In an effort to enhance students' understanding of research, a collaborative learning approach was employed in an upper division social psychology course at State University of New York's College at Buffalo. Students worked together in small groups to develop hypotheses, design simple correlational studies, and interpret results, while each…

Recognition of the importance of (special) children's learning of mathematics in an active fashion has increased rapidly since the beginning of the 1980s. This book presents current ideas and trends in the teaching of mathematics and aims at giving an overview of new developments in the field of (special) mathematics and showing how researchers…

This curriculum unit on the ozone is intended for high school students and contains sections on environmental science and chemistry. It has been structured according to a learning cycle model and contains numerous activities, some of which are in a cooperative learning format. Skills emphasized include laboratory procedures, experimental design,…

Selecting and using technology for the classroom is an enormous responsibility for teachers. This book helps educators of K-12 decide which of the many available technologies are right for them. It presents and develops five learning methods based on specific technological devices and practices. These methods include teacher-centered learning with…

Action research is one of the more increasingly popular and innovative techniques for engaging teachers in shaping change in the classroom. The research in this monograph was conducted by teachers in classrooms in Florida and Georgia. Papers were selected from 65 action research papers written in fulfillment of one of the requirements of the…

Students in an undergraduate course in abnormal psychology annually employ a cooperative active learning model to conduct a 4- to 6-day, values-oriented public policy forum (PPF) within the class itself on a general topic of concern to the field of mental health. A comprehensive and structured five-phase model for a PPF is detailed for course…

A study determined the impact of a literacy program including social cooperative literacy experiences on literacy achievement of first-, second-, and third-grade children. Treatment in the experimental groups, which consisted of 204 children from 3 first-, 3 second-, and 3 third-grade urban classrooms included designing classroom literacy centers,…

In Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE), students use a computer-database system as a tool to store and organize their curriculum-related knowledge as a means of sharing information and thoughts with peers, supporting both individual and collaborative learning. This study contrasts two conditions: face-to-face collaboration…

Essays on cooperative learning focus on the use of this strategy to address the special needs of linguistically and culturally diverse student groups in elementary and secondary education. The volume contains several essays on theory, principles, and techniques of cooperative learning and a series of model instructional units for a variety of…

This issue of the OSSC Bulletin explores problems encountered in implementing a closely associated group of educational innovations whose adoption has become increasingly common in recent years. This "family" of organizational and instructional practices includes non-age-graded organization, mixed-age grouping, developmentally appropriate…

This document includes a final report and curriculum guide developed by a project to improve the basic skills of adults enrolled in a union-based, preallied health, adult basic education program. Its objective was to prepare learners to become more effective workers and union members by incorporating worker-centered materials into the curriculum.…

This theme issue of a newsletter for academically talented youth focuses on getting the best precollege education. It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning by becoming aware of all the options their school offers; making use of them; supplementing and enriching the basic school curriculum; and participating in…

This study of student-facilitated study groups at Brooks Community College explores how students structured the study group experience and what type of interaction occurred during the group sessions. The study groups were created for high content introductory courses in which high percentages of students had been unsuccessful. Student leaders were…

This paper investigates the extent to which American college/university faculty use cooperative pedagogical techniques in their classrooms, and identifies facilitating and inhibiting factors. A broad construct representing faculty's use of cooperative pedagogy was created, which places students at the center of the action regardless of class size…

Noting that for computers to become an important part of education, they must be in the classroom rather than just in computer labs or media centers, this book focuses on integrating computers into daily classroom instruction. Part 1 of the book contains 18 short essays grouped into 5 chapters: (1) "First Principles" deals with the…