On Tuesday, October 19, Mines Saint-Etienne organized a launch event for the augmented reality video “Consent” in partnership with Reverto. This educational tool is part of the action plan to combat gender-based and sexual violence adopted by Institut Mines Télécom (IMT), of which the School is a member. Objective: to raise student awareness of these issues.
Augmented Reality
During an evening event, members of the School’s management and gender equality committee, along with staff and students, participated in the launch of the augmented reality video “Consent.” This video places the participant in the position of a victim of gender-based and sexual violence. It was produced in partnership with Reverto in collaboration with students. “We wanted to show scenes based on real events or close to reality,” explains Camille, a second-year ICM student. The video was filmed on the School’s Saint-Etienne campus. Hélène Pangot, head of the School’s diversity mission, notes that “the idea is to speak to students with appropriate language that is not preachy.”
The idea is to speak to students with appropriate language that is not preachy.
Hélène Pangot, Head of the School’s Diversity Mission
The evening provided an opportunity to share a friendly moment and discover this educational tool. At the end of the experience, participants shared their feedback. Emilie, a second-year ICM student, told us that “sometimes it’s a bit hard to watch, emotionally, but it’s mostly enriching; it gives you guidance on how to act, how to react—it’s important.” Krzystof Wolski (Director of Academic Programs) adds that “you find yourself in the victim’s position.” He “thinks it helps to better feel the emotions.” “It’s more impactful when you experience it than when you talk about it or read about it. Feeling the emotions seems extremely important to me,” explains Christine Jamen (Director of Human Resources), moved by the experience.
“Confronting the Notion of Consent on a Student Campus”
The immersive experience of this video places the viewer in the position of a student: Léa.
Léa is in her first year of the engineering program. Léa experiences sexist remarks throughout the day. At a student party, boys approach her. Léa talks with one of them in particular, Thomas. Léa feels tipsy. Léa wants to go home. Thomas walks her back. Léa is assaulted. The next day, Léa is in class. Her friends are not there. Her classmates stare at her. They comment on last night’s party. Léa is not supported as a victim. The institution is not informed.
Throughout the video, the participant can consult current regulations and the distinctions between different forms of violence and inequality. At the end of each sequence, they are asked about their feelings and must answer multiple-choice questions about what they have just seen.
“The Message to Convey: Zero Tolerance”
Long committed to these issues of gender-based and sexual violence, the School is strengthening its prevention efforts with this tool. Last February, it had already established a support hotline following reports of sexual assaults within the institution.
This augmented reality video is intended primarily for the School’s students. Indeed, they will receive training on these issues as part of their curriculum. It will begin in mid-November for ICM students and in February 2022 for first-year ISMIN students. They will work in small groups with solid support.
