M. S. Peck (1987) identifies six characteristics of a "true community": (1) inclusiveness (no "in group" or "out group"); (2) commitment; (3) consensus (differences are acknowledged and processed); (4) contemplation; (5) vulnerability; and (6) "graceful" fighting (conflict should not be avoided, minimized,…

Many teachers are hesitant to incorporate peer-led discussion groups into their classrooms. Teachers worry that if they relinquish control in their classrooms students may miss the main theme of stories or may spend little time on task, groups may dissolve from excessive bickering, and their classrooms will be out of control. Nevertheless, the…

This article presents strategies that promote responsive instruction of young children with diverse abilities during teacher-directed large group times, specifically "circle time." It uses a traditional circle time format to show how such typical activities as observing the weather can be modified to provide multisensory, multilevel, and…

The Japanese presence in the United States is growing rapidly in business and higher education. With many communication courses enrolling both Japanese and American students, the instructor is faced with a challenging opportunity: to institute course work in intercultural communication. However, when an intercultural course is not feasible, an…

This report documents the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) special pilot study of group assessment. In 1994, NAEP administered U.S. History projects to a limited number of students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of group assessment, and to gain practical experience in the design, development,…

Students must understand that sexual harassment is a big deal, and that it is against the law. To facilitate discussion on this serious subject, this booklet contains materials for a sexual harassment course designed for middle school and high school students. A video, "STOP IT! Students Speak Out About Sexual Harassment," is designed to be used…

This book deals with the challenges of teaching large classes at institutions of higher learning, and addresses such issues as how instruction can be personalized and made more interactive with large numbers of students. The material for the book arose out of a "large classes project" at the University of Maryland, where the subject was…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of the Reading Recovery/Early Literacy program, which provided early intervention to underachieving first-grade pupils. A trained Reading Recovery teacher assigned to the program at each of 2 elementary schools daily taught 3 Reading Recovery pupils for 30 minutes each and 4 Early Literacy groups of 5 to 6…

Issues in making small-group instruction effective are addressed in this theme issue, which focuses on an approach called Complex Instruction (CI). Developed by Elizabeth Cohen at Stanford University (California), the approach is designed for middle school students in heterogeneous classes. The program is based on four goals to help teachers…

A study examined the effectiveness of group and self-directed interventions for developing stress-coping resources among students in three associate degree nursing programs. The 46 students in the modified curriculum group received instruction in two stress-monitoring techniques and three tension control exercises. The second group (n = 61)…

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council offered a pilot program for instruction in mathematics in conjunction with its literacy program. The small group collaborative model was used. The council trained 20 tutors in a 12-hour basic reading workshop, then started 13 groups in 9 neighborhoods. Groups of about five students and a tutor met once each…

References to Lev Vygotsky have become fashionable in discussions of learning in the last few years. Drawing upon Vygotsky to explain small groups is speculative, as he never examined small groups. While the mechanics of small groups are important, they are only important if the overall culture of the classroom is supportive of students' effort to…

A learning module is a competency-based tool focused on what a learner will know or be able to do as a result of using the tool. Modules are especially suitable for outcome-based adult learning programs that emphasize self-direction and individual or small group approaches. Although learning modules vary greatly, six essential components are as…

Designed for teachers of high school students, the unit proposes an individualized approach for teaching vocabulary. Students choose from three vocabulary word lists which represent levels of difficulty and which are chosen from words selected by students during the previous semester. In vocabulary notebooks, students enter pronunciation…

The paper seeks to find a way to make rural education the focus of special efforts to develop electronic technologies, and to use rural schools as the developmental sites for configurations of technology that have broad and general utility. The first section suggests that smallness is an asset to rural education, for education in small units is…