Finding the right mix? Teaching European studies through blended learning

Abstract

This chapter looks into the teaching method developed by the Institute for European Studies (IES) in Brussels, combining an e-learning tool, the E-modules, with face-to-face training sessions and webinars. The main aim is to analyse the three different components of this ‘blended learning’ pedagogical approach, as well as the way they complement each other, and to address a few of the challenges that have emerged from the experience of working with them so far. The mixture of delivery and interaction methods was chosen in order to accommodate a large variety of target groups, ranging from students to professionals working with EU-related issues, with different backgrounds and geographical origins. One of the main challenges is to use each medium for the functionalities it is best designed for and to ensure that the various pieces of the pedagogical puzzle fit together perfectly, while allowing the learners the flexibility that had initially directed them towards ‘blended learning’ instead of a classical classroom approach. The chapter analyses blended learning as a viable pedagogical method for European Studies, considering the specificities of this study field, such as its interdisciplinary character as well as its complex and constantly changing nature.