Enhancing ethnic relations among students of diverse ethnic backgrounds was the aim of this practicum. A specific goal was to aid students in developing positive communication skills needed to enable them to work in collaborative learning groups without feelings of ethnic inferiority or ethnic superiority. Students were taught the vocabulary…

This text describes an approach to middle level education that focuses on the work children will be expected to do as adults. This approach requires teachers to use instructional strategies that support the development of thinking skills. Chapter 1 explains the rationale for adopting a new approach to middle level curriculum. Chapter 2 examines…

This monograph examines the nature of active learning at the higher education level, the empirical research on its use, the common obstacles and barriers that give rise to faculty resistance, and how faculty and staff can implement active learning techniques. A preliminary section defines active learning and looks at the current climate…

The aim of this project is to increase teacher education students' understanding of the learning process by focusing on their own learning experiences. In 1990, 67 preservice teacher education students in 4 classes completed measures of academic locus of control, perceived competencies in self-directed learning, and study processes before and…

A 9-day study based on the framing strategy investigated the effects of using frames on low-performing students' (learning disabled or Chapter 1) comprehension of social studies text. Subjects were 14 fifth-graders from a large urban school district who were reading at least one year below grade level. All lessons were designed to involve students…

The articles in this volume are written primarily by classroom teachers who share their experiences and offer practical examples of cooperative learning activities. Lesson and unit plans, games, group projects, samples of student work, worksheets, and evaluation forms are included, as well as cooperative learning activities for several grade…

In higher education, online discussions are an integral part of collaborative based e-Learning systems. However, there can be problems associated with current online discussion models. For example, it can be easy to set open-ended discussions which attract little participation and assessing contributions can be difficult or time-consuming.…

This article discusses a project about lunch undertaken by a class of 3- to 5-year-old children in a preschool in Iowa. Following a description of the school and the goals of the project, the article presents the three phases of the project. The teacher's reflections about the project are also included. Photographs taken to document the project…

The purpose of "Focus" is to present articles by Utah community college faculty on various curricular and administrative concerns. This issue contains: (1) "Predicting Student Retention," by Nancy M. Smith, which discusses the importance of student assessment as a variable in student retention and presents findings from a study…

If schools improved the academic performance of at-risk students beginning in the early years and continuing through the elementary grades, this improvement would have multiple positive effects on student dropout, delinquency, pregnancy, substance abuse, and other behaviors. Early improvement of poor academic performance could greatly alleviate…

The print and audiovisual materials in this annotated bibliography are divided into three categories: (1) Those in the implementation section (72 items) give reasons for starting a conflict resolution program and ways in which programs improve school climate. There are also materials on establishing and evaluating programs. (2) The skill building…

An instructional plan to rescue at-risk students must be based on a curriculum intended to serve all students. The creation of a functional curriculum, the promotion of employability skills, and an emphasis on improving study skills are instructional patterns that seem to be effective in reducing the number of student dropouts. Two alternatives…

The design issues involved in the effective use of computer-mediated communication in a multimedia distance education environment are examined, with particular reference to recent and current initiatives at the Open University in Great Britain. A description of the components of the Open University's electronic campus (the conferencing system and…

In six brief chapters, mixed-age grouping of young children in schools and child care centers is explored and advocated. Chapter 1 defines mixed-age grouping, examines limitations of single-age grouping, and points out positive characteristics of mixed-age classes. Chapter 2 discusses social development as seen in children's interactions in…

A primary grades specialist implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to increase third graders' social skills by training their teachers in cooperative learning techniques and providing cooperatively structured lessons. Eight skills were addressed; these included the skills of accepting peers' ideas for group activities, completing…