In the primary school classrooms, students spend almost three terms (20-25 hours) doing project work in groups of 4-5. In order for any learning task to be conducted effectively, the students need to know how to work collaboratively in their groups, and teachers need to find out how their students perceive one another while working in their…

This bibliography was designed specifically for faculty members or administrators involved in science, mathematics, engineering, and/or technology (SMET) interested in teaching and learning issues. Specifically, it addresses research, theory and/or practice in small groups, and cooperative instruction focusing on SMET disciplines in higher…

This paper presents a Web-based distance education system that contains synchronous (live) video lectures, asynchronous learning materials with video-on-demand (VOD) archive data, and question and answer functions through digital reporting between a lecturer and students. It is intended to provide a collaborative workplace to encourage…

This document describes various discipline procedures adopted with the intent of modifying inappropriate student behavior. The targeted population consisted of one fourth grade physical education class, one fifth grade physical education class, and one eighth grade industrial technology class. The study documented the problem of student…

This research evaluates the effectiveness of computer-mediated support for students' individual and collaborative argumentation. "Convince Me" is a "reasoner's workbench" program that aids students in generating and analyzing arguments, providing feedback on argument coherence from a general computational model. Laboratory studies indicate that…

In a problem-based curriculum, emphasis is placed on the groups in which students learn to analyze problems and to contribute to the solution of a problem. This paper describes an instrument that aims to measure individual group performing and presents some psychometric results. Reliability and validity were studied with 240 students in groups of…

This edition of "Issues in Global Education" is devoted to the topic of technology and global education. This newsletter begins with an article describing the role that global telecommunications projects can play in the classroom. It is followed by a project highlight, describing one teacher's pedagogical use of technology to advance her students'…

The history of cooperative learning at the elementary level is well documented. The research and utilization of cooperative learning at the secondary level is limited. This research aims to contribute to the literature on cooperative learning, especially Jigsaw II, at the secondary level. The research also represents a continuation of research…

The teacher's role in supporting students as they shifted from teacher-led discussions to student-led discussions was studied as part of an ethnographic study of teacher-student interactions in a third grade classroom serving 29 students. Field notes, video recordings, transcripts of classroom sessions, and teacher interviews were used to collect…

The purpose of this study was to examine the discourse in two different group-work contexts in a diverse Algebra 1 class to better understand what and how students working in small groups learn through talking about mathematics. The researcher gathered data in four categories: participant observation, interviews, collection of artifacts, and…

Pointing out that increasing questions about and attacks on various methods used in teaching English language arts led to a 1994 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Resolution on the right to teach (reaffirmed in 1996) calling for the identification, definition, and defense of methods most often attacked, this brochure is the result of…

Language learning materials frequently include group activities, and many books and journals for language teachers recommend that groups be an important part of teachers' instructional repertoire. Unfortunately, group activities sometimes fail because students lack the skills necessary to function effectively in groups. For instance, teachers…

This conference paper discusses the use of cooperative learning (CL) in second language (L2) instruction. After two brief definitions of CL, key areas discussed in the paper are: a) how CL relates to theories of L2 acquisition, b) CL principles, and c) some CL techniques and lesson plan considerations when using CL in L2 instruction. An appendix…

Discusses a cooperative learning group in an algebra class, Homework Partners, in order to promote active student learning. Presents difficulties and benefits of this system. Concludes that the Homework Partners concept can be beneficial for other mathematics courses. (ASK)

Suggests ways for making classrooms fun, including giving children opportunities to work together, moving things around, letting children learn to set their own controls, setting up the classroom so students can experiment and discover together, and providing bonuses or incentives for the child who is falling behind. (CR)