Several teachers contribute their tested ideas for projects that involve a large group of students. Included are: an archaelogical dig; a school mural; a visit from a children's author; and a whale-watching field trip. (SJL)

Takes issue with the opinions of K. Patricia Cross, as expressed in her article "Old Practices and New Purposes" (EJ 216 532), pointing to the positive effects of grading, group teaching, and a standard time-frame. (AYC)

The author describes a teaching technique that can be used in some large classes in college mathematics. (PK)

The authors examine their own experiences with the small study group method used in professional continuing education in the optometric profession, offering some observations and tentative conclusions for other professionals considering the method. (WL)

Team learning activities were implemented in two undergraduate macroeconomics courses and graduate-level economics and policy courses. The team approach promoted better individual effort and attendance, more interaction and peer teaching, and increased orientation to mastery of the learning goals. (SK)

Effective use of cooperative learning groups requires the following: attention to group formation, orientation that sets clear expectations and guidelines, activities to develop teamwork skills, peer evaluation, and other assessments that recognize and measure individual effort on group projects. (SK)

Considers online Internet chatting as a means to resolve simulation tasks in lieu of face-to-face negotiation and suggests that online chatting extends linguistic opportunities for participation in small-group settings while retaining the interactive qualities of spoken conversation. Concludes that language learners who are normally reluctant to…

States that small-group instruction has been used for many years, but introducing cooperation into small groups of learners has given a new twist to an old strategy. Reviews the literature and research on cooperative learning in the context of mathematics instruction and explains what it is, how to implement it, and when to use it. (Author)

Describes how a teacher overcame her students' reluctance to write poetry by showing them slides of people, places, and things in their school. Describes how small groups of students brainstormed ideas and wrote simple poems. (RS)

Discusses educational technology and critical theory through the theories of Focault on training, politics, and ethics, and Friere on emancipating education that liberates and empowers the oppressed of society. Technological empowerment is considered, including technological literacy and collaborative and group learning. (Contains 30 references.)…

One primary class moved from seating in rows to groups to rows, the other from groups to rows to groups. In both, on-task behavior was higher in rows. In a second study using rows for individual work, time on task increased substantially and, for a target group of three disruptive pupils, it increased dramatically. (SK)

Explores the literacy experiences of five diverse students (three of whom in previous years had received reading instruction in pull-out programs) participating in small-group literature discussions. Illustrates how diverse learners can successfully draw on their own backgrounds and experiences to create an environment for developing rich and…

The study of acid rain provides ample opportunities for active, interdisciplinary learning. This article describes 12 hands-on activities designed to expand students' understanding of acid rain. Background information on acid rain is included. (LB)

This article reviews current literature on small group instruction with moderately to severely disabled students, discussing such components as group size, homogeneous/heterogeneous groupings, task selection, instructional strategies, attentional cues, presentation of the discriminative stimulus, trial presentation, choral and individual…

Small group work, which has become a standard feature of foreign language classes, lowers the stress level of students and makes them less anxious about speaking. Specific suggestions are offered for prereading, comprehension, and analytical small group activities. (Contains 12 references.) (LB)