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Concept and Methodology

General Project framework: Jigsaw Europe Competition Game

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The participation should give students a detailed overview of the main values, historical, geographical, political, social, cultural concepts, and institutions of the European Union. With each module students finish, their knowledge about the EU will grow and the picture of Europe will become more comprehensible.

In order to demonstrate how students extent their EU literacy, students will participate in a jigsaw competition game. They will receive a blank sheet of paper at the beginning of the course. After each module students will be assessed in how much knowledge they have gathered during the module. Within the assessment process students will receive a certain number of credits with which they can use in order to buy puzzle pieces for a EU jigsaw.  A second option to gain tokens is the active participation in EU activities at school. If they participate in EU activities like students exchanges or the European Language Day, they can also receive tokens to buy more jigsaw pieces.

The aim of this jigsaw competition game is to have gathered all jigsaw pieces in order to create the jigsaw “European Flag”.

Concept of the modules 

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Design and Timeline of the Modules

 

The project will be based on 9 modules with EU based topics and subtopics. An amount of 56 hours is  planned for all modules for each year which is a total of 168 h for the whole project. For the first 8 modules 4 hours are planned. 24 hours are planned for Module 9 which is the visit of EU institutions in Brussels.

Design of the modules:

From September to October 2022 EU school coordinators and teachers will have a meeting in which they will discuss and create the detailed contents of the modules together. In this meeting:

  • modules and responsibilities in relation to modules will be distributed among teachers and EU school coordinators.

  • contents of each module will be defined in detail.

  • online and teaching material will be looked through and selected.

  • appropriate teaching scenarios will be allocated to modules and teaching material.

  • online assessment files will be created.

  • jigsaw puzzle and tokens will be prepared.

  • the skills they will acquire in the module will be defined.

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Timeline

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In the following 3 years the modules will be conducted according to the following timeline:

  • November: Module 1 and Module 2

  • December: Module 3

  • January: Module 4

  • February: Module 5

  • March: Module 6 and Module 7

  • April: Module 8

  • May/June: Module 9 - Visit of the EU Institutions in Brussels

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Contents of the modules

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1.) EU Institutions and Democracy: EU Parliament; European Council; EU Commission; European Court of Justice; Council of Europe; Court of Auditors; etc.

2.) Politics and European Entrepreneurship: EU elections; EU laws; EU representatives and politicians; Austrian national and regional representatives; relations between national and regional Austrian governments and EU; active participation in EU initiatives and politics. 

3.) Geography and Single European Market: EU citizenship; status of countries in Europe; Great Britain and Brexit; tax-free transportation of good; freedom of movement of persons;

4. Economy: The Euro, Free Movement of Goods, Services and Capital, EU careers,

5.) Green Sustainability and Climate Change: Green Deal; Green transition; energy production and green energy;

6.) Languages, Culture and Diversity: official languages in the EU; human rights;

7.) Inclusive Access to Education and Erasmus+ initiatives: Erasmus+ at school and university; EU projects in the region students can benefit from; Euroscola, European Youth Parliament; eTwinning, European Solidarity Corps;

8.) Future of Europe and Digitalisation: Conference on the future of Europe; (im)migration and peace; digitalisation; common defence policy; digital and virtual mobility;

9.) Visit of EU institutions in Brussels

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Set of innovative teaching and learning methods

Each module will include at least two innovative learning scenarios. The EU school coordinators have collected a set of innovative teaching and learning scenarios which need to be implemented by teachers into the modules.

  • Inquiry-based learning is one of the most powerful teaching strategies in the classroom because research tells us that students learn best when they construct their own meaning. Inquiry-based learning triggers students' curiosity. Teachers act as facilitators during the inquiry-based learning process.

  • Research confirms that project-based learning (PBL) is an effective and enjoyable way to learn. PBL also develops deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life.

  • Expert rounds and peer teaching

  • Problem solving techniques

  • Simulation games

  • Discussions with experts

  • Individual and group work

  • Game based learning using EU material

  • Interaction and interviews with EU experts and local politicians

  • Sessions where students carry our individual research

  • Methods of how to assess and give feedback

  • Interview and discussions with EU experts and representatives

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Collection and use of EU based material provided by the EU and EU institutions

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There will be four main websites where stakeholders will have access to authentic digital and printed EU material. Some EU based material can already be found in the school’s EU library. Missing and course relevant print material and board games can be ordered and digital resources can be downloaded.

Resource 1: Website of the European Commission / Learning corner: https://learning-corner.learning.europa.eu/learning-corner/learning-materials_de

Resource 2: Website of the “Verbindungsbüro des Europäischen Parlaments in Österreich / European Parliament Ambassador School Programme: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/austria/de/jugend/school/botschafterschulen.html#quicklinks-more

Resource 3: Website of Europe Direct Austria / Publications: https://europainfo.at/publikationen/

Resource 4:  Website of the European Centre for Modern Language of the Council of Europe / Resources: https://www.ecml.at/Resources/ECMLPublications/tabid/277/language/en-GB/Default.aspx 

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Assessment:

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Online assessment of the learning outcomes will be given at the end of each module. In the procedure of designing the 9 modules, stakeholders will define learning objectives for each module but also general learning objectives.

According to these learning objectives the teachers will design online assessment to evaluate the learning progress and the learning results.

In some cases, the final assessment can also be based on the production of certain products like videos, interviews, digital products, oral presentations, explanatory videos, etc.

For each module the teachers and EU school coordinators will allocate a certain number of tokens, which the students can later use to buy jigsaw pieces to complete their jigsaw.

Reasons why the project methodology meets the objectives of this project and the objectives of this JM learning initiative:

The multi-disciplinary approach of this project concept and methodology is most suitable. It gives the school community the opportunity to introduce a wide range of innovative teaching and learning methods in a flexible and creative form. Additionally, it invites and includes all stakeholders to participate actively in the design of the course modules selecting EU based topics, relevant innovative methods and assessment procedures. This method leads to an increase in opportunities for teaching staff in terms of professional development.

This methodology also gives stakeholders and especially students the opportunity to get in contact with authentic print, online and digital material. Consequently, they will get in contact with EU institutions and the use of information and material provided by the EU.

As the EU coordination team only offers a certain framework and set of material, teaching techniques and topics for the modules, the final design of the modules are kept flexible and can be adapted to schools’ and students’ needs at any time.

Additionally to that, not only the quality of the modules but teachers’ and students’ satisfaction will be accompanied by evaluations, which give the EU school coordinators indicators what needs to be changed in the future.

This method also motivates students to join the project as they will participate in the Jigsaw Europe competition game and in a mobility to EU institutions. In the past many students have manifested their interest in EU mobilities.

This method also leads to an increase of quality of EU innovative teaching and learning methods, with particular attention to the EU priorities and values.

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The systematic use of digital devices and online platforms, computer programs, social media, communicative, virtual and interactive learning situations in this method will lead to improved learning results about the EU of students who are better equipped with knowledge and understanding of the EU, which influences the daily lives of young Europeans.

The variation of innovative teaching and learning methods will also furnish students with a wide range of skills which also strengthen critical thinking on EU through required facts and knowledge in a variety of classroom settings and other school activities such as interviews with EU experts, simulation games or visits of EU institutions.

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