A project was conducted to help adult educators in graduate education courses to examine their notions of adult learning, to be lifelong learners, and to engage in self-directed learning. The course was conducted in small self-formed learning groups, and 19 adult learners were observed from various perspectives: through a survey measuring the…

A project increased both interest and learning in a basic public speaking course, alleviating public speaking fears and promoting respect for the discipline. The specific purpose was to illustrate what makes a good speech through the analysis of a published speech chosen from designated collections in the library. Small group problem-solving…

Types of small groups for instructional purposes, and procedures, structure, and practical arrangements are discussed, and reference is made to the British system. It is suggested that an orderly beginning to small group work best suits novice tutors and inexperienced students. In some subjects tightly organized group work may become progressively…

To teach students the skills of editing, teachers should provide them with an opportunity to become editors--to work cooperatively in the editing of each others's writings in order to be able to accept help and to learn to edit their own writings. Purpose and audience are the two guiding lights of the editing stage. Instruction begins with…

Author suggested some simple, common-sense methods for running a good instructional discussion. (Author/RK)

Personalized instruction, as distinguished from individualized, is a system where students are taught in groups, learning from one another as well as from teacher and instructional devices. Personalization involves an admission and placement process and contact between student and employer to plan for pre-employment training and on-the-job…

From his experience in using a "clustering" arrangement for undergraduate classes of 25-50 students, the author describes a synergistic technique ("an active group exchange of three or more people involved in a particular objective"), listing guidelines and offering examples of material adaptable to it (questions, problems and…

A series of simulated patient experiences were presented to two groups of five students concurrently with a regularly scheduled integrated course in neuroscience. Results showed increased motivation, problem solving, and self-study skills in the experimental groups as compared to the control groups, which were also enrolled in the neuroscience…

The ultimate goal of a learning group is to help the learner achieve his goals and objectives and to help him learn to live in a rapidly changing and evolving society. The internal dynamics discussed in the article provide a basis for understanding learning group processes. (Author)

The article describes the nature and character of participation training and how it can be meaningfully applied beyond a laboratory experience in human resource development. (Author)

From his own experience as a group facilitator, the author offers helpful tips to trainers on what to do in 12 problem situations in the classroom. (AJ)

A progress report on API studies (Aptitude x Treatment interactions) related to instruction, is used to explore the consequences of attempting to establish in psychological experimentation, empirical generalizations in a world in which most effects are interactive. While the two scientific disciplines of experimental control and systematic…

A large undergraduate course in persuasion which is taught to multiple sections of 70 students (and has in the past been taught to sections with as many as 200 students) at Northern Illinois University required several innovations to handle the large numbers of students and to enliven such large classes. Innovations include: (1) the creative use…

The 1986-1987 American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Research Committee identified as one of six goals the identification of two topics of high professional development need for school counselors and distribution of bibliographic information on these two topics. To achieve this goal, ASCA presidents and presidents-elect (N=31) completed…

Creative and successful ways to develop reasoning-centered classrooms are described. An informative testing method, which was developed by Larry Michaelson (University of Oklahoma Division of Management) begins with students taking a quiz and turning in their results. Then they retake the quiz in a permanent group of five or six students who must…