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‘Vegelate’ and Greece: Teaching the EU through Simulations

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Abstract

The article argues that problem-based learning, through the creative use of simulations, can raise student engagement and enhance student performance. Specifically, it discusses two simulations that were used in a recent European Union Politics course, one involving a Council Simulation of the Chocolate Directive and the other a simulation of the European Parliament. The simulations were assessed through a combination of reflective student essays, pre-post tests and other in-class student work.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank my students from the POLS 4320 Politics of the EU class in the Spring of 2010. I also wish to thank my co-panelists and audience members at the 2011 EUSA Conference in Boston for their thoughtful questions. I especially want to thank the two anonymous reviewers for the critical commentary and generous insights that helped to tremendously improve the article. I also want to thank the Commission of the European Union for their support of this class through a Jean Monnet European Module Project Grant.

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  1. Department of Social Sciences, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Bay Hall 348, Corpus Christi, 78412-5826, TX, USA

    Joseph Jozwiak

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Jozwiak, J. ‘Vegelate’ and Greece: Teaching the EU through Simulations. Eur Polit Sci 12, 215–230 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/eps.2012.26

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