Teaching European Studies 1
Chair(s): Jan Grzymski (Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
It is the first panel in a block of three educational panels that aim to share European Studies academics' experience in teaching methods that engage students in innovative ways.
There is a pressing need to tackle students' digital distraction, growing AI usage by students, and the post-pandemic need for more interactive activities in the classroom. Teaching in such conditions is becoming more demanding than ever before. This panel offers examples of how European Studies teachers could address it through interactive teaching methods.
In the first part, the panellists will present their experience of:
- using educational games: one based on digital software and the other one a board game
- interactive methods and tasks to engage students: gallery walk seminar, the mystery class (crowdsourced session), speed dating discussions and peer-to-peer feedback.
Presenters will discuss their inspiration and intention to use or develop their teaching method, challenges encountered during implementation, and students' reactions.
Following the presentations, there will be a round table format for all panel attendees to discuss their experiences and relate them to the presentations. We will also consider how these methods could be incorporated into higher education, public policy, and NGOs' educational and civic training, including challenges like educators' experience with active learning methods and funding constraints.
The panel also aims to establish a network of European Studies teachers who wish to work on possible joint educational projects. These could include designing games and simulations, quizzes, group work methodologies, and preparing teaching materials for educational platforms.
This panel is linked to two other panels:
TEACHING EUROPEAN STUDIES 2 (Monday, September 2, 2:00-3:30 pm): Playing and presenting educational games discussed in Panel 1.
TEACHING EUROPEAN STUDIES 4 (Wednesday, September 4, 9:00-10:30 am): Presentation of other teaching methods, including acting and theatre techniques and summer school methodologies.
Presentations of the Symposium
Science Games
Claudio Radaelli, Jonathan Kamkhaji
EUI
We often hear that policy-makers do not pay sufficient attention to scientific evidence and science in general. It is because their objective is not to find the truth but to gain votes, popularity, and power. The P Cube project approached the problem from the other side of the coin, so to speak: How can those who advocate for science exploit knowledge of the policy process to produce evidence-informed decisions? Can these actors become policy entrepreneurs? What is 'political' and 'scientific' in pursuing these entrepreneurial strategies?
At Science for Democracy, a political organisation advocating for science, we developed five computer games within the P Cube project. Behind the games is the pedagogical idea of drawing on active learning to teach strategies and pathways to enrich policy decisions by considering scientific findings and freedom of scientific research. In all five games, the policy entrepreneurs accomplish their mission by modifying the same fundamental variables of policy decisions. This approach facilitates the cumulative process of learning when the science games are played in different course sessions. At the same time, the games raise questions that usually divide public opinion, making it possible to reflect on the ethical and explicitly political dimensions raised by the presence of science in the policy process. This presentation will address the games' motivation, design principles, and learning aims, reflecting on how they can be used and for what reasons. Finally, how the science games could be used in the classroom and outside the class to train activists.
The games will be presented with the possibility of playing during Panel: TEACHING EUROPEAN STUDIES 2 (Monday, September 3, 2:00-3:30 pm).
Interactive Class Methods
Monika Brusenbauch-Meislová
Masaryk University
In my approach to teaching European studies, I integrate several diverse interactive and innovative teaching methods to enrich the learning experience and engage students deeply with the material. One such method is the "gallery walk seminar", where excerpts of readings are displayed like artworks in a gallery. Students walk through these "exhibits" to discuss and analyse the content, fostering a dynamic learning environment that encourages in-depth conversation and reflection. Another method is the "mystery class (crowdsourced session)", where students vote anonymously on topics they wish to explore, and the topic with the most votes becomes the subject of the class. This method empowers students to take charge of their learning and brings a sense of excitement and unpredictability to the classroom. Alongside these, I utilise "speed dating discussions" to allow students to explore multiple perspectives in quick succession with multiple peers. I also integrate peer-to-peer feedback in my classes, enabling students to learn from each other, enhancing their analytical skills and boosting collaborative learning. Together, these methods create a vibrant, student-centered learning atmosphere that is both engaging and intellectually stimulating.
Educational Boardgame
Jan Grzymski
Jagiellonian University
In this presentation, I will share my experience designing, testing and creating an educational board game about Brexit negotiations. Based on this example, I will discuss how board games could be used to help understand complex current political events and processes. There are two aspects which I want to discuss. First is how European Studies academics could turn their political knowledge into educational board game design. Second, how their experience in teaching could be relevant to the designing process. Based on a survey with real-life player experience, I will also discuss what elements of board games players enjoyed most and found to have an educational impact on them (like role-play, simulation, strategy setting, game's mechanics); what was essential for them when they play a board game (socialisation, competition, interest in the game's topic); how the players manage the interaction with others (trust, team-work, communication strategies, leadership skills, competing for game's scores). Ultimately, I will share my ideas on how academics could collaborate and design board games relevant to teaching European politics.
The board game will be presented at the Panel: TEACHING EUROPEAN STUDIES 2 (Monday, September 3, 2:00-3:30 pm).
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