What qualities do students gain in workshop

1
What qualities do students gain in workshop? Does
workshop develop leadership qualities in
students? Nii-Okai Alcide, Peer Leader, The City
College of New York

• Hypothesis
• Workshop prepares students to be future leaders.
  Students are able to develop many of their
  possibly weaker skills, especially
• communication,
• socialization,
• team-work and
• becoming more disciplined

Experiment In the beginning of the semester the
workshop leader is presented with a group of
students who come from a variety of backgrounds.I
constructed the Development table to allow
students progression to be monitored without any
inconvenience. Using the table below, the leader
awards points from a scale of 1- 10 ( 1 being the
lowest and 10 the highest) to each student on
the particular area. This is done
during, or after, every session and the cumulated
results are analyzed by the leader. As the
semester progresses, the data will show how
students are advancing or regressing in the
different areas.
Discussion The Development Table would be an
excellent tool for helping students to improve
their skills. When the leader notices that a
particular student is struggling in a particular
area he/she uses the techniques like alternating
learning styles or specialized tasks to help the
student progress. It can be implemented initially
in one class and gradually introduced to the
entire workshop group. Rewards can be given to
students who are performing well in those areas
and progressing. The possibility of changing the
student from a follower to a leader would be
increased. The potential leaders will make
better students. This might in turn cause a
development in the Peer-Led organization and
introduce workshops for new subjects in all
majors. Students were asked to write during a
few workshops sessions three ways in which
workshop has helped them as students in general.
Some of the responses were as follows My people
skills have improved. I have learned to focus
better. Since I do not have to come but I do, I
learned the meaning of discipline. Before
workshop I really did not think that I could
explain things properly but I can now and people
understand! Made me determined to perfect my
skills in chemistry. I work better in a team/
group setting. It motivates me to do well in
all my classes! I want to be a workshop leader
someday. From the above responses teamwork,
patience and the value of communication were the
most common. It is clear that workshop changes
many students. Regardless of the subject it
directly prepares students for future leadership
roles. It is evident that if their developing
skills are encouraged the students would be
molded leaders in time to come.
Implications If this form of peer-led learning
is developed for more courses the results would
be amazing. Students will be well rounded, i.e.,
more vocal in their thoughts and feelings, more
understanding towards others, and more patient.
Development Table (example)

• Literature Review
• The qualities of a good leader as stated by
  Alexandra W. Astin, in Leadership Reconsidered
  2000 (p.17) are
• commitment,
• competence,
• empathy (caring),
• authenticity, and
• self-knowledge,
• collaboration,
• shared purpose and
• communication.
• She adds that enhancing leadership qualities
  gives students a great feeling of control over
  their college and personal life and they are
  better prepared to live and work in society.
• Selected Quotes
• Leaders are not born and leadership abilities
  can be consciously developed.
• Leadership occurs when people become concerned
  about something and work to engage others in
  bringing about a positive change.
• The major obstacle to embracing and practicing
  these principles is not a lack of resources but
  rather our own limiting beliefs about ourselves,
  our colleagues and our institutions.

Conclusion Workshop promotes and develops
leadership qualities in students. They are
empowered and motivated through the many
techniques used to assist in learning and are
more likely to reach their goals.
References Astin, A., Astin, H. (Eds.) (2000).
Leadership Reconsidered Engaging Higher
Education in Social Change. Grand Rapids, MI
W.K. Kellogg Foundation. http//www.academy.umd.ed
u/publications/LeadershipReconsidered/index.htm Ro
th, V., Goldstein, E., Marcus G.,(2001). Peer-Led
Team Learning A handbook for team leaders. Upper
Saddle River, NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc.