Page 57 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Innovative Teaching Methods in Higher Education: The Case of University of Primorska

ture and content of the educational process based on interaction with the
broader community.
University of Primorska (UP) has been a member of the alliance Transform
for Europe since 3 and has therefore committed to implement innovative
teaching methods in teaching. There are different definitions of the meth-
ods, however, on the level of alliance, mutual definitions have been adapted.
Teaching strategies are understood as a collection of different methods the
teacher uses to teach the subject material, which may vary from lesson to les-
son. Meanwhile, teaching methods are considered to be a selection of meth-
ods (e.g. Jigsaw) used by the teacher to teach the subject material (Nedzin-
skaitė-Mačiūnienė & Jurgilė, 4).

Active Teaching Strategies and Innovative Teaching Methods
Active Teaching Strategies
Below we present the definitions of the teaching methods agreed within
Transform for Europe Alliance.
Team-based learning is defined as a structured form of small-group learn-
ing that emphasises student preparation out of class and application of
knowledge in class. Students are organised strategically into diverse teams
of 5–7 students that work together throughout the class (Burgess et al., ).
Flipped classroom is an organisational instructional content approach,
which balances didactic and active learning modalities. Students review in-
formation-rich materials (e.g., lectures, reading, etc.) in advance and use class
time for active application of concepts and creative engagement with the
subject matter (Awidi & Paynter, 19).
Gamification and game-based learning is an approach where instructional
materials are designed like games to make learning fun and engaging for
students (Dicheva et al., 15).
Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to under-
stand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative
solutions to prototype and test. It is most beneficial to tackle ill-defined or
unknown problems and involves five phases: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Pro-
totype and Test (Chon & Sim, 19).
Problem-based learning is a student-centred approach in which students
learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem.
This problem is what drives the motivation and the learning (Schwartz et al.,
7).
Scenario-based learning is an immersive training environment where
learners meet realistic work challenges and get realistic feedback as they

57