Presents examples of developmental students who support each other both personally and academically during the transitional first year of college. Describes the learning communities program, in which linked developmental classes specifically encourage cross-disciplinary learning and peer collaboration. Emphasizes the necessity for students to take…

Describes how secondary teachers can use cooperative learning groups to enhance students' health-related cultural awareness. Students work in teams to complete various activities and projects that introduce them to health problems prevalent among specific U.S. groups and the community health methods used to address the problems. Throughout the…

Describes the peer-apprenticeship learning situation between two students in distributed computer-mediated co-construction of mathematical meanings. As a result of assimilating the disposition towards playing with ideas, students were able to engage in meaningful idea-based social constructivism. Contains 60 references. (Author/ASK)

Study investigates the behaviors and interactions of children in structured and unstructured groups as they worked together on a six-week social-studies activity each term for three school terms. The results show that the children in the structured groups were consistently more cooperative and they provided more elaborated and nonelaborated help…

Argues against excessive content fragmentation in engineering courses, particularly in the early stages of engineering education. Discusses attempts to encourage cooperative learning and integrative reconciliation between courses. (WRM)

Supplements Steven A.Meyers's article (Teaching Psychology, 1997) on the use of collaborative-learning groups. Provides additional suggestions on starting in-class groups, maintaining their effectiveness, and anticipating common problems. Argues that with careful attention, in-class groups can effectively complement lectures. (DSK)

Outlines two projects that highlight the multidimensionality of aging processes for adult development and aging courses: (1) students design an age-appropriate retirement community using buildings on the local college campus; and (2) students present products they design to remedy specific age-related problems. (DSK)

Studied the effects of the cooperative teaching method on the development of social helping behavior in 4 groups of 11-year-olds, 95 in all. Results indicate that it is possible to promote helping behavior if the children are given the opportunity to practice with several other children, but not if they always work with the same child. (SLD)

Describes a pedagogical approach in which college students learn through working on research and projects in teams, an approach especially beneficial to commuter students who have difficulty forming learning groups. Explains the approach's conceptual framework, use of the approach in different types of courses, the value of learning through…

Discusses interactivity in distance education and outlines four models: (1) no-interactivity; (2) resource-learner interactivity and peer-peer interactivity, similar to a face-to-face classroom setting; (3) decentralized self-managed peer-peer interactivity; and (4) coordinated-decentralized interactivity. Tables and diagrams depict these…

Describes a mathematics reasoning course at Drake University and efforts to introduce collaborative, small-group, mixed-ability activities into the classroom. Comments on the ease, difficulties, rewards, and demands involved. Discusses student and instructor attitudes towards the collaborative activities. (AIM)

Sport education is a curriculum and instruction model that provides authentic sport experiences for physical education students. Its key features derive from how sport is conducted in community and interschool contexts. Ideally, it combines direct instruction, cooperative small-group work, and peer teaching. Its goals are to help students become…

Compared performance on language arts tests for students who were or were not permitted to discuss the story they were required to read and interpret. Results for approximately 5,000 10th graders show that a 10-minute discussion of the story in three-person groups had a substantial impact on students? understanding of the story. (SLD)

Three studies of Spanish students with low vision, aged 4-7, 8-11, and 12-17, found that, overall, the participants' scores for some dimensions of self-concept were lower than those of comparison groups of sighted students. Teaching strategies such as cooperative learning are suggested to help improve the self-concept and academic performance of…

The Delphi technique was used to gather information from a panel of seven experts of collaborative educational telecommunications projects about successful elements of these projects as well as obstacles to success. Thirty-one items received high ratings from the panelists and had a high consensus level among the panel. Conclusions provide…