Teaching International Law in the Time of COVID-19: A View from the Experience and Beyond
| Published date | 01 July 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/23220058231181169 |
| Author | Shadi A. Alshdaifat,Niloufar Hassanzadeh |
| Date | 01 July 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Teaching International Law in the
Time of COVID-19: A View from
the Experience and Beyond
Shadi A. Alshdaifat1 and Niloufar Hassanzadeh2
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity has arisen to reconsider educational concepts
in general and the teaching of international law in particular. International Law professors have been
required to participate in mandatory online learning and teaching during the pandemic. The students of
today are self-organized learners and active observers who are able to cope with new situations. In the
future, is it possible to combine online and in-person teaching? This article aims to describe our experience
teaching international law using technologies in a theoretical setting. With current circumstances in mind,
it is necessary to consider ways to seamlessly integrate physical and digital methods and tools. The result
is a more active, flexible, and meaningful learning experience. To this end, we borrow Pope Francis’
words: ‘Peggio di questa crisi c’è solo il dramma di sprecarla’—the only thing worse than this is the
misfortune of wasting it, in the sense of failing to learn from it.
Introduction
The impact of COVID-19 in the last three years caused unprecedented disruption to education. Within a
matter of a few days, universities around the globe closed as countries entered into lockdown in an
attempt to stop the spread of the virus. In coping with the disease, campuses were required to assist their
students by developing innovative tools. This was to enable them to continue their education in a teaching
and learning experience that differs from any time before. As a result of the emergency, and the practical
challenges for campus-based universities, alternative teaching methods and assessments are necessary.
As part of designing such methods, teachers tend to provide all necessary arrangements and learning
support for their students. One of the courses taught in the colleges of law is international law. This is a
course involving practical learning; to some extent, technology can be used to teach the course. From
that point, we decided to identify and prioritize students’ engagement activities that could be best
Article
Asian Journal of Legal Education
10(2) 167–176, 2023
© 2023 The West Bengal National
University of Juridical Sciences
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/23220058231181169
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1 Public International Law, University of Sharjah, College of Law, Public Law Department, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
2 University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Corresponding author:
Niloufar Hassanzadeh, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
E-mail: niloufarhassanzade@gmail.com
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