Word Generation (WG) is a research-based vocabulary program for middle school students designed to teach words through language arts, math, science, and social studies classes. The program consists of weekly units that introduce 5 high-utility target words through brief passages designed to spark active examination and discussion of contemporary…

In recent years, an emphasis on scientific argumentation in classrooms has brought into focus collaborative consensus-building as an instructional strategy. In these situations, students with differing and competing arguments are asked to work with one another in order to establish a shared perspective. However, the literature suggests that…

A critical component of strategic planning is creating a shared-awareness among library staff of the potential societal, political, economic and technological changes that will influence how future users will create and consume scholarly materials, what will be expected of library services, and how facilities will be used. The ACRL Futuring…

This study focused on the exemplification of cultural memory banking as an ethnographic tool to understand cultural practices relevant to science teaching and learning in a rural coastal village in a central island of the Philippine archipelago. Using the collaborative action ethnography as a research methodology, 10 prospective science teachers…

Service-learning scholars contend that engaging students in systematic reflection during community service promotes one, if not all, of the following student outcomes: (1) academic learning; (2) personal growth; and (3) civic engagement. For communication instructors in particular, Applegate and Morreale (1999) proposed that service-learning both…

Brief citations are given for over 300 items each of which has been used at least twice successfully with discussion groups at jails, halfway houses, convalescent hospitals, alcoholic and drug clinics, and psychiatric hospitals during 1974-75. The listings include poetry, films, biographies, essays, plays, short stories, and music. They are…

This is a compilation of 17 papers given at various recent IFLA and some other conferences. A special Knowledge Management Discussion Group existed during these years and held meetings during the annual IFLA conferences. Apart from a "Prelude" article, a reprint of the classic "Blow Up the Corporate Library" from the 1990s, the papers are grouped…

The author describes a two-way communication device which he has used for instruction with discussion groups. The author discusses the use of this device and it's value as a teaching aid. (MS)

Article describes a new technique in reporting the results of discussion groups to the plenary session of a small conference. Instead of one person from each group writing a report, each group restaged its discussion for 15 minutes before the whole conference, concentrating on major points and conclusions. (PD)

Warns of the possible dangers of encounter groups. (JF)

This article describes a system that autonomously mediates threaded discussions in distance learning environments. The objective is to produce large-scale threaded discussions among an arbitrary number of participants with no human mediation effort.

This article considers the complex process of having students cross the boundaries of race, class, and culture in the Open Choice program, a remedy designed to reduce the racial, social, and economic isolation of Connecticut school children in the wake of the ruling in the Sheff v. O'Neill (1996) desegregation case. Using transcripts from three…

Excerpts from current research with people who have autism using online discussion groups are provided. Two major themes emerged that focus on "expert" knowledge of autism and identity. In contrast to the image of people with autism being unable to speak for themselves, our research on chat rooms has demonstrated that these individuals are finding…

The rapid growth in online and virtual learning opportunities has created culturally diverse classes and corporate training sessions. Instruction for these learning opportunities must adjust to meet participant needs. "Online Course Management: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications" is a comprehensive reference source for the…