Theory into Practice: Teaching the European Union within a Simulation

Today’s European Union (EU) comprises 28 member states, representing over a half billion EU citizens.  It is difficult enough for the average European or American student to understand the theory and practice of European integration and the EU. Yet those of us teaching in European Studies are asked to do more than simply broaden students’ cognitive understanding of the EU. In the current educational environment, we are expected to help students combine theory with practice, by engaging them in active and experiential learning so that they become the owners of their knowledge and learning experiences in a more complete and valuable way. The literature on active and experiential learning is now a couple of decades old and rich in its depth. In turn, this paper takes a fresh look at the value of active and experiential learning within European Studies, focusing on a specific pedagogical technique that increasingly is embraced by educators in both the United States and in Europe, namely, EU simulations. These authors, all faculty advisors for the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation, utilize their extensive participation in this two-decade old EU simulation program to illuminate an array of theoretical and practical issues associated with this annual intercollegiate event. Their case study examines this large-scale, multi-institutional EU simulation in terms of its program goals and the successes and challenges that accompany such an educational venture. In this case, the art of teaching involves weaving theory and practice together in this creative and multi-dimensional experiential learning program on today’s EU.