User:A11n-research/Workshops

This user page is for compiling information on typology (and speciation) of "workshops" in the extended sense, as used in organizations and education (not the physical workshop that gave rise to the term, nor the artistic usage).

Existing Wikipedia articles on types of workshops

A list (not necessarily exhaustive) of articles on workshops in the above broad sense:

There are also some "workshop" articles that redirect to others (for example, see under educational workshops at Workshop (disambiguation)), as well as quite a few articles on organizations or events that included the word in their formal name or title.

Categories of workshops

A very tentative outline of types of workshops:

Participant focused / learning
- Training (to a task or specific skill set)
- Education (as part of an academic course or program)
- Experiential learning (as part of a specific learning agenda that involves practice or experience)^[1]
Community or organization focused / action
- Production (intended to produce ideas and plans that can be used or carried further by participants)
- Action research (intended to generate ideas and plans for use in a pre-set agenda)^[2]

Definitions

Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster's dictionaries have given the following definitions, with the earlier one mentioning "problem solving" and the later one changing that to "techniques and skills":

"a usually brief, intensive educational program for a relatively small group of people in a given field that emphasizes participation in problem solving efforts." (1977)^[3]
"a usually brief intensive educational program for a relatively small group of people that focuses especially on techniques and skills in a particular field." (2014)^[4]

It seems like the earlier definition emphasizes an "action" role of workshops, while the later one emphasizes a "learning" role.

Catch-all definition?

The "Community Tool Box" at the University of Kansas offers a longer general definition that covers much of the range of usage of the term:

"... in general, a workshop is a single, short (although short may mean anything from 45 minutes to two full days) educational program designed to teach or introduce to participants practical skills, techniques, or ideas which they can then use in their work or their daily lives. Most workshops have several features in common:

They're generally small, usually from 6 to 15 participants, allowing everyone some personal attention and the chance to be heard.

They're often designed for people who are working together, or working in the same field.

They're conducted by people who have real experience in the subject under discussion.

They're often participatory, i.e. participants are active, both in that they influence the direction of the workshop and also in that they have a chance to practice the techniques, skills, etc. that are under discussion.

They're informal; there's a good deal of discussion in addition to participation, rather than just a teacher presenting material to be absorbed by attentive students.

They're time limited, often to a single session, although some may involve multiple sessions over a period of time (e.g. once a week for four weeks, or two full-day sessions over a weekend).

They're self-contained. Although a workshop may end with handouts and suggestions for further reading or study for those who are interested, the presentation is generally meant to stand on its own, unlike a course, which depends on large amounts of reading and other projects (papers, presentations) in addition to classroom activities."^[5]

References & notes

^ The "Counseling Center Village" of the University of Buffalo suggests "Four Fundamental Types of Workshop Learning Activities" for experiential learning workshops: Reflecting on Experience; Assimilating and Conceptualizing; Experimenting and Practicing; and Planning for Application. This is "based on Chapter 4 of Workshops: Designing and Facilitating Experiential Learning by Jeff E. Brooks-Harris & Susan R. Stock-Ward (1999). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications."
^ See for instance "Participatory Action Research Workshops" on the University of Minnesota's extension site.
^ Quoted in: "Twelve Tips for Conducting Effective Workshops," by Yvonne Steinert, Ph.D., Department of Family Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital and McGill University
^ "Workshop," Merriam-Webster.com, Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 8 Apr 2014
^ University of Kansas, Work Group for Community Health and Development. Community Tool Box: Developing a Strategic Plan and Organizational Structure, Chapter 12. Providing Training and Technical Assistance, Section 4. Conducting a Workshop (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.)