Massive open online course "for educators" (MOOC-Ed) provide opportunities for using research-based learning and teaching practices, along with new technological tools and facilitation approaches for delivering quality online professional development. The "Teaching Statistics Through Data Investigations" MOOC-Ed course was…

The authors realized that participating in a book club with friends has often provided the incentive to read books they normally wouldn't choose on their own. Book clubs have offered them relaxed and informal places to share and compare opinions, to explore texts and authors they wouldn't as readily appreciate or fully understand without friends…

Study circles such as the National Issues Forums encourage members to reflect upon and discuss community and social issues and foster reasoned advocacy and informed choices. (SK)

Explains how to recruit members for a trade union study circle: types of people, preparation of informational materials, and guidelines for discussing the purpose and benefits of study circles. (SK)

Presents a model of three types of learning groups, i.e., leader-centered, content-centered, and group-member-centered. Describes the characteristics and uses of each type. (RC)

Describes the United States Catholic Conference's "National Issues Forum in the Catholic Community" (NIFCC), a catechetical program designed to encourage Catholics to learn and exchange their views about issues of national concern (e.g., health care, abortion, day-care). Highlights responses to the forum and offers practical suggestions…

Describes successful effort to involve head residents in selection responsibilities. Discusses use of Record of Previous Leadership Experience, behavior ratings adapted from Interview and LGD Rating Scale (T. W. Banta) recommendation from head resident as selection criteria. (CJ)

Describes some of the common elements in activities of non-therapeutic groups (such as Synanon Recovery, etc.) and suggests kinds of persons most likely to be helped by them. (CJ)

Discusses the major benefits that emerge for students and teachers when groups of six students discuss a book they are reading without teacher questions to structure and guide their interactions. Shows that books mixing narrative and exposition have the greatest potential to enhance student discussion. (SR)

Study circles, sponsored by government subsidy in Denmark and Sweden, are characterized by small group discussion of subjects of common interest, voluntary participation, and facilitators instead of teachers. They have often functioned in the formation of public policy and in the education of citizens on important issues. (SK)

The Structured Activity Model for designing group learning activities enhances generation of relevant data for group exploration in a nonthreatening way when the content area is personally threatening or controversial. This model is flexible and readily adaptable to a variety of group learning contexts, content areas, and age levels. (Author)

Shares stories from the author's classroom to show how literature discussion groups can help students raise their own questions about literature, and support students in moving away from instructional dependency to thinking critically. (SR)

A n experiment explored possible personality differences between sociometric techniques following small group discussions. Such differences could predict emergence of leadership behavior in initially leaderless discussion groups. Participating in assigned groups of four or five were 269 Master of Business Administration students and 65 business…

Summaries of studies or experiments dealing with some aspect of independent study are compiled in this report. The papers include: (1) "The Future of Self-Directed Study," by Howard E. Gruber; (2) "Freshman Seminars at Harvard," by Eric W. Shaw; (3) "Independent Study in Honors Programs," by Philip I. Mitterling; (4)…