermore, apart from the iPad, in terms of pedagogical resources and tools, the students will also be testing all that is - serious games, mind mapping, e-Readers, smartphones & Microsoft SharePoint applications and the HP tablet.

The aim is to examine how well the students and faculty use these resources and tools, get their feedback and as a result develop new pedagogical applications open to all.

Grenoble Ecole de Management: 25 years of pedagogical and technological innovation
Since its creation, Grenoble Ecole de Management developed an expertise around mutations linked to the management of technology in businesses. As well as developing general business management knowledge, students also get training in Technology Management and Innovation.

Historically, technology comes naturally to the Grenoble school:

1989: The school requests that all students acquire a laptop computer
1995: Design of educational and e-learning portals
1996: 250 infrared pillars are installed for student-laptop connections
2001: One of the first European institutions to equip its infrastructure with WIFI
2003: Creation of a new distance learning platform
2004: Thousands of publications and ebooks are made available via the online library Netlibrary.
2005: Launch of new student portal - My ESC
2006: Launch of OpenCim - free access e-learning portal (Open Courseware in Management).
2007: Classrooms are equipped with interactive white boards
2008: Installation of tactile electronic sensor screens and laptops given to French Grande Ecole students

And over the past two years:
Bloomberg trading floor
A local wireless WIFI network secured with the 802, 11 n norm up to 800 simultaneous connections
Microsoft Live@edu solution
Microsoft SharePoint Service
50 iPads
"Grenoble Ecole de Management" iPhone Application
14 interactive touch screen applications
Mobile cabinets carrying 50 laptops for IT courses on two classrooms
E-Learning - a simultaneous class taught in Grenoble and Tsukuba (Japan)
New Partnership with Microsoft
22 digital signage screens