Compared traditional classroom lectures with videotapes prepared by faculty, small group discussion with videotapes, and student conducted family interviews with videotapes prepared by students. Results showed increases in scores on all methods, but no significant differences between the three teaching methods. (Author/BEF)

An exercise was devised at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, to facilitate medical students' ability to discuss death and dying with cancer patients. Students begin with a written situation to problem-solve and then move into pairs and groups to reach a consensus and discuss the problem. A videotaped simulation is also used. (JMD)

Suggests using book discussions that ask for the reader's thoughtful impressions and judgments rather than simply assigning book reports that tend to produce factual recounting of a book's contents. Provides lists of separate questions on the novel, the biography, and nonfiction that can be used as guides for discussions. (MKM)

Presents transcripts of three English classroom discussions in New South Wales that reflect different degrees of teacher control; includes data indicating the amount of student involvement in 30 lessons in six schools. Notes that teachers frequently deceive themselves about the nature of their discussion lessons and the proportion of pupils…

A successful program of teaching history through student analysis of issues is described. The course involves introductory presentation by the teacher, document study by students, group discussion, research and concluding seminar by students. This approach motivates students, allows them to form and express opinions, and develops critical…

Whether individual study of risk problems (familiarization) leads to greater risk taking was investigated. Subjects (N=160) in groups of five or alone developed arguments in favor of the successful risky outcome in six Choice Dilemma problems. Groups may be more efficient than individuals in developing arguments favoring culturally valued…

A method of curriculum evaluation developed in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba and used successfully for four years is described. The small-group discussion technique was applied to the pilot Curriculum Evaluation Seminar (CES), which both faculty and a majority of students have found to be an important evaluation method.…

In this study, children became more negative in their attitudes toward handicapped peers after group discussion but did not change their views on normal-appearing children. (MM)

Describes an activity to encourage book talk in children of all ages by utilizing a single symbol or object to stimulate thinking about books. Notes the activity's goals: to encourage children to think about books, encourage further reading, discover the symbolism of literary works, and better understand the creative structure of literature. (SD)

Describes a university class project designed to help pre-service and in-service teachers explore the ways children and adults respond to the same text. Considers the importance of discussion for the creation of meaning, the support of literary awareness, and insights about the nature of children's responses to reading. (SR)

Describes Web conferencing in a staff development program for lecturers at the University of Southampton (United Kingdom), designed to enhance the quality of learner support in higher education through the use of learning technologies. Highlights include use of the Web conference; perceived usability; appropriate use; and whether it influenced…

Declares that one of the products of a liberal undergraduate education is the ability to think critically. Explains that this is a crucial skill for economics majors to master. Describes how electronic discussion provides a natural framework for effectively teaching this skill. (JEH)

Discusses a four-week unit of study for an 11th-grade honors class on Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Notes how they listened to the novel on audiocassette; discussed it in "Porch Groups"; reflected on what they read and heard in their notebooks; responded to each other's entries during Notebook Swaps; and invited a visiting…

Details the use and appeal of Web logs to enhance classroom discussion and allow for outside involvement in the classroom. Defines a Web log, addresses discussing literature in a Web log, and describes the author's first attempts at using Web-log technology. Presents considerations for using Web logs as part of classroom instruction. (SG)

Proposes a computer-mediated education system, developed at Doshisha University (Japan), which uses discussion-embedded digital lectures. Explains how students can read related discussions while watching the lecture video, facilitating further discussion and thus achieving a more effective distance learning environment. Includes evaluation of a…