42 is… A school without teachers

At 42, we have a unique approach to computer science education that sets us apart from traditional schools. We believe that the best way to train the next generation of computer scientists is to provide a self-directed learning environment that allows students to learn at their own pace, without needing traditional teachers or classroom instruction.

Thanks to its innovative teaching methods, 42 proposes high-quality training without having to resort to lectures: students learn programming through a peer-to-peer learning method, by collaborating and helping each other out. The pedagogy team is always there for students, whether they need help or extra motivation. In order to move forward at 42, teamwork is required. You have to rely on the community to learn things that you then share with others.

In this environment, students are given access to a wide range of challenging projects and exercises, and are encouraged to work on them independently, using their own skills, creativity, and determination to solve problems and learn new concepts.

“The main goal of 42’s pedagogical model is to remove the transfer of knowledge. Indeed, in a traditional classroom, teachers are the ones providing information to the students. They are also doing important work before that: they gather and filter out information, so that the students receive directly only the “essentials”. With this approach, the students do not develop their own research and filtering abilities. However today, with the digital revolution, all the knowledge is available online: everyone is faced with it and should be prepared to process it. By removing lectures and teachers from its pedagogical model, 42’s students have to learn how to look for useful information, dig into large amounts of data, and figure out what is true from what is false, relevant from irrelevant or up to date from obsolete, and then use what they feel is the relevant information to solve the project in front of them.”
Olivier Crouzet, Head of Pedagogical Innovation

In addition, self-directed learning allows students to learn at their own pace, which is crucial for those who may have different learning styles or abilities. In a traditional classroom setting, students are often forced to keep up with the pace of the teacher, which can be too slow or too fast but always frustrating and demotivating for those who struggle to learn in this way.

Our much more practical and hands-on learning experience allows students to develop a deep understanding of computer science concepts and apply them in a real-world setting. As they learn how to learn by themselves and without a teacher, they become prepared to face the uncertainty of the future — where 80% of the jobs will be different by 2030 — as mentioned in a Deloitte study. By the end of the training, former 42 students have developed important problem-solving skills and a growth mindset, both of which are crucial for success in their careers all of their life.