Shawn R. Simonson, a lecturer at Boise State University (USA), visited the Lithuanian Sports University (LSU) under the Erasmus + mobility program. He led a three-day seminar for University faculty and doctoral students on the application of the POGIL teaching method to students (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL): A Learner-Centered Pedagogy).
Shawn R. Simonson is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Boise State University and director of the Laboratory of Sports Activities and holds a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado. In 2014 Professor Shawn R. Simonson began working as a lecturer at the University’s Teaching and Learning Center, where he conducts training seminars, consults, and reads reports on how to improve teaching and student learning competencies. The professor is a certified lecturer of the POGIL teaching method and an active promoter of this teaching method. has published the textbook POGIL: An Introduction to Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning for Those Who Wish to Empower Learners.
“It simply came to our notice then. We’ve heard new ideas on how to involve students more. The biggest benefit of the seminar is that having at least some free time from the tasks, we discussed a lot how to update the methodologies of working with students, ”Kristina Poderienė, a lecturer at LSU, shared her impressions.
According to LSU doctoral student Giedrius Dranevičius, the POGIL method is an excellent tool for educators who can help students develop many additional competencies needed in the labor market and in life. “Lecturer Shawn R. Simonson clearly presented the material, answered the questions, shared personal work experience, and applied the POGIL method in practice. I really believe that each participant of the seminar will find something to apply in their work and will make lectures, lessons or training a richer, full-fledged educational process, ”the LSU doctoral student is convinced.
LSU has been working with Boise State University since 2018, but due to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, student and faculty exchanges have only begun since this school year. Two students of the Training Systems study program, Jokūbas Jurėnas, and Valentinas Ulinas attended this year’s semester at Boise State University in Idaho.
