LEARNING WORKSHOPS - RESOURCES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCES IN STUDENTS

In this article we shall present the results of a research regarding the importance and the role of design, organizing and conducting of some learning workshops in the cognitive, affective, psychomotor, motivational and behavioral development of students. This investigative approach is part of the pilot project “Play-Explore-Learn – Workshop of learning through play and exploration”, carried out between August 2017 - March 2018, which represented a training opportunity for the selected and participating teachers. The essence of the training program was the opportunity to discover an innovative vision on the learning process and the tools that can be used and exploited in the learning workshops, where the exchange of experience, effective communication and reflection on the experiments carried out were an extremely valuable educational capital.

The learning workshop is a form of complementary organization, of the educational process that is conceived as a framework for carrying out educational activities. Through the learning workshop students can acquire knowledge, they can form skills and competences. Also, through the learning workshop they can develop the motivation for learning, creativity, emotional intelligence and can also be achieved the activation of the participating students.

Reflection and analysis of training experiences within this program allowed the participants to identify a set of psycho-pedagogical skills that they have formed: the competence to relate the theoretical knowledge with the practical ones, the competence to design and conduct play activities, the competence to organize learning game – based activities and exploration, interdisciplinary organization of learning content, using interactive teaching methods, efficiency of teaching communication.

Regarding the impact of learning workshops on the process of student formation and development, the main dimensions of their personality that can be improved are: cognitive, affective, psychomotor, motivational and behavioral.