The first guide shows individuals how to organize a series of small-group discussions in order to help participants consider ways to prevent crime and violence in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Based on the concept of a study circle--small-group, democratic, and highly participatory--these groups bring people together to discuss…

Small group discussions can implement learning in courses comprised of very large numbers of students. Six significant components of a learning group are listed along with training suggestions for implementing a format for a free discussion type of group. (DS)

The term "risky shift" is used to describe the tendency of groups to make a collective decision that is less conservative than the members might make as individuals. Previous research on this subject has been based on three analytical categories: demographic makeup of groups, group familiarity with the task and information, or individual…

"Group groping," a classroom activity in which discussion units of five to seven students search into a text (play, essay, poem or short story) to illuminate a problem posed by the teacher, is a way of making discussions both teacher-directed and student-centered. After a class has read a work, the teacher provides background information to…

Methods and results of resident participation in this aspect of a postgraduate pediatric curriculum at the Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, Bronx, New York, are described. Peer discussion and group problem-solving and exploration are used and evaluations suggest a positive impact on learning and patient care. (LBH)

Not only did the group sessions enable the counselor to become acquainted with more students, but it provided the opportunity for students to express themselves openly and to become less hesitant about seeking individual help from counselor and teachers. (CJ)

University students participated in five weeks of education/discussion based on rational emotive theory. The results indicated increased rational thinking, decreased anxiety, and fewer reported problems. (Author)

Teacher dialogs are a powerful staff development tool, involving a few teachers who meet during school hours on a regular basis to discuss instructional issues using a constructivist approach. The article examines ways to schedule time to maximize teacher learning and presents a model of staff development based on constructivist thinking. (SM)

THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF CHILDREN IN STIMULATING FAMILY USE OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION DURING EVENING HOURS WAS STUDIED. FOUR EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS WERE CREATED AMONG TENTH-GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS AND THEIR CLASSES--(1) A DISCUSSION PROCEDURE WAS USED TO STIMULATE VIEWING OF A PUBLIC AFFAIRS SERIES ON THE AREA'S EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION STATION,…

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS AN EXAMINATION OF THE INTERACTION OF THREE INNOVATIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION--(1) TELEVISED INSTRUCTION, (2) INCREASED STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE LEARNING-TEACHING PROCESS, AND (3) INCREASED ATTENTION TO THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF RESIDENCE HALLS. DURING EACH SEMESTER OF A 3-YEAR PERIOD, THE LECTURE-DEMONSTRATION…

Many variables relate to the successful functioning of groups, but one that is fundamental is the size of the group. Part 1 of this bibliography includes a selection of studies from small-group research in experimental social psychology. Part 2 of this report represents an attempt at a rigorous review of the feelings of clinicians and counselors…

This guide on group discussion leader training provides for a four session course structured to enable each trainee to practice and be evaluated. Session 1 stresses the nature and uses of discussion, and introduces trainees to role playing. Other sessions concentrate on summarizing and decision making; on group satisfaction or problem solving and…

A complete step-by-step format for using film to enhance discussion groups is presented in this guide. The selection of film and its subsequent incorporation into the discussion are described in detail. Tips on handling discussion problems, working out mechanical details with the projectionist, and making the appropriate physical arrangements are…

Suggests how discussion groups for parents, students, and school personnel can be in the best interests of the children. (JOW)

Article lists the report of the Seventy-Eighth Annual Meeting of the Commission on Secondary Schools as well as different committee assignments, the composition of state reviewing committees and the actions those committees have taken on annual reports. (RK)