USING INNOVATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS IN TEACHING EUROPEAN STUDIES IN GEORGIA

Abstract

European Studies have been taught in the Georgian universities across the country for almost two decades. As a result, there is a vast range of pedagogical practice in this area. Nevertheless, teaching European Studies has never been an easy exercise due to teacher-oriented, rather than student-oriented teaching. This was further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic when a face-to-face component of teaching was reduced to no or very limited forms of direct communication.
More and more faculties in Georgia realize in a slow and painstaking manner that course activities in European Studies should be held by a mixture of teaching and learning methods designed for the groups with  various backgrounds, using the opportunities offered by modern technologies. Indeed, despite existing challenges in teaching European Studies, interactive and innovative ways of learning, including by incorporating technology and game-based learning platforms and applications such as Kahoot and Quizlet, allow a more balanced approach, facilitate an interesting and engaging learning experience, develop necessary skills, and ensure the achievement of the course and program goals.
This paper looks at these innovative teaching and learning methods and tools that, although widely used in European and U.S. respectable universities, only now start to emerge in Georgia’s high  education institutions. In particular, it looks at the  author’s experiences in teaching European Studies in Georgia, and offers relevant recommendations.