Many methods have been developed for managing groups in active learning classes, but little research has been done on the effect of group structure itself. Results are presented for an active learning physics class in which half of the class was placed in academically homogeneous groups while the other half was in heterogeneous groups. Students…

Investigating the use of case studies as a teaching strategy to enhance the critical thinking skills of the students is the basic objective of this study. By discovering content and procedural issues, best practices are investigated and ways are discovered to foster critical thinking, as a result of which the students tend to develop the ability…

This study measured the level of academic entitlement in college students using a performance promotion goal questionnaire, an academic entitlement group norm questionnaire, a cultural value orientation questionnaire, and an academic entitlement questionnaire, with 297 college students. The research findings of this study could be used to identify…

In the United States post 9/11, there is increasing interest by the government and by institutions of higher education in educating students and citizens to more successfully navigate difference and interact in an increasingly connected world. This has led to a rise in the number of U.S. American students studying abroad especially on…

Research (Gurin, Nagda, & Zúñiga, 2009) on intergroup dialogue (IGD) has primarily focused on student outcomes in traditional semester-long, 3-credit courses, documenting the positive impact IGD has on college students' (a) intergroup understanding, (b) intergroup relationships, (c) intergroup collaboration and action, and (d) perceived…

Instructors incorporate technological tools into the classroom to address short attention spans, appeal to technologically savvy students, and to increase engagement. This study used both quantitative descriptive and qualitative embedded assessment data to examine the use of three popular tools (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, and video chatting) in…

Google Docs, a free web-based version of Microsoft Word, offers collaborative features which can be used to facilitate collaborative writing in a foreign language classroom. The current study compared writing abilities of students who collaborated on writing assignments using Google Docs with those working in groups in a face-to-face classroom.…

Introduction: This study analyzes the social competence of university students of the Music Education Teaching Degree through variables group climate, team cohesion and social skills. The need to develop good social competence was the basis to implement a project based on the musical theater applied according to the collaborative learning…

This study examined how cultural background (collectivism vs. individualism) affects motor skill learning in a dyadic cooperative learning environment. The research context of this study was Nintendo™ Wii Tennis. Twenty college students from a Midwestern university participated in the study, among whom half were from an individualistic culture…

Mineralogy is a core topic for tertiary geoscience programs worldwide. We report on the use of laboratory group work as an effective and integral part of a new introductory mineralogy curriculum at the University of British Columbia. The new laboratory curriculum was developed by incorporating student feedback with evidence-based pedagogies. These…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of competitive Student Team Achievement Division (STAD), non-competitive STAD, and traditional learning on chemistry learning and learning perceptions. Sample, design and methods: By adopting the STAD approach, this study examined 144 nursing students at a five-year junior…

This study examines ability of an interdisciplinary group project to develop student's abilities to work successfully in groups in a creative context. Group dynamics were investigated via interaction effects between students in a Graphic Design and Marketing class project. A repeated measures survey technique was used to assess student's…

This study investigated the relationship in conceptual change scores between members of dyads paired for a photosynthesis simulation exercise. The relationship between an individual's epistemological sophistication and understanding of photosynthesis was also examined. The sample consisted of 255 biological sciences majors enrolled in a biology…

Interpersonal communication skills training groups led by undergraduate paraprofessional leaders using an interpersonal process-recall videotape-feedback training model were compared with groups using a limited-structure encounter-group model and with no-treatment control groups. Participants in the interpersonal-process-recall videotape-feedback…