A cognitive-based system of analysis of spoken discourse was designed to provide details about the way pupils think and talk about issues arising from prose material. Written and spoken responses were analyzed to examine the effects of intellectual ability, differences in the stimulus passage, and prior small group discussion. (Note: Page…

A new look at the standard lecture/discussion format for the large introductory college course is offered, along with suggestions to upgrade its quality. Foci for improvement include organization of lecture material, teacher-student interaction, lecture delivery, feedback, discussion group supervision, and course evaluation. (JMD)

Introduces a simple student-centered activity that can effectively complement a traditional lecture by encouraging group discussion and reflection. Students orally review the lecture in groups and submit summaries to the lecturer that are ultimately compiled into a course review. Discusses the benefits of this practice and students' responses.…

Preservice teachers were led in a subtly biased class discussion on sex bias, then asked to rate the discussion's gender equity. Students also discussed videos about equity, calculated class opinions about biased situations, and heard lectures. Most students considered the class discussion equitable. The intervention increased their awareness of…

Four third-grade bilingual-program students were observed repeatedly as they engaged in group discussions of reading comprehension questions as part of a cooperative learning curriculum. Rather than being an exchange of ideas, the discussion activity mimicked teacher and student roles in the larger classroom, demonstrating influences of classroom…

The technique of having college economics students write brief reaction papers in response to assigned readings has been found to be useful in motivating and enhancing student preparedness for classroom discussions. The reaction papers also helped students study for exams and develop writing skills. (MSE)

Examines how children respond to reading. Develops a program that cultivates the growth of response. Shares how these experiences with oral discussions of literature gave insights into the role of participant/facilitator for language arts teachers. (MG)

Presents a discussion by journalists, scientists, and writers on educational problems in the Soviet Union. Focuses on the the role of the pedagogical press in restructuring public education in light of perestroika. Calls for press involvement in defining and developing public education. Lists questions for consideration and invites responses. (NL)

Explains how teachers applied the case method approach in a college pedagogy class, describing the case and context, noting how problem solving evolved within student groups and presenting results from follow-up surveys. Numbers of students in class and time devoted to problem solving were critical to the approach. (SM)

ArtView, developed at Cornell University, allows groups of learners to converse at a distance while viewing an image that has been pre-loaded by the instructor. Results of user-testing revealed that ArtView lacked the elements of personal choice and outstanding physical viewing environment provided by museums; however, most students reported…

Examines the influence of group constitution on group function, and the influence of teamwork and cooperative learning on the individual's perception of the subject. Subjects were undergraduate Computer Science students. Results indicated development of positive intergroup relations and desirable prosocial behaviors which could bridge the gap…

This article deals with 12th-grade students' conceptions of a mathematical definition. Their conceptions of a definition were revealed through individual and group activities in which they were asked to consider a number of possible definitions of four mathematical concepts: two geometric and two analytic. Data consisted of written responses to…

This paper describes the components of a successful, online, introductory statistics course and shares students' comments and evaluations of each component. Past studies have shown that quality interaction with the professor is lacking in many online courses. While students want a course that is well organized and easy to follow, they also want to…

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of three college courses on attitude change toward older adults. To measure attitude change the Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (1961) was administered to 221 college students at the beginning and end of the semester. Participants were enrolled in one of three college courses: Child…

This study systematically examines the strength of the connection between synchronous CMC and pragmatic instruction by measuring the effects of three types of synchronous group discussion (written chat [WC], oral chat [OC], and traditional face-to-face [FF] discussion) on the acquisition of the speech act (refusals of an invitation) in the target…