Female undergraduates with low participation levels in mixed sex discussions received training in assertiveness. Pretest and posttest observations of the subjects' behavior suggested that the training was successful, and that lack of assertiveness in the presence of men, rather than lack of substantive knowledge, inhibited women's participation in…

The potential of on-line discussions to prompt greater reflection of course material is often stymied by a tendency of students to agree with one another rather than to formulate counter-arguments. This article describes an experiment using note starters and elaborated cases to encourage counter-argumentation and examines interactions with…

Analysis of high school discussion classes revealed no "male dominance" in the rate of participation or weight of contribution. On all indices, males and females participated in proportion to their numbers in class. Differences in participation did not appear to be the result of sociocultural traits. (Author/PP)