Assessing a Broad Teaching Approach: The Impact of Combining Active Learning Methods on Student Performance in Undergraduate Peace and Conflict Studies

Abstract

Teaching introductory International Relations (IR) and peace and conflict studies can be challenging, as undergraduate teaching frequently involves large student groups that limit student activity to listening and taking notes. According to pedagogic research, this is not the optimal structure for learning. Rather, although a teacher can pass on information, the student must actively create one’s own understanding, something that is not done through the traditional “Sage on the Stage” style of pedagogy. This article assesses this assumption by examining the impact of active learning on student learning outcomes and argues that a multiple teaching methods approach is able to meet the varying learning preferences of the broader student group and thus improves actual and self-perceived student performance. In a 3-year project, different approaches were introduced during the first semester, including smaller seminar groups, simulations, the use of film, and practitioner meetings. A comparison of the classes of 2011 and 2012, using the class of 2010 as a baseline, finds that the student groups taking part in the active learning project demonstrated both an improvement of results as well as an overall increase with regard to perceived achievement regarding the course’s learning outcomes.

Keywords:

• active learning
• International Relations (IR)
• multiple teaching methods
• undergraduate

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Jan Angstrom, Hanne Fjelde, and Ralph Sundberg for their help and comments with different versions of this article, the editors of JPSE, as well as the three anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Notes

Glazier (2011), Asal and Blake (2006), and Wheeler (2006) give good descriptions of different types of simulations.

According to the university’s regulations, these students nevertheless remain enrolled in the course unless they actively notified that they were dropping out.

Ethnic identities, etc., are not registered by the university or asked about in evaluations.

According to university policy, two dates of examination are offered during the same semester.