This article reports that as the need for students to be able to construct and critique scientific argumentation as emphasized in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education" (National Research Council 2012), teachers are wondering how to support students in this process. Scientific argumentation is defined as the interplay between…

The number of aging American continues to grow, which makes it essential for us to understand the unique gerontological health risks and concerns that exist for the aging population. In view of the staggering and increasing costs of Medicare and Medicaid--much of which is directed toward seniors--older adults would do well to look for ways to curb…

Describes a group communication skills training program for elementary school principals. Presents an inservice training model and includes the program outline. (Author/BH)

Discusses knowledge graphs, a new form of knowledge representation, and their possible uses in electronic study books. Topics addressed include graph structures; semantics; and representing knowledge from books, including browsing, information marking, annotations, group-based learning, information sequencing, information distribution, and…

School counselors, when serving as consultants and assuming consultee roles, can contribute significantly to the well-being of gifted students at all school levels. This article summarizes pertinent current training of school counselors, social and emotional concerns of gifted children and adolescents, and the practice of consultation as it…

There always has been a problem with grouping practices in reading programs. The complexity of the interaction between readers, texts, and the contexts in which reading takes place often is ignored by educational decisions that suggest that one program, set of materials, instructional technique, or grouping arrangement can address the needs of all…

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of teaching methods. Strategies for…

Efforts are currently underway to adjust the focus of industrial arts instruction to concentrate more on the study and understanding of technology and its role in our lives. For many years industrial arts programs have been industry-based; however, many professionals support a curriculum that will relate industrial arts instruction more closely to…

Current approaches to helping students learn, chiefly in Britain and involving groups rather than individuals, are reviewed and related to research on learning. Four issues are explored: learning and studying; problems of subject and context; change, autonomy and the learner; and the relationship between research and development. (Author/JMD)

Reviews the literature related to creating effective learning groups in face-to-face and virtual environments for distance education using research from cooperative learning, computer-mediated communication, organizational development, and group dynamics. Highlights include creating the groups, structuring the learning activities, and facilitating…

Reviews previous research and presents and analyzes data regarding some possible connections between small group oral interaction and language learning. Data show that communicative interaction is far more sensitive and significant to learners' needs and abilities than are other forms of language work. (CB)

Mastery learning is a group-based, teacher-paced instructional strategy. Because it is also committed to criterion-referenced evaluation and to a strong emphasis on feedback and correctives throughout the learning experience, it is often confused with competency-based education, individualized instruction, and related innovations. Mastery learning…

Discusses groupware, a form of computer-mediated communication that supports interaction and cooperative work among group members regardless of location. Highlights include computer-supported cooperative work; electronic mail; computer conferences; group decision support systems; an example of a classroom groupware project with undergraduates; and…

Examines the origins of small-group learning and distinguishes cooperative learning from other methods. Highlights include assessing the effects of cooperative learning, including cognitive effects; designing effective software for cooperative groups, including accountability, interdependence, interaction, ability grouping, age, collaborative…

Reviews research literature on the effectiveness of cooperative learning in higher education. Identifies and discusses the free-rider problem inherent in assigning grades in cooperative learning activities. Proposes that one randomly selected group member take the examination with his or her grade assigned to all group members. (CFR)