The Associate Professor of the FER Department Oksana M. Zamora, PhD, has participated in the Erasmus+ KA1 Youth Workers Mobility named “Youth Work With a Difference” aimed on a non-formal interactive approach based on experiential learning methodology. The training course was organized by the NGO “Active Youth” in partnership with several other European countries and took place in Buggiba, Malta, on August, 29 – September, 8, 2019. For almost 10 days the youth workers, youth leaders, youth managers, teachers, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals who were working directly with young people were trained to boost the learners’ enthusiasm for studies.
It is most evident that quite a number of young people are low motivated for their studies within the strict formal educational system. As a result these young people have lost their enthusiasm to learn, so much that this affects not only their results but also the motivation of their peers and even the teachers.
The main aim of this training course was to create awareness among the participants that certain interactive technologies as well as the Youth Theatre is an innovative, creative and alternative learning process approach can boost enthusiasm in the learning process of young people. The project was designed on the application of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle where the participants learned new competences or enhanced already acquired ones as a result of transformation processes such as – quality of experience, learning to learn; debriefing and conditions at the moment. The experience of the training course allowed to feel more confident in planning, constructing, devising and facilitating workshops to reach and support demotivated youth.
The elements of the course are already implemented in different variations by Ms.Zamora and the students’ feedback is more than just positive. The implementation was made for the groups of the first and the fourth year of studies of the “International Economic Relations” specialty.
