My contribution’s key takeaways are the need for flexibility, student-centered approaches and conceiving evaluation as a learning process in order to obtain a successfull teaching-learning process.
I have taught ‘International Water Politics’ for several years (a senior course in the International Relations Undergraduate Programme), but when I started teaching it in English, suddenly, my class dynamics changed. The class became more international, more multidisciplinar and more interested in the fact that it was taught in English than in the topic being taught. Those were hard years for me, because this course is based on my own research interests and the students were demotivated and the results were frustrating. My usual teaching and evaluating methods did not work. So I decided to change my teaching methods. First, I adjusted the syllabus structure from a theory-practice model to an engagement-learning-application model. Second, I changed the syllabus contents to include besides scientific readings, also documentaries and visual presentations of relevant information. Third, I devised an evaluation system that felt as if it was taylor-made for each student and included motivating assignments: deadlines are somewhat flexible throughout the semester (especially in the first half of the semester), all evaluation elements are specific in terms of contents to each student (their lifestyle, their country/city or origin, their angle of analysis, their argumentative skills, their playing skills), and assignments include simulations, games, challenges and teasers. My presentation presents and discusses the challenges I faced and how I continue to overcome them on a yearly basis.
The presentation will adopt an interactive approach, asking the audience to contribute with their own thoughts and experience to the challenges I have faced and only then will I present and discuss what I did (and am still doing). For this effect I can use Mentimeter or just ask orally depending on the existing technological and internet access.
