Describes how a high school social studies teacher used an online threaded discussion forum in his classes. Describes integrating the forum into classroom practice. Notes that nearly half of the students surveyed actively used the forum, even though participation was optional; and that 73% reported that it aided their understanding of concepts…

A student-centered learning model for a course on information systems project management consisted of individual study and group discussion with facilitator guidance. Data from session records, repertory grids, and a learning network diagram showed that interactive learning was more effective and students took responsibility, although some…

Looks at the notion of the democratic public sphere as a useful construct for collaborative practices in portfolio classrooms. Describes the author's efforts to foster democratic participation by situating portfolio talk and assessment within the public space of one developmental writing classroom. Describes conflicts unseen until the end of the…

Interviews 6 high school social studies teachers. Discusses findings regarding 5 factors that influence teachers' uses of different conceptions of discussion: student diversity, lesson objectives, age and maturity of students, sense of community in the classroom, and students' interest level. Notes implications regarding students' influence on…

Stresses the importance for teachers to analyze their Intelligent Questioning (IQ) and Responding to Answers (RSA) scores. Provides three methods for measuring IQ and RSA: Flowchart for Asking Effective Questions, Questioning Observation form, and Flanders Technique of Interaction Analysis. Contends that by improving these teaching skills,…

Presents a simulation exercise that was used to teach undergraduate students about professional ethics standards. Students participate on a mock institutional review board and formulate decisions about hypothetical research projects. Summarizes three projects and discusses the students' reaction to each. (CMK)

Responds to "Rethinking the Graduate Seminar." Addresses topics such as the many styles of teaching in graduate seminars, the role of the instructor, the graduate seminar as part of professional socialization, and socialization for the teacher. Provides suggestions on the article's ideas for dealing with discussion. (CMK)

Examines the collaborative discourse practices of the Red River Writing Project Teacher Research Group as well as the processes by which this diverse group of classroom teachers, most with only limited experience in conducting research, developed into a discourse community of teacher researchers. Argues that the inquiry-oriented context fostered…

Teaching is about designing, creating, and inventing intellectually challenging work for students--work that engages students and is so compelling that students persist when they experience difficulty and feel satisfaction, indeed delight, when they successfully accomplish the challenge (Schlechty 1997). Whether thinking skills are taught…

During recent renovation work at the Collin County Courthouse in a suburb of Dallas Texas, workers discovered "for colored" and "for white" signs underneath layers of plaster above the bathroom doors. The discovery has ignited controversy between citizens who are concerned with the eventual fate of the signs. Some residents of…

Social studies educators advocate discussion as an influential instructional method to encourage students to apply knowledge and develop higher-order thinking and understanding. The classroom reality, however, is that teachers only use the discussion method sparingly. Instead, teachers predominantly use a quasi-discussion form called recitation to…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that participating in online literature discussions would have on the discourse and learning of adult students. Would electronic literature (e-lit) discussions promote grand conversations? Would students feel that e-lit discussions enhanced their understanding of what they read, and, if so,…

In this article, the authors provide a historical review of how the U.S. government has funded its participation in major wars during the past 150 years. They focus attention on five conflicts--the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Those conflicts were funded in different ways, with each funding method…

Tools for measuring cognitive engagement within online groups have been concerned only with measuring an individual participant's cognitive engagement, without any concern for measuring cognitive engagement within groups. There remains a serious need for a scheme that measures cognitive engagement of groups and the validation of such a scheme…

Academics are experiencing pressures related to accountability and appraisal, excellence, effectiveness and efficiency. These pressures can intensify when the role of postgraduate supervisor is added to an already crowded professional and personal life. Although support and discussion groups for supervisors have been used in professional…