This paper describes the joint collaboration of Broome Community College (BCC) (New York) and the State University of New York at Binghamton to help their engineering students become self-directed learners (SDL). Gerald Grow's model for staged self-directed learning is presented as a framework for the collaboration, with its four stages of student…

This comprehensive social studies curriculum unit for fifth grade has three areas of concentration: (1) the history of the newspaper industry, including historical dates and figures and analysis of how the newspaper industry has influenced and shaped the history of the United States; (2) the functions and responsibilities of the departments and…

Peer orientation has been found to explain as much as 27.4% of the variance in achievement in graduate-level research methodology courses, with students who prefer to learn in cooperative groups tending to attain lower levels of performance in individual learning settings than do their counterparts. The purpose of the present study was to…

This paper gives an introduction to cooperative learning (CL), providing a definition of what it is and is not (pseudo-learning groups, traditional classroom learning groups), discussing basic principles, describing two basic types of CL (formal and informal), and listing the benefits of CL suggested by previous research. In order to understand…

This chapter gives a brief history of cooperative learning in Japan, describes several types of Japanese cooperative learning, offers short vignettes of modern situations in which cooperative learning has been effective, and concludes with thoughts about the future of cooperative learning in the Japanese context. Learning in Japan was structured…

Intended to illustrate the benefits of collaboration between scientists from psychology and computer science, namely machine learning, this book contains the following chapters, most of which are co-authored by scholars from both sides: (1) "Introduction: What Do You Mean by 'Collaborative Learning'?" (Pierre Dillenbourg); (2)…

The CRitical Issue Bibliography (CRIB) Sheet describes resources on collaborative learning. It has been argued that this form of teaching and learning is more effective with women, minorities, and some other audiences that have been considered nontraditional. The first section of this CRIB Sheet includes general resources on collaborative…

This study explored high school students' collaborative efforts in solving qualitative physics problems. It aimed to investigate whether and how confronting students with varying views help to improve their problem solving skills and develop better understanding of the underlying physics concepts. The varying views were provided to 18 grade 12…

In many elementary classrooms, math tends to be individualized work with repetitive paper-and-pencil assignments. This research project attempted to generate more interest in math, reduce math anxiety, and make math more enjoyable for students. Through the use of cooperative learning, students practiced and developed social skills needed to…

Defining cooperative learning (CL) as a collection of concepts and techniques for enhancing the value of student-student interaction, this paper describes a workshop presenting key CL concepts. It describes two CL techniques that can be used in the teaching of reading and highlights connections between CL concepts and these two techniques. The…

Success for All is the most extensively researched of all comprehensive reform models for Title I elementary schools. It incorporates scientifically based principles of reading, cooperative learning, professional development, tutoring, and family support. This document lists the particular schools in Florida that made outstanding gains on the…

To achieve the best outcomes possible, transition-age youth need specific skills in areas such as math, literacy, and independent living. However, skills in these areas will not assure successful outcomes in the absence of adequate social skills. Social skills form the basis for social competence. This brief reviews research on the importance of…

This article offers ideas as to how students can collaborate as they learn about and utilize a variety of text types (also known as rhetorical modes). The article begins with explanations of the teaching of text types and cooperative learning. The longest section of the article consists of examples of ways that students can use cooperative…

Group activities are becoming more and more popular in the teaching of second/foreign languages and other subjects all over the world. Since about 1970, a great deal of work has gone into research and methodology in order to develop ways that teachers can help their students learn more effectively and happily in groups. Many people working in this…