If the United States is to be competitive in the global market, students must first learn to work with one another. Using cooperative and collaborative learning in the college classroom requires attention to group formation and composition, group dynamics, assessment of student work, and the design of group tasks. (MSE)

Presents answers from a teacher, a curriculum developer, and from the educational literature to the question "What are some strategies for helping students work in groups?" Topics addressed include group size, heterogeneous grouping, roles in the group, necessary social skills, and teacher guidance. (PR)

Six classroom tips for language teachers focus on creating a congenial classroom environment, integrating listening and reading skills, teaching idioms from tabloid newspapers, cooperative learning in honors courses, grammar games, and teaching culture through personalized automobile license plate messages. (MDM)

A Dickinson College (Pennsylvania) introductory physics program abandons lectures in favor of activity-based, collaborative work enhanced by use of integrated computer tools. Contrary to expectation, it was found that some women did not respond positively to hands-on, collaborative instructional methods. (MSE)

Maintains that stock market games are designed to provide students with a background for investing in securities, especially stocks. Reviews two games used with secondary students, analyzes statistical data from these experiences, and considers weaknesses in the games. (CFR)

As his high school restructured to improve student outcomes, a biology teacher altered the instructional environment of his classroom accordingly, emphasizing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As he acted more like a coach than a dispenser of information, students took more responsibility for learning and improving the quality of their…

By combining hands-on research and telecommunications, the National Geographic Society's Kids Network enables K-8 students to grapple with basic science and geography concepts, hone communication and research skills, and network with kids around the world. Students focus on real-world problems, work cooperatively, and share results in class…

Describes activities that can be added to any chemistry curriculum and can offer students an opportunity to gain and practice skills in research, written and verbal communication, and database creation and use while working as a part of a problem-solving team. (JRH)

This exploratory research describes results of a thematic literature-based unit in an upper elementary, self-contained class for students with learning disabilities. Social and collaborative activities included reading, writing, and speaking on the topic of friendship. Literacy outcomes are illustrated in three case histories. (DB)

A discussion of group dynamics in collaborative learning describes use of this approach in an experimental biology course. Three approaches to group dynamics are outlined (personality and learning style, cognitive style, and group life). Identified are variables that teachers either have little power to affect, can address in course design, or can…

Reports on the graphing work of children, aged eight and nine years, who have access to portable computers across the curriculum. Describes two learning sequences: in one, the children collected data and then explored the computer graphing facilities; and in the other, graphing is used iteratively as an integral part of the ongoing task.…

The Global Schoolhouse, a K-12 Internet project, connects schools nationally and internationally and demonstrates how the Internet can be used as a tool for research and as a medium for interactive and collaborative learning. (Author/AEF)

Describes the content and instructional techniques used in a college course on program evaluation. Discusses the use of cooperative learning methods and fieldwork as instructional strategies. Maintains that student evaluations indicate the course achieved its objectives. (CFR)

Maintains that a major source of intercultural misunderstanding is the clash of culturally conditioned perceptions of reality. Describes the use of a family history project in an introductory college sociology course. Provides an appendix including the project description. (CFR)

Describes the methods and means by which composition teachers can successfully create, train, and maintain writing groups (peer response groups, writing circles, or writing workshops) within the English classroom. (HB)