The importance of class discussion following a simulation game was investigated by means of an experiment in which four classes of high school students played Ghetto for two periods. Two classes then discussed the game, while the other two were tested before any discussion of the game. The results showed the discussion to have no effect on…

Teachers can use discussion to develop critical thinking skills in gifted children at all levels. (DB)

Students are highly stimulated by social issues and are interested in establishing acceptable moral standards. Since research studies have shown that situations involving conflicting interests offer many opportunities for creative thinking, it seemed sensible to use court cases, at least from grade 3 on, to develop lively language learning…

Because Robert Lowell's poem "Hawthorne" focuses on Puritan New England, both as a setting and a subject, and shows the dark side of human nature, and Hawthorne as the alienated artist with a definite place in American literature, it is a most appropriate conclusion for a teaching unit on Hawthorne.

Alternatives to the lecture in college teaching of literature. (AA)

The article describes a parent education program based on group discussions of a videotape series, "Hugs 'n' Kids'" for abusive and high-risk-for-abuse parents. Over 200 parents have participated in the program, conducted by the San Fernando Valley (California) Child Guidance Clinic. (Author/DB)

Describes a program which was designed to improve the reading skills and broaden the reading interests of fifth grade students. Critical and higher-level thinking skills were stressed in the program, which included a reading list divided by genre and such activities as group discussions and a contest. (MES)

Whenever there is a data gathering need and a group of people have input, the group interview may be a viable approach. The authors offer a step-by-step model for conducting group interviews. (JOW)

Analyzed group discussions associated with 68 high-quality and 29 low-quality decisions made by comparably informed groups using cross-contact comparison. Found vigilance, second-guessing, and accurate information processing associated with high-quality decisions; faulty information processing and improbable fantasy chains with low-quality…

Ten fourth and fifth grade teachers, after two training workshops, led discussions of critical thinking with groups of six children from their own classes. Audiotape analysis revealed differences in teacher and pupil participation before and after the training. Results and implications for teaching thinking skills are presented. (Author/MT)

The reader's role in constructing stories is explored, and the role of participants in shaping a group text is examined. Parts of discussions by two groups of eighth-graders are reproduced and interpreted. (MT)

Supports the "functional" view that it is the satisfaction of critical task requirements (or conditions), rather than the discussion procedures that are employed to do so, that actually determines whether a group will arrive at a low- or high-quality decision. (PD)