Describes creation and implementation of a college service-learning course on "Nonviolence, Peace and Community" in response to local social conflict. The facilitators attempted to create the course from the community, using community participation, collaborative self-directed learning, a Socratic approach to group discussion, and an…

Describes and analyzes an effort to introduce problem-based learning (PBL) into a Chinese cultural setting--an educational administration course at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Discusses tensions between Eastern students' perceptions of teachers as "wise persons" and a Western discovery-learning philosophy, ameliorative…

Eight approaches to organizational change and problem solving that use large-scale events and involve a broad range of stakeholders are described, and their applications to college administration are discussed. They include future searches; open space technology; interactive design method; home-grown events such as retreats; great teaching…

Experienced undergraduate students served as Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) to facilitate group process and dynamics in cooperative learning groups. Use of this model in large classes (150 students) resulted in significant improvement in group performance and satisfaction with group experience. PLAs defused conflict within groups, and faculty…

Discusses the concept of capability in relation to life both inside and outside the education system. A group film-making project at Edinburgh University which is designed to increase student autonomy in learning is described; problems of group process evaluation are discussed; and a self and peer process assessment questionnaire is explained. (21…

Identifies linguistic, curricular, and social benefits of cooperative learning arrangements in second language and bilingual instruction. Discusses five major models of cooperative learning, and reviews research findings in linguistically diverse settings. Contains 45 references. (Author/SV)

Using the High School and Beyond Survey, explores the impact that 10 organizational features have on teachers' sense of efficacy, sense of community, and expectations of student performance in 353 public high schools. Finds that when background variables are controlled, school organizational features had a major influence on all three…

Discussion of group processes in computer assisted instruction highlights a research program being developed in the United Kingdom to explore computer groupwork with 9-to 12-year-olds. Variables to be considered in the research strategy are described, data collection methods are explained, and student attitudes and teacher roles are discussed. (24…

A course developed for young at-risk women in an alternative high school program involves trips out of the city, earns credits for physical education, and links students to the environment. Although balancing leadership and shared decision making was difficult, trips planned by the students became the ideal cooperative venture to seduce students…

The spoken language occurring when primary school children work in groups at the computer was examined. Findings suggest that discourse accompanying highly structured software conforms well to the initiation/response/follow-up (IRF) structure, with the computer often taking the initiating role. The more open-ended the program, the more…

The number of Hispanics entering the workforce between 1992 and 2005 will increase by 64 percent. Cultural diversity training can help companies produce and market products more effectively. It can reduce misperceptions due to differences in coworkers' communication styles and match services to consumer expectations. The possibility of…

Presents an eight-step plan for implementing technology integration. Describes a sixth-grade social studies class that used hypermedia software to complete a research project about the Renaissance. Discusses software selection, teaching computer skills, and the CD-ROM map project. Benefits include positive group interaction, self-expression, and…

Describes a learning system developed at Wirral Metropolitan College (UK) for self-access language provision, linked to a competence accreditation scheme. The competency-based approach is suited to languages because it offers a measure of built-in accountability. Flexible workshop provision is an effective means of delivering languages to a broad…

Evaluates a model for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk reduction through training popular opinion leaders. Interventions in three gay communities produced dramatic reductions in the gay male population's high-risk behavior. Results support the utility of norm-changing approaches to reduce risk…

Describes a typical Group Decision Support System (GDSS) in use at the University of Mississippi and potential uses of a GDSS in seminars, interactive testing, lectures, foreign language study, and in communication with deaf or mute students. Benefits are noted, including increased participation, group synergy, and automated record keeping. (27…