Best Practices ‘Lecture’: Example Public Law

In the lecture, case studies are discussed with the students in order to practically apply the theoretical knowledge acquired in past courses. The course consisted of alternating phases of self-study and the weekly interactive web conferences (Zoom).

Interactive preparation videos

In order to lighten the workload of the Zoom event, students were provided with 15-minute interactive videos via the new ‘H5P’ on Moodle in preparation for each teaching unit, providing a review of the necessary theoretical knowledge. The videos included quiz questions that the students had to answer one by one by clicking on them. The film only continued when the question was answered. Based on this knowledge, the students were supposed to prepare cases provided on Moodle for the Zoom session.

Interactive Zoom sessions

The Zoom session was used for interactive case work. With the help of the teacher, the students worked out the solution in plenary. In addition to the sample solution, which was outlined in a PowerPoint, alternative solutions were always discussed.

Extensive follow-up materials

To provide a good learning opportunity also for those students who could not participate in the web conferences—in addition to the recording of the Zoom session and the PowerPoint—formulated sample solutions were also made available in Moodle. There was also a Moodle forum for questions. Using the newly introduced H5P feature, further interactive exercises were made available via Moodle to deepen the topic covered in the respective teaching unit. During these exercises, students click their way through the solution and always have to answer small questions. In case they give a wrong answer, the students receive feedback messages to avoid the mistake in the future and are redirected back to the initial question. As there were various ways of solving the example cases, the interactive cases were programmed in such a way that—depending on the reasoning—different ways of solving were recognized as correct. Students evaluated this additional learning offer very positively.