The present article is based on the results of an expert survey and a survey of young people in the schools of two Russian cities, Moscow and Kazan (2003). The study focused on making the research problem more explicit and testing the set of instruments, which was developed with the authors' participation in the framework of the Eurogang research…

This study investigated how different tools differentially mediate the way groups interact and how the differential tool use and interactivity influence interdependence in online collaborative activity. Activity Theory is used as a framework to examine and explain computer-mediated interactions among students during group work. The findings reveal…

This study examined the effects of conversational language (e.g., asking questions, inviting replies, acknowledgments, referencing others by name, closing signatures, "I agree, but", greetings, etc.) on the frequency and types of responses posted in reply to given types of messages (e.g., argument, evidence, critique, explanation), and…

Beginning in September 2000, terror attacks and large numbers of casualties became part of Israel's harrowing daily routine. The attacks occurred throughout the country, putting everyone at risk. These events also shattered the illusion of coexistence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel and led to feelings of anger and suspicion between the…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in which the experience of learning through an online problem-based learning (PBL) model affect teachers' perceptions of integrating technology. Participant reflections were collected and analyzed to identify the pros, cons, and challenges of learning technology integration through this…

Although researchers and educators agree that small group collaboration is an essential part of teacher education, not much attention had been paid to examining the dynamics, characteristics, and processes of online group collaboration involving teachers in a peer-led context. Yet, understanding how online teacher learning groups evolve and what…

Background: In Taiwan, traditional college science teaching concentrates on the direct transmission of knowledge or facts from instructors to students and thereby involves non-interactive teaching activities. Some researchers recommend that college faculties should be moving away from lectures as a means of instruction and increasing opportunities…

This study explores the relationship between online learners and the Web-based learning environments they study within. The extent to which the online learning environment constitutes a cultural influence on the learners, and the manner in which different individuals within the group influence the emergence of a particular cultural identity were…

In 1961, Fritz Roethlisberger, coauthor of the landmark Hawthorne studies, wrote a memorandum sketching his understanding of the nascent field of organizational behavior. The memo's purpose was to discuss the relationships of theory and practice in the field, identifying in particular some of the tensions and contradictions that the field poses…

Compelling aspects I have noticed throughout my teaching life are the multitude of understandings boys have concerning themselves as readers. In this inquiry, as part of a larger year-long ethnographic study, I observed and analyzed how what counts as talk around text accomplishes curriculum mandates and achieves valuable social ends for one third…

This article connects teachers' experiences of reflective school portfolio development to the idea of teachers' knowledge communities, the different groups and individuals with whom teachers negotiate meaning for their stories of experience, lived and told, and re-lived and re-told, over time. The reflective analysis makes the case that the…

Although educational leaders may be optimistic about initiating change, lasting reforms are rare. The group polarization literature, although dated, provides an important explanation for a very current problem. The theory holds that when there are differences of opinion to begin with, a counter-conformity effect works among members of groups.…

This article describes the development and assessment of a graduate level online art therapy class. An introduction briefly defines art therapy and the need for distance learning in this field. The challenges inherent in teaching art therapy online, including working with art media and developing appropriate interpersonal skills and group…

English instructors try to convince students, sometimes in vain, of their need to learn composition. Through the use of counseling techniques, it is in the instructor's hands to build relationships with students that empower them as individuals and make them want to write well. First, an instructor can build trust by fulfilling promises and…

The experience of students with learning disabilities during cooperative learning reading lessons with peers without disabilities was studies ovr the course of 2 years. In the first year of research observations were conducted in one elementary school. Twelve children with mild disabilities and 12 students who were average in performance were…