learning

The concept of collaborative learning calls for people to collaborate (co-labour) and work together for shared goals and an explicit intention to create something new or different through a deliberate and structured collaborative process, as opposed to simply exchanging information or following instructions. A broad definition of collaborative learning would be the acquisition by individuals of knowledge, skills, or attitudes occurring as a result of collaboration and a group process of learning.

For this purpose, we bring groups of development practitioners in collaborative learning workshops, where each participant contributes to the group learning process about a specific topic or issue. We tend to hold such workshops in a rich and relaxing environment, such as taking a sailing boat in the Nile, that could enable participants to feel inspired to reflect on their practices and experiences.

Overview

In this learning experience, you will be introduced to Participatory Action Research (PAR), which can best be described as a cooperative approach to research, learning, and action for social change, bringing together all parties concerned to work together to identify the problem, develop the research methodology and tools, gather information, analyze and produce results and practical solutions that respond to the problem chosen.

The strength of PAR lies in finding solutions to practical problems and its ability to empower both development and community actors by working cooperatively to address and implement intervention activities and action plans. Implementation activities and action plans are then systematically monitored for reflection on the process, impact, and results, which may lead to other rounds of enhancement. Thus, action research is an iterative process.

In Participatory Action Research, three concepts overlap their characteristics as follows:

1. Research:
   1. Defining the research question
   2. Choosing the Research Methodology
   3. Analyzing results – Publishing results
2. Action:
   1. Choosing the problem
   2. Defining resources and solutions
   3. Implementing the plan
   4. Evaluation, with the probability of going back to the first step
3. Participatory:
   1. From the beginning & throughout the process
   2. Participation of all interested parties
   3. Democratic decision making
   4. Collective ownership

Learning objectives

• Understanding the principles of PAR, including how it combines participatory research with action research.
• Developing knowledge of the theories and methods of PAR.
• A practical exercise will enable participants to be able to design their own PAR.
• Being aware of the various stages that must be followed when designing PAR.
• Ensuring ethical considerations which must be made in PAR.
• Learning outcomes
• You will know the origin, history, and theories of PAR and how it relates to qualitative methods. – You will be able to conduct your own PAR study following the various ‘stages’ of PAR.
• You will be aware of the ethical and practical considerations of PAR, including working as a team and building rapport with participants and communities involved in a PAR study.

Duration: 5-day workshop.

Exact dates: It will be announced on the website two months in advance.

Admission: An application will be available on the website two months in advance.

Cost: It will be announced with each learning experience.

Scholarship: All our learning experiences have different schemes of scholarships, just please indicate in your application the needed % of scholarship (25%, 50%, 75%, 100 %).

If you are an organization or a self-organized group that wishes to organize this learning experience for your team members/ group, please contact us via info@collectiveroutes.org, specifying in the subject title “name of the learning experience.”

Overview

In this learning experience, you will get introduced to the different components of organizational culture and to the suggested co-creation methodology by which you can engage all organizations’ team members.

Learning objectives

• Introducing the definition and components of organizational culture
• Introducing the co-creation methodology of organizational culture
• Defining organizational values and their different types
• Defining different organizational stories and practising tools to document and collect these stories
• Introducing international practices related to organizational culture Learning Outcomes.​

Learning Outcomes

• You will be able to define organizational culture and its components – you will be able to clearly distinguish different types of organizational values and stories.
• You will be oriented to different international practices.
• You will be able to define each step of the 7-step methodology and the rationale of each one.

Frequency: Twice/ year. March and September

Format

• Intensive format: 5 days in a row
• Non-Intensive format: One day/ week for a period of 5 week

Exact dates: It will be announced on the website two months in advance

Admission: An application will be available on the website for two months in advance. Cost: It will be announced with each learning experience.

Scholarship: All our learning experiences have different schemes of scholarships, just please indicate in your application the needed % of scholarship (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%).

If you are an organization or a self-organized group that wishes to organize this learning experience for your team members/ group, please contact us via info@collectiveroutes.org, specifying in the subject title “name of the learning experience”.