The Educational Think Tank for Northern Pinal County was established in order to discover the educational needs of the people in the community, improve links between educational entities, and improve the public perception of educational systems in Pinal County at all levels. The group's role was to create ideas for others to execute, which was…

The use of an electronic feedback system, the Anonymous Audience Response System (AARS), in educational decision making is described, and the results of use studies in North Carolina are discussed. The AARS insures anonymity of an individual participant's responses, and at the same time, provides immediate feedback of the group's collective…

An emphasis needs to be placed on the use and development of critical thinking skills at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels. Critical learning that fosters active student participation, goal setting, and probing into concerns through dialogue with other students and the teacher is particularly needed to help students learn to…

This study determined the effects of assigning students from speech classes to one of 14 positive sociometrically determined groups, 14 negative sociometrically determined groups, or 14 randomly determined groups upon individuals' satisfaction with the group and the time needed to solve a specific test problem. All significant differences among…

Describes the development of a computer-assisted college course in group performance skills (GPS) which was designed to expand the instructor's ability to monitor development of individual performance skills and assess their influence on the group output. Computer-mediated communication is explained, and its implications for distance education are…

The journal club is seen as one of the most frequently used instructional methods in postgraduate medical education. The purpose is to evoke interest in scientific research and promote critical reading skills while updating knowledge in specific content areas.(MLW)

Five years ago, an introductory chemistry course for chemists and chemical engineers was redesigned to stress the scientific method, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Describes: (1) changes made in the course; (2) impacts on student achievement; and (3) student ratings of the course. (JN)

Designers who are charged with creating online environments that support students' problem-solving efforts and instructors who are searching for instructional strategies to support students' asynchronous problem-solving efforts will find this paper useful. The paper describes a systematic approach for using computer-mediated bulletin boards to…

Four goals of reading instruction are problem solving, securing ideas, achieving state mandated standards, and making decisions. These broad goals provide general direction for teachers in teaching reading. In order to apply reading to problem solving, a teacher may propose a life-like and important problem to students. The pupils then select…

This booklet summarizes the mathematics chapter from "Handbook of Research on Improving Student Achievement", published by the Educational Research Service (ERS). The Handbook is based on the idea that, in order to succeed, efforts to improve instruction must focus on the existing knowledge base with respect to effective teaching and learning. The…

This study examined the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in a foundational teacher education course at Alabama's Samford University. It measured students' attitudes within the university and in the teacher education course. All undergraduate students were asked to complete a "Student Attitude and Activities Assessment…

This paper discusses caring relationships and their importance in supporting student learning, examining a study conducted at a public elementary school. The first section describes a theoretical context for care in the school community and argues for its presence in capturing the essence of school reform. It explores one component of care,…

Gaming, an approach to problem solving that engages a real life situation, is a technique particularly appealing for design students because it permits learning about the process of change in a dynamic environment requiring periodic decisions. Two games about consensus decisions are discussed: KEEPS and Senior Center Game. (MLW)

Compared to home life, schools resemble crossroads, village squares, marketplaces, and cities. Increasing deliberative interactions among diverse students helps instill habits of behavior necessary for public life: the courtesies, manners, tolerance, respect, sense of justice, and knack for forging public policy with others. This article explains…

Examines a traditional group discussion course redesigned to operate via computer-mediated communication. Finds more frequent student contact with instructors, high level of course approval by students, and group output that equaled or excelled that of traditionally taught courses. (MS)