Teaching Politics to the Students with Multidisciplinary Background with Innovative Methods

Abstract

Paper researches various teaching methods tested into practice for increasing the engagement of the students. Teaching ‘Principles of Democratic Governance’, which is basically introduction to politics, as a core course across various Georgian universities offered to the students with multidisciplinary background, proved to be a challenge. Therefore, I have tested several alternative teaching methods as a response to this challenge. The Problem-Based Learning Method appeared to be the most successful as it includes a group working during classes and acts as an icebreaker for the students with the different knowledge and experience. The learneroriented method is giving students puzzles or problem and gives independent, free space to research the topic and solve it. Another efficient method is simulation, especially to teach theories of the international relation with of negotiations and Hobbes Game. Watching movies (mostly documentaries), reading literature and holding discussions proved fruitful to teach topics like totalitarian regimes. Debates on certain chapters for instance: Political Ideologies or Human Rights - appeared to be a road towards better understanding of above-mentioned topics. Alternative teaching methods give opportunity of the objective evaluation as well, in the case of the PBL the lecturer/facilitator is actively monitoring the process and in the case of necessity asks in depth questions to check up on the work of the student during learning time. To evaluate objectively different activities are finalized with the essays with clearly determined components of assessment. The experiments have been proved successful across various universities in Georgia and it is recommended to include this course as at least as an optional in the curriculum of the TSU Bachelor’s programme in European Studies.