The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program at the University of Minnesota is a primary academic support program for historically difficult, introductory college courses that serve as gatekeepers to academic degree programs. This document is the training manual used for the new PAL facilitators that manage the small study groups. Based upon operating…

This guide is intended to stimulate professional reflection, dialogue and debate about mathematics and how to improve it. It draws together themes, features and characteristics of effective improvement in mathematics and descriptions of good practice. It offers a reference point for staff and teachers who are working together to improve…

For schools and classrooms to become places of achieving goals, educators and students must cooperate to further learning. Cooperative learning in education means overcoming the competition and individualism present in traditional educational models. This book is designed to help educators understand and implement cooperative learning. It includes…

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

Critiques Robert Slavin's interpretation of the mastery learning cumulative research record, expressed in the same "Educational Leadership" issue. Cites the existence of longitudinal studies showing mastery learning's effectiveness and underlines similarities between this model and Slavin's Success for All model. Includes six references.…

Presented are guidelines for designing and incorporating cooperative group learning strategies into teacher preparation courses. Guidelines include determining appropriate content, selecting a cooperative format, forming cooperative groups, teaching cooperative skills, providing feedback, and evaluating learning. The student satisfaction results…

Recent research in mathematics instruction underscores the importance of problem solving and higher-level thinking. This article presents four themes in instruction for students with learning disabilities: (1) provide a broad, balanced mathematics curriculum; (2) engage students in meaningful problem tasks; (3) accommodate diverse learning styles;…

Reports research on cooperative learning strategies used in a college computer skills lab course and compares learning performance and retention of students taught via cooperative teams or traditional individual learning. Results show that both performance and retention were significantly improved with the use of cooperative learning. (Author/JMV)

This paper outlines assumptions and principles related to computer mediated learning (CML) and suggests instructional design and classroom strategies for CML planning and practice. The pedagogy of control is contrasted with the pedagogy of choice and the latter constructivist viewpoint is recommended as the basis of CML. Assumptions about learning…

Answers questions about collaborative learning and offers some strategies to use with students. (MG)

Offers a view of writing as a process involving three forms of collaboration: coauthoring, workshopping, and knowledge making. Offers guidelines for designing courses in which writing is consciously, deliberately collaborative in all three of the realms identified. (MG)

Student support systems (small groups of students who meet to learn), help combat the problem of large student-to-teacher ratios and increase cognitive and affective outcomes. Small groups allow large amounts of participation and interaction, rapid error correction, individualized practice, and self-paced work that actively involves students in…

Instructional methods that seek to promote learning through student cooperation, rather than competition, are discussed in this handbook. Sections include an outline of the characteristics of cooperative learning techniques; a summary of research on the effects of cooperative learning on academic achievement, ethnic relations, mainstreaming, and…

Curriculum modifications are presented, along with empirical support when available, for teaching spelling vocabulary to students with learning disabilities. The article discusses selecting words to be learned, daily testing and practice of small word sets, strategy training, self-regulation, motivation, students helping each other, and frequent…

This book assists teachers to understand why basing instructional practices on cognitive theories of instruction can better prepare students to become strategic learners. The volume synthesizes and distills findings from current research and identifies instructional components that enable teachers to implement strategy instruction in the basic…