Problem-based learning and the relevance of teaching and learning European Studies in times of crises
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Problem‑based learning and the relevance of teaching and learning European Studies in times of crises Patrick Bijsmans1 · Esther Versluis1
© European Consortium for Political Research 2020
Abstract The succession of economic and financial crises, the migration crisis, and, of course, Brexit have raised many questions about the future of the European Union. Such crises present challenges for teaching and learning European Studies. This article discusses the question how to maintain a relevant study programme while taking into account ever-changing societal developments. Based on a survey conducted among students of a Bachelor in European Studies, and a subsequent focus group discussion, we look at programme relevance and programme capacity to deal with societal change in the context of a problem-based learning environment. Our study reveals that problem-based learning, when applied consistently and correctly, is a good educational approach to ensure that a study programme is relevant and capable of capturing societal change. At the same time, students seem to prefer a more guided version of problem-based learning, which presents challenges concerning its possible contribution to teaching and learning in times of crises. While we discuss the situation in one specific BA programme, we will do so in light of general challenges in the fields of European Studies, International Relations, and Politics. Keywords European Studies · Problem-based learning · Relevance · Societal change · Teaching and learning
Introduction Our ever-changing society presents challenges for programmes in European Studies, International Relations and Politics. For instance, at the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies * Patrick Bijsmans [email protected] Esther Versluis [email protected] 1
Department of Political Science, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands Vol.:(0123456789)
P. Bijsmans, E. Versluis
(UACES), David et al. (2017) write that European Studies is characterised by, among other things, its close ties with one of its main objects of study, the European Union (EU), and, related to the latter, its events-driven scholarship. Accordingly, the recent economic and financial crises, the migration crisis, and Brexit have raised questions about the EU’s future that are echoed in our teaching, in our students’ interests, and in the professional world that our graduates will join after graduation (Hodson and Puetter 2018; Parker 2016). Indeed, a recent debate section in the Journal of European Public Policy asks whether we need to rethink teaching and learning in European Studies as the EU ‘stumbles from crisis to crisis’ (Rittberger and Blauberger 2018: 436). While the different contributions do not provide an answer to this question—they discuss research implications of the crises—they do provide a first clue as to how European Studies programmes should respond to these crises. We need to pay more at
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