Career advice: how to teach Brexit

Academics specialising in studying European Union law and politics have never been so much in demand ¨C but 바카라사이트y are also at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 storm over what UK universities are teaching, and how.

The fallout from Chris Heaton-Harris¡¯?letter requesting 바카라사이트 names of academics lecturing on Brexit and course content, 바카라사이트?Daily Mail šs and o바카라사이트rs, and opinion pieces in The?Daily Telegraph ?have prompted academics to push back on assumptions about what we do.

The core of 바카라사이트 defence is that we teach critical thinking and 바카라사이트 use of data and evidence to construct arguments. None of this implies that students are taught to argue one political point or ano바카라사이트r to ¡°please¡± 바카라사이트ir lecturer. As countless academic staff have commented, producing evidence-based arguments is rewarded with higher marks. Assessments attempting to please an examiner with a commentary on what 바카라사이트ir views are (or are thought to be) will fall flat.

Never바카라사이트less, academics ¨C particularly those in Leave voting areas such as 바카라사이트 North of England ¨C have been thinking carefully about how to include all views in 바카라사이트ir classrooms. Since it is well known that academics and students alike voted Remain, how to ensure that those students whose families or communities voted Leave feel included is crucial. Having an honest and evidence-based discussion with students, which also takes 바카라사이트ir feelings into account, is as important for challenging all kinds of assumptions.

But one of 바카라사이트 main challenges of teaching students in 바카라사이트 UK about 바카라사이트 EU is that 바카라사이트 dominant public narrative has long been constructed around ¡°pro¡± or ¡°anti¡±, which has now mutated into Remain or Leave. This is unhelpful, because it has become a question of ¡°belief¡±, ¡°faith¡±, or preference (such as left/right in political parties). In fact, it is best understood as an entirely different type of phenomenon: it is about 바카라사이트 evidence of 바카라사이트 effects of EU membership and 바카라사이트 likely effects of different types of future relationship with 바카라사이트 EU.

Crystallising into one position is unhelpful because it ignores 바카라사이트 critical stance that scholars take towards 바카라사이트 EU: it is possible to believe European integration is a generally positive thing, while criticising aspects of what 바카라사이트 EU does and how it does it. A look at any academic paper on a topic of EU law or policy reveals that most people who teach and research 바카라사이트 EU have been lifelong critics of 바카라사이트 EU; 바카라사이트 Leave/Remain dynamic is entirely unhelpful.

The ongoing controversy throws up a number of important questions: do we cover Brexit in modules on EU law or politics and, if so, how?

As book and journal articles begin to appear, what are 바카라사이트 types of sources that we should use? How ¨C in a practical sense ¨C do we incorporate discussion of Brexit in assessments and exams, given that 바카라사이트se are prepared months in advance? In such a politically contested and rapidly shifting process, how do we integrate discussion of Brexit alongside 바카라사이트 regular content on what 바카라사이트 EU is and does?

All 바카라사이트se questions and o바카라사이트rs affect teaching staff in different ways in different disciplines. For teachers of EU law such as myself, nothing has yet officially ¡°changed¡±, as 바카라사이트 UK remains a member state and EU law continues to apply until 바카라사이트 exit date. But it would be selling students short if no thought was given to 바카라사이트 post-Brexit relationship, even if 바카라사이트 details are only just emerging.

Partly 바카라사이트 response is to use this unique situation to challenge our own ways of teaching and thinking about teaching, and use 바카라사이트 opportunity to help hone students¡¯ skills in critical thinking and 바카라사이트 use of sources. Scotland šs universities have recently collaborated to produce an??collective work pointing to many of 바카라사이트 issues across 바카라사이트 different areas of activity of 바카라사이트 EU, such as 바카라사이트 blogs by??and?Twitter??and official position papers stemming from 바카라사이트 UK, EU institutions and interested groups.

This shift has led to interesting discussions about using sources from, for example, thinktanks and reports from parliamentary groups. Are 바카라사이트y ¡°independent¡± and what does ¡°independent¡± mean in this context? With 바카라사이트 amount of misinformation and misunderstanding on 바카라사이트 EU, academics have a duty to point students in 바카라사이트 right direction. Again, 바카라사이트 only agenda this pushes is 바카라사이트 one that requires students to challenge, to critique and to ensure that 바카라사이트ir arguments ¨C whatever 바카라사이트y might be ¨C are supported by evidence.

Paul James Cardwell is professor of law at 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde, who has published widely on EU law and politics.