A practicum addressed the failure of 85% of tenth-graders in an urban school to complete the research paper required by the Palm Beach County (Florida) curriculum. The target population consisted of 28 students from each of two classes. The practicum's three main objectives were to: (1) encourage students to work in teams and utilize peer…

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of the interaction between computer assisted instruction (CAI) and cooperative learning. The constructivist perspective is discussed in relation to other learning theories, and is emphasized as the theoretical basis for the study because of its focus on prior learning, student characteristics,…

Originally developed as part of a project for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on the role of grammar and the teaching of writing is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes an overview of the project; a comprehensive search of the ERIC…

Our paper describes the important role of virtual education in the process of building a unique cross-border educational environment between Finland and Russia. Against a background of the latest trends in international virtual education, we propose a realistic solution for equal collaboration between two different systems. The final model strives…

How do people experience engagement? We explore this question by interpreting stories of engagement, stories associated with projects undertaken in conjunction with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's Leadership for Institutional Change (LINC) initiative. The stories convey a sense of what it means to be and feel engaged: it is a resonant experience,…

Each issue of "PRISE Reporter" offers a feature article on educating handicapped students and provides descriptions of other information sources, continuing and completed research, and promising practices. The December 1987 issue contains an article by Martha Thurlow titled "A Skeleton in Our Closet? The Special Education…

This paper discusses implementation of Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) with bilingual 2nd- through 4th-grade students. The CIRC curriculum is intended to help students in the early grades acquire a variety of reading and literacy skills. The curriculum centers around "treasure hunt" units that last 5 or more days…

Cooperative group learning involves organizing students in small heterogeneous groups to work on academic assignments. This paper reports a staff development project to implement cooperative group learning for 417 general education middle school and junior high school students, including 41 special education students. To impart cooperative…

Computer instruction can offer particular benefits to the Indian child. Computer use emphasizes the visual facets of learning, teaches language based skills needed for higher education and careers, and provides types of instruction proven effective with Indian children, such as private self-testing and cooperative learning. The Hupa, Yurok, Karuk,…

A study was conducted to determine what kinds of references to cooperative activities or collaboration appeared in the journals kept by students in a graduate methods course on the teaching of writing and if there were difference in the references made by two new teaching assistants and two experienced high school teachers. New teachers wrote…

Plain talk is the cornerstone for creating a classroom atmosphere in which students want to learn to improve their writing. As much as possible, the jargon and technical terminology of the profession of English should be eliminated. Teachers will know what level of language to use if they determine the nature of their audience. Teachers have to…

Collaborative learning, such as student-team learning or work-group learning, has become the focus of inservice workshops for teachers, a theme in professional journals, and the daily routine in an increasing number of classrooms. The women's study clubs in late 19th-century United States used a similar pedagogy. By the early 1900s, perhaps as…

This study compared the effects of cooperative learning groups to traditional instruction in remediating students' misconceptions about temperature. Students from grades 3, 4, and 5 in two rural elementary schools participated in the study. Students completed a pretest, a cognitive conflict laboratory activity and a posttest that measured…

Three studies of cooperative problem solving among university students examined how to design effective computer-based support for collaborative learning in distance education. The first was a questionnaire study of 150 Open University students who had participated in three different courses in physics and mathematics. Its aim was to determine…

Written by instructors who not only accept but also elect the challenge of teaching basic skills classes in reading and writing to freshmen at the community college and technical college level, this paper examines, first, the basis for the pedagogy employed: the theoretical concepts and the actual students on which the teaching of developmental…