Dear Jörgen,

my statement represents the German state of research in the scientific field "adult education" (and so my scientific sources are German-speaking; sorry).

In Germany the term workshop has got different meanings, particularly Atelier, Workshop, Werkstatt, Werkstätte, Seminar, Arbeitskreis oder Arbeitstreffen.

If you define workshop as "Werkstattseminar", you can find "Werkstattseminar" as method of progressive education ("Reformpädagogik"). See the links:

http://erwachsenenbildung.at/themen/lernwerkstatt/meth_tech_instr.php

http://erwachsenenbildung.at/themen/lernwerkstatt/online-dokumente_datenbankabfrage_lernwerkstatt.php?s[tag1]=werksta

http://cedid.aikud.org/fileadmin/CEDID/KleinesHandbuch_1996abc_Copy.pdf

(= Flechsig, Karl-Heinz: Kleines Handbuch Didaktischer Modelle: Werkstattseminar; Neuland, Eichenzell 1996; see chapter 20 please!)

If you define workshop as "Werkstattunterricht", you can find "Werkstattunterricht" as method of systemic-constructivist didactics ("systemisch-konstruktivistische Didaktik"). See the link:

http://www.uni-koeln.de/hf/konstrukt/didaktik/werkstatt/frameset_werkstatt.html

(= Reich, Kersten (Hg.): Unterrichtsmethoden im konstruktiven und systemischen Methodenpool; Reichen, Jürgen: Werkstattunterricht, see particularly chapter 3.1 - 3.3)

Jürgen Reichen has developed a learning theory.

In order to become accessible to the theoretical background / learning theory of systmic-constructivistic didactics, I'd like to recommend:

Kersten Reich (2012): Konstruktivistische Didaktik: Das Lehr- und Studienbuch mit Online-Methodenpool (Beltz Pädagogik) Taschenbuch. See:

http://www.amazon.de/Konstruktivistische-Didaktik-Studienbuch-Online-Methode

If you want to get more information, send a mail to me.

Hope, there are valuable hints for you!

Kind regards, Detlef

http://erwachsenenbildung.at/themen/lernwerkstatt/meth_tech_instr.php

http://erwachsenenbildung.at/themen/lernwerkstatt/online-dokumente_datenbankabfrage_lernwerkstatt.php?s[tag1]=werksta

http://cedid.aikud.org/fileadmin/CEDID/KleinesHandbuch_1996abc_Copy.pdf

http://www.uni-koeln.de/hf/konstrukt/didaktik/werkstatt/frameset_werkstatt.html

http://www.amazon.de/Konstruktivistische-Didaktik-Studienbuch-Online-Methode

I'm not sure if my definition of "workshop" is the same as your student's. It probably depends on what he or she  is trying to change in a traditional ensemble rehearsal. 

I often discuss with my graduate students in music education alternate ways of running an ensemble rehearsal through the lens of constructivism. There is a book directed towards elementary general music teachers that I adapt when discussing this learning theory with ensemble directors. Jackie Wiggins "Teaching for Musical Understanding". 

Dear Detlef and Jennifer,

Please excuse my late but sincere thank you for your recommendations!