Menu of active working methods: enrichment through activation
A new step towards the implementation of the Kernvisie! We’re proud to present the menu of active working methods. We’d also like to give you some more information about active teaching and how this is implemented in the lecturer phase for the first year of the bachelor’s programme.
Why active teaching?
A key aspect of the Kernvisie is to encourage active study behaviour among students through active teaching, which helps students achieve higher results within a shorter period of study. It also enables more in-depth study: students turn up at lectures and seminars better prepared, which allows the lecturer to cover the material at a higher level. It also helps to improve students’ attention span, motivation, understanding of the material, independence and responsibility. Active teaching is the starting point behind the Kernvisie curriculum.
Menu of active working methods
A good way to encourage active study behaviour is by integrating active working methods into teaching. Kernvisie’s Team 2 has developed a menu of active working methods for this purpose. This menu contains a summary of active working methods suitable for the bachelor’s degree programmes within Leiden Law School. Fellow teaching staff have selected working methods that align with the content and structure of teaching at our faculty and factoring in classes of up to 40 students. While active working methods are especially suited to regular seminar teaching in the bachelor’s programmes, some working methods can also be applied to make lectures more interactive.
How will the menu help?
In a clear overview, the menu sets out the various working methods that promote active study behaviour. Each working method has been assigned a goal, any tools that can be used and a step-by-step plan for both preparation and implementation. Underneath each working method, there’s also information about the appropriate group size, duration of the working method and preparation time required. For various working methods, you’ll also see examples of courses offered within the faculty that already use that working method. The menu is available as both a physical set of cards and an online file.
Active working methods in the lecturer phase
The menu was launched during the Teaching Fair on 4 April. Course Coordinators for the first year of the bachelor’s programme have also been using it in work sessions in the lecturer phase. During these sessions, the Course Coordinators work together on active teaching for the new Kernvisie curriculum and are supported by Education Specialist Lotte van Kesteren and the Core Team. The new course plans for September 2025 will be ready before the summer break, and we will also explore which innovations we can start implementing as of September 2024. The development process for the second and third years of the bachelor’s programmes will begin in September 2024.
Want to get started? No problem!
Feel like getting started with active teaching before then? No problem! We want to encourage you to apply active teaching methods within the courses you teach, and therefore promote active participation among students. You can start using the online menu for this straight away. If you find it easier to use a physical card, or you would like to use this alongside the online version, please contact Education Specialist and Teaching Support Employee Lotte van Kesteren and feel free to drop by the Kernvisie room (B4.29). You can also contact Lotte with any questions about the menu or active teaching.
