Puzzle class

Initial situation

This course “International Migration Issues” is offered in several Masters programs of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Students enrolled in these programs come from different backgrounds (sociology, socioeconomics, gender, etc.). In order to promote the discovery of research methods in the context of a seminar and to encourage students to innovate in their research methodology, the teaching team has set up a teaching program in the form of a puzzle class.

Project implementation

The teaching is based on lectures and seminars. During the courses, the teachers transmit information in the traditional way through PowerPoint presentations. However, in order to give more space to the students and their interests, the teachers propose to the students to choose the theme to be taught during one of the course sessions. Last year, they chose climate migration and this year precarious migration in relation to Covid-19. The teachers also try to make the format more interactive by implementing, for example, pair discussions.

The seminar is much more interactive using a debate based on a press review related to international migration as well as a “puzzle class” format. During the course, students are asked to do a small-scale project. To encourage them to dare to use more innovative research methods, the teacher set up a “puzzle class” during which she provided each student with a document on which was described a particular method, often unknown to the students (migration map, material culture, life calendar, etc.). The students must read this document and appropriate it in order to become experts in the method they have been assigned. Students pass on the information they have read to their colleagues. These exchanges are intended to facilitate the retention of information and to introduce students to uncommon methods so that they can later implement them in their research project.

Students conduct a research project in pairs during the semester. During the first sessions, they develop a fairly general research theme proposed by the teacher. The last seminars are devoted to oral presentations of the projects. Each pair presents its project according to a structure defined by the teacher. The presentation is evaluated by peers and the teacher. This evaluation is formative and will not be included in the final grade. The teacher’s feedback will help improve the production for the written report, which will count for 50% of the final grade.

One component of the final grade is a press review on issues related to international migration (30%). Each student must identify two articles and present them. Through this work, the teacher has identified a few themes and has proposed 3 questions, defining one student to take a position for and one against, who must then debate in front of the rest of the class.

In 2019, at the beginning of each course, the instructor has also asked students to give 10-minute oral presentations based on scientific articles she has selected. These presentations should summarize key ideas from the readings and conclude with 2-3 questions posed to the class. The presentations and participation in the ensuing discussions count for 20% of the final grade.

Thoughts and advice

The teacher draws attention to the choice of methods. She realized that students are somewhat reluctant to explore new methods. However, once they do, students take ownership and use the new methods very well. During this semester’s course (2020), teachers have asked students to produce a poster at the end of the course to present their research report. The posters will be published on the NCCR LIVES website.

Student feedback

“Interactive and participatory side, significant student solicitation and consideration.” “Press Review: “Having to write a report on current articles allows students to be aware of the hot news on the topic.” “Jigsaw Class and Innovative Research Methods: “The alternative methods proposed for group work are very interesting and allow us to discover new qualitative approaches (such as material culture or migration maps).”