In this study, the researchers examined how 64 university students engaged in self-directed group learning and used a self-developed e-portfolio system. A sixweek event was held where the students made entries to the e-portfolio individually each week, received feedback from advisors, studied in groups on a voluntary basis, and reflected on their…

An attempt is made to understand the behaviors involved in two different self-control strategies: Zen meditation and behavioral self-management. The first technique is derived from the Eastern "religious-Philosophical" tradition of Zen Buddhism; the other technique is derived from laboratory and field studies in Western settings. Using…

In the 1970s a new form of outdoor trip programming appeared. Known as "common adventure," its best known trait is the absence of a designated leader. In 1970, Gary Grimm, the University of Oregon's first outdoor program coordinator, laid out the key principles: self-directed learning, formation of groups of people with similar interests…

Established in 1894, the Naugatuck (Connecticut) Women's Study Club is an example of the women's groups that seemed to spring up simultaneously in the late 19th century across the United States. Founded for the purpose of "promoting general intelligence and culture," these clubs were established by pillars of the community and included…

This paper suggests methods for incorporating cooperative learning into the college classroom, including both short-term and long-term activities. It stresses the importance of self-directed work teams in the work environment and the contribution of cooperative learning in the college classroom to building team work skills. Cooperative learning is…

An approach to teaching particularly well-suited to communication courses seeks to involve students in the learning process more directly by incorporating team teaching in communication courses--not by professors but by students. Groups of students in each class form into teams with the purpose of setting goals and planning projects for furthering…

Research suggests a strong association between the existence of professional learning communities within schools, increases in the effectiveness of practice, and improvement in student achievement. This paper describes the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF), a professional development program at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at…

The Academic Foundations Department at Rutgers University developed an alternative method for encouraging writing that allows the students to work together in small groups. This method, called group composing, has many advantages: it is process-oriented rather than product-focused; it allows students to become aware of the options available to…

Problems in organizational groups are often defined around one pivotal and difficult group member. Based upon C. Stohl and S. Schell's concepts of farrago (a confusing group member who becomes the relational focus of the group), 28 undergraduate students and management personnel who frequently participate in group work were interviewed to validate…

To address the lack of research focusing on naturally occurring groups within an organizational context, a study examined the selection process and criteria that individuals use when allowed to self-select members for task groups. Subjects, 248 students enrolled in a basic communication course at a midwestern university, self-selected themselves…

In a time of financial retrenchment, staff development involving factors external to the college (consultants, travel, workshops) must be reduced, yet staff development has been identified as the challenge to be met during the current decade. For the past year, Hagerstown Junior College (Maryland) has been operating an Instructional Clinic (IC)…

Discusses four modes in which computer assisted learning can be provided and analyzes the relationship between these modes and the types of client groups likely to employ computer assisted learning (CAL). Prepackaged CAI/CMI, auto-elaborative CAI, personally guided small group CAI, and gated cooperatively elaborated CAI are described. (JL)

During the early decades of the twentieth century, there was a gradual shift from educational sports as a forum for non-risk individual participation to team and coach-centered endeavors where an emphasis on winning existed. That shift reflected social changes in the United States as American society itself became highly structured and organized…

This paper examines the philosophical foundation of common adventure and proposes a definition and practical model of the concept. Sixteen values are listed that provide the philosophical foundation of common adventure. Based on this foundation, a possible definition of common adventure would be two or more individuals working cooperatively on an…

Although the origins of self-help groups can be traced back to early history, the self-help movement as we know it today began almost 50 years ago. Approximately 15 million Americans currently belong to about 500,000 different self-help groups. Adults in transition are likely to seek both formal and informal sources of help when faced with…