This personal reflective essay explores a group Dissertation in Practice (DiP) model and process used in a localized Doctor of Education program. It describes and recommends this team-based DiP approach as an innovation that prepares practitioners to tackle complex problems of practice by focusing on a process centered around group dynamics that…

Group work is used as a means of learning at all levels of most educational systems. However, teachers often use group work without considering its "pros and cons." Such a mode of non-reflected application may sometimes end up in positive experiences and learning, but the likelihood is that the outcome will be the opposite. The aim of…

Many students cringe and groan when told that they will need to work in a group. However, group work has been found to be good for students and good for teachers. Employers want college graduates to have developed teamwork skills. Additionally, students who participate in collaborative learning get better grades, are more satisfied with their…

The objective of the exercise described here is to teach students about group formation using group concepts and theory. It also provides a unique way to form work groups for class projects. Students will become more aware of the reasons people join groups, the benefits groups provide for them, and an understanding of how groups are formed. The…

Previous research suggested that social support, belongingness and mastery goals were related to the quality of cooperative learning (CL). In this in-depth study we explored how to differentiate between four effective CL teams and four ineffective CL teams, in terms of students' goals and perceptions of instructional conditions. Apart from the…

This article discusses the use of teaching teams to encourage active learning in a business communication class. The author offers examples of short activities that can be used to help create an active learning environment. Some of these favorite activities include homework reviews, the value line, 3-2-1 processor, and muddiest point. In each of…

This study was an attempt fo document aspects of small group work in classrooms engaged in the process education curricula called "Materials and Activities for Teachers and Children" (MATCH). Data on student-student interaction was related to small group work and gathered by paper-and-pencil sociometric questionnaires and measures of group…

The paper describes the basic features and techniques of a specific kind of discussion group, the Grouptalk. Grouptalk, especially useful in the elementary grades, is a formal discussion of a question by a small group and a leader. Participants follow the specific rules that all contribute relevantly to the discussion and that all help in the…