Pedagogical Atelier – a new form of pedagogical interaction in student education

The study is intended to develop innovative educational modalities at the higher education level to ensure the freedom of student creativity, and stimulate learning through experience. The survey of literature shows that a so-called “teaching studio” is one of such innovative modalities that optimize the conventional university-level education and facilitates a specifically designed teaching interaction. A ‘The Child with Special Needs: Acceptance and Family Support’ teaching studio model for training social workers was designed and tested. The purpose of the study is to realize the capabilities of the teaching studio as a new modality of teaching interaction to stimulate and develop the student independence, creativity, and creative learning skills within the academic process. The study covered students and social workers. The teaching studio effects on improving cognitive activities, personal responsibility, and interest to activities. It also provides knowledge selection, information accessibility, experimenting, teamwork skills development, partnership and cooperation, professional and on-hand skills. The results of the study show that the teaching studio develops independency, stimulates creative freedom, and creative education. This modality bears the mark of an individual, artistic, and one's signature style. The teaching studio is as an innovative modality with a specifically arranged teaching interaction aimed to optimize the conventional university-level education.