Investigated how different strategies for grading online discussions influenced both the discussions and sense of classroom community in 18 graduate-level courses delivered at a distance. Found that there were significantly more discussions per student per week and higher levels of sense of community in courses where discussions were a graded…

Examines racial dialogue as a pedagogical and community-building device, making suggestions for increasing its effectiveness with African American students and teachers. Notes that racial dialogues are useful for deconstructing a racialized worldview, yet often the focus for analysis and critique is only on whites, while black dialogue…

Adapts the "Johari's Window" technique into a structure for generating questions, ranging from simple to complex. Shows how this structure can help prospective teachers frame a range of questions and inquiries to engage an entire class in active discussion. (SR)

Pervasive mistrust in societal institutions may be keeping many community members from participating in forums on public education's future. If our democracy is to function, we must dispel distrust by talking face-to-face to one another. There is something especially meaningful about conversing one-on-one or in small groups about fundamental…

In a marketing course delivered using Lotus Notes, 32 students were randomly assigned to large or small groups with heavy or light coaching. No differences in interactivity appeared related to group size or gender. More coaching increased the quantity, not quality, of interactivity. Quality seemed to decrease as quantity increased. (Contains 35…

Addresses a situation in which a foreign student wrote an extremely homophobic message to a class mailing list--advocating the death penalty for homosexuals, something which is "a practice common in his homeland." Engages in a less triumphal reading of the episode with the homophobic student, then explicates the controversies over…

Presents a way to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through a multicultural book club for culturally diverse prison inmates. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/JOW)

Questions asked by elementary students in response to narrative texts were coded by university and elementary teachers. The coding schedule was consistently applied. The community of inquiry approach helped develop students' critical analysis skills. Careful selection of texts was recommended for successful use of the approach. (Contains 23…

Outlines a dramaturg's process when working on three different plays. Contends that the myriad variations on the question "what will happen next?" serve as the basic architecture on which the dynamic relationship between the story/storytellers and the audience is built. Observes that the continual planning and answering of questions is…

Dan Mader, CEO of Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., discusses his firm's uses of the design charrette (an intense design work session), and talks about how important it is to have the community involved in each project. (EV)

Discusses hypermedia as an appropriate medium for supporting collaborative work and describes hypermedia systems in general and NoteCards in particular. Experiences of collaborators working with NoteCards are presented, the resulting development of two tools is described, and future developments for NoteCards and these tools are discussed. (17…

Describes several techniques to facilitate high school class discussions, including allowing "wait time" for reflection before calling on students, keeping a record of who speaks, and planning for closure. (MM)

Presents information from a focus group study conducted by the National Institute for Adolescent Pregnancy and Family Services at Temple University. Discusses in detail the design of the study, outcome, and relevant findings. Included are excerpts from the transcribed sessions held with a group of sexually active teenage males. (Author/BH)

The author integrated reading in an Introduction to Business course to teach students to become involved with the material they read, to relate ideas from literature to the course content, and to stimulate interest in outside reading. Readings from "Iacocca: An Autobiography" were assigned and discussed in small groups. (CH)

Presents two examples of matrix technique discussion units, which are intended to provide some initial structure to aid teachers in planning classroom discussion. (Author/MKR)