Uses ERIC resources to examine the changes necessary to adopt small group instruction, some of the benefits reported by teachers, and guidelines for initiating it. (HOD)

Describes several classroom cooperative learning activities that allow students to work in teams to achieve a common goal. (AEA)

Annotations from 12 entries in the ERIC database were selected as significant and useful sources of information about small-group cooperative learning. Five of the citations are literature reviews. Among these is a meta-analysis, drawn from 217 studies, about the effects of cooperative learning on student achievement and interpersonal attraction;…

This ERIC Digest summarizes Robert E. Slavin's 1986 comprehensive review of research on the different types of ability grouping in elementary schools. Slavin examines evidence on the achievement effects of five comprehensive ability grouping plans in elementary schools: (1) ability grouped classroom assignment; (2) regrouping within grade level…

To bring educational research into focus with tested classroom practice, this booklet provides an introduction to small group discussion. The theory and research section discusses the importance of small group discussion, characteristics of small group discussions, group attraction based on Maslow's hierarchy of basic human needs, group decision…

This research abstract describes two studies: first, "Class Instructional Programs with Autistic Children; Group Structures and Tutoring Models" (Debra M. Whorton et al.) and, second, "The Use of Explicitly Trained Peers To Facilitate the Social Behavior of Autistic Children" (Andrew Egel and Michael Shafer). Both studies investigated effective…

Describes how shared learning activities, including cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and small group learning, can develop critical reading and problem-solving skills. Discusses the teacher's role in guiding shared learning activities. (MM)

This Spanish-language ERIC Digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4)…

This Korean-language digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4)…

This digest summarizes research on methods of student grouping in reading instruction other than whole-class instruction and ability grouping. Peer tutoring and reciprocal-role tutoring have been demonstrated to be effective for students with learning disabilities because they are allowed to be either tutors or tutees. Cross-age tutoring has been…

The use of small groups in adult literacy and basic education has been stimulated by a desire to provide a more learner-centered and collaborative learning environment. Another set of factors promoting their use is related to increased use of language experience or whole language as instructional approaches in adult literacy and basic education.…

This Digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4) feelings. The view…

In successfully establishing and having students complete group tasks within a cooperative learning framework, 14 essential elements must be present. The elements necessary for cooperative learning are: (1) a clear set of specific student learning outcome objectives; (2) all students in the group accept the targeted outcome; (3) clear and complete…

Critics suggest that ability grouping all too often limits the instructional experience of lower-track students and that students placed in low tracks at a young age may never be transferred to upper tracks where higher-order skills are typically taught. As a result of this growing criticism, schools are increasingly eliminating ability grouping.…

This digest discusses curriculum and teaching strategies for early childhood education which best serve children's long-term development. Two dimensions of development, normative and dynamic, are considered with respect to what children should be learning. Four categories of learning are identified, namely, knowledge, skills, feelings, and…