EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS FOR EU FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS LAW

Abstract

This article discusses the  teaching methods used for  the  EU Fundamental Rights  Law course offered by the author at the  BA programme of Institute for European Studies at Ivane  Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The article also aims  at providing an assessment of the  effectiveness of those methods.
One of the  underlying assumptions of the  current analysis is that the  teaching methods, such  as  student- centered teaching, demonstration and written commentary on  the  court decisions bear great importance in the  process of teaching the  human rights law. The student-centered teaching method differs from  the  teacher- centered teaching method. More specifically, this  method implies an active involvement of the  students, rather than listening to the  lecture or  writing  an  essay. Some  examples of this  kind  of approach include debates, group activities, and role-playing games. The demonstration method makes it easier for  students to better understand the  issue and helps them to memorize new  material easily. As for  the  commentary on  the  court decision, in the  form  suggested by the  author, is innovative to the  Georgian law schools, as it is an analogy of the  practice introduced by the  French universities2. By applying this  method, a student develops the  skills  of
legal  writing  and argumentation, critical analysis, and a proper understanding of court decisions.
The methods described above perfectly meets the  purpose of the  course, which  is building practical skills along with theoretical knowledge when it comes to specializing in human rights protection in the  EU.