Background: The linkage between group members' characteristics, group cohesiveness, knowledge application, and competitive performance has rarely been studied. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the correlations among individual characteristics (i.e. prosociality), collective mind (i.e. collective efficacy and cohesiveness), and how these…

This paper presents a study of group cohesion as it arises in online small group different time and place collaboration. Cohesion is modeled in terms of the extent to which a group makes progress together through contentful and meaningful collaborative interactions. This paper makes the case that cohesion in a small group working collaboratively…

Team-based learning (TBL) is a non-traditional method of instruction that utilizes permanent teams working together to solve problems and make decisions. The authors extend the prior TBL criminal justice literature through a detailed explanation of the use of application-focused activities in the classroom. Specifically, application-focused…

Decision-problem structuring is conceptualized to be a process comprising activities characterized by the students. The activities are cognitive efforts of a group coming to an understanding and determining the representation of the decision-problem and of what knowledge is relevant to the decision-problem. Cognitive effort refers to the fraction…

In this exploratory, descriptive study we examined how discussion goals were accomplished during face-to-face and online case-based discussions facilitated by the same co-instructors. An analysis of discussion transcripts suggests that despite different instructor and student participation patterns across contexts, the instructors' goals of…

The health promotion laboratory (HPL-Canada) is a public health professional development program building on a collaborative learning approach in order to support long-term practice change in local health services teams. This study aims to analyse the collaborative learning processes of two teams involved in the program during the first year of…

The literature and the employee and workforce surveys rank collaborative problem solving (CPS) among the top 5 most critical skills necessary for success in college and the workforce. This paper provides a review of the literature on CPS and related terms, including a discussion of their definitions, importance to higher education and workforce…

Decision makers are pressed to involve the public in priority setting. However, public input is only one form of evidence. So, how can information from the public be combined with other knowledge? The authors qualitatively analysed articles that explicitly address this question. We identified the other forms of information that tend to be used in…

Throughout the world, today's students are being characterized as digital natives, the "net generation." This twenty-first-century student cohort is adept at multi-tasking and at using a variety of tools and resources including electronic search engines, blogs, wikis, visual images, videos, gaming platforms, and social networking.…

Tested Janis' groupthink formulation with 126 students by manipulating group cohesiveness and adequacy of decision procedures in a factorial design. Results showed highest quality decisions were produced by groups of intermediate cohesiveness. Highly cohesive groups without adequate decision procedures (the groupthink condition) tended to make the…

Outlines seven principles, in Swahili and English, of Kwanzaa, known as the Nguzo Saba: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Uses these principles to lay the foundation for a problem-posing education in…

Examined the relationship between the social and task dimensions of small groups. Developed a measure of group members' feelings of cohesion. Demonstrated that perceptions about the quality of group interactions, goal attainment, group satisfaction, and group solidarity are significantly and positively related. (RC)

This booklet is for people who want to improve the effectiveness of groups: group leaders, facilitators, and group members. Some of the basic factors that influence how effectively a group works together are briefly described. Factors that affect group effectiveness fall into two categories: those that affect the way group members accomplish…

The most outstanding characteristic of the American College Health Association is its propensity for a ceaseless and continuing altercation. This paper stresses the importance of teamwork within the medical profession. (JN)

An historical perspective of the American College Health Association emphasizes the importance of teamwork among health personnel. The current trend in litigation toward health care professionals and the regulatory role of government has resulted in an apparent increase in legal activity, and necessitates teamwork between doctors and lawyers. (JN)