Presents the Conceptual Understanding Program (CUP) as a means of helping first-year university physics students overcome their misconceptions in mechanics. Students work on exercises alone, then in threes, and finally as a class, which has resulted in high levels of participation and satisfaction among students. This strategy can be implemented…

Discusses the merits of student discussions in science classrooms. Focuses on resolving differences of opinion about social and ethical issues. Recommends that students be expected to carefully explain the reasons for their opinions. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

Suggests that professors who want to increase students' participation and foster student involvement should employ panel debates in their classes. Outlines the background readings and organization steps required to set up a panel debate. Reviews literature relating to the use of student debates in sociology instruction. (DSK)

Explores moral learning within the context of adult education. Examines two established modes of practice, acknowledging learners' experiences and using discussion circles, both described as flawed. Enumerates core processes of moral learning and finds that reflection on the validity of moral norms assimilated in childhood is central to adult…

Investigated how regular group discussion promotes reflective thinking. The study focused on three experienced English-as-a-Foreign-Language learners in South Korea who came together in weekly meetings to reflect on their work. Implications for the use of teacher-development groups as a means to promote critical reflection are discussed.…

Describes three therapeutic group activities used with adolescents, adults, or families in adventure- and experiential-education settings. Includes target group, group size, time and space requirements, activity level, props needed, instructions, and ideas for post-activity group processing and reflection. Activities involve moving beyond…

Describes a historical empathy lesson that requires high school students to understand, explain, and evaluate why Neville Chamberlain followed the policy of appeasement in his negotiations with Adolf Hitler. Defines historical empathy and includes an appendix with list of key events, student investigation sheet, and resource materials. (CMK)

Investigates the five factors that affect teachers' use of discussion as a means to promote more frequent use of that strategy. Shows that teachers' perceptions of their students influence their teaching techniques. Concludes that familiarizing future teachers about discussion as a teaching strategy could encourage its use in the classroom. (CMK)

Describes how the author incorporated dialog journal writing (in which university students and elementary school partners hold weekly literature discussions by email) into her reading methods course. Discusses the planning stage, preparation of university students, preparation of elementary school students, the electronic mail discussion, and the…

Characterizes the use of recycling "junk" as a means for creating art by exploring various recycling traditions that are present in the United States. Demonstrates to students that "junk" can be fashioned into beautiful works of art. Offers four works of art and provides discussion questions and project ideas for each artwork. (CMK)

Analyzes four documents pertaining to the Korean War and provides discussion questions to assist students preparing for the Document-Based Questions of the College Board Advanced Placement Test. Explains that the documents focus on how the United States, the Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China perceived the Korean War. (CMK)

Discusses how research on practice can be disseminated to teachers in a way that informs school improvement initiatives. Reports on a project investigating how middle managers in 15 (British) schools received and used findings from research on departmental effectiveness. Without specific support, managers regarded the dissemination process as a…

Presents a humorous treatment of the "sessio taurino" (or humanistic inquiry) technique for describing changes in technological models. The fundamental tool of "sessio taurino" is a loosely-structured event known as the session, which is of indeterminate length, involves a flexible number of participants, and utilizes a…

Reports results from an experiment in which interaction processes and learning outcomes of dyads working on different cooperative tasks within the domain of electricity were compared; a concept mapping task was compared with a poster task. Subjects were 40 students ages 16-17 years old. Students working on a concept map talked more intensively…

Presents activities to help adolescent and young-adult students become aware of the different types and possible benefits of social support and help them develop skills for obtaining social support. The process involves introducing them to different types of social support, discussing social support, creating social support webs, and having…