Describes a collaborative project between a young adult literature course for prospective school library media specialists and a ninth-grade literature class. Describes how the students corresponded weekly, writing about young adult books they had chosen from a list. Notes their reflections on this collaborative effort, and reports that it was…

Investigates reasons for the success of cooperative learning (CL) from a psychological perspective, focusing on group dynamics and the motivational system generated by peer cooperation. Argues that the affective domain of CL plays a crucial role in the learning process. The paper summarizes the factors contributing to the promotion of learning…

Presents activities for K-4 students that explore two areas of body mechanics--bones and joints--with an emphasis on the human hand. Relates knowledge of how the body functions to comparable examples in robotics such as the "hand" of the Canadarm of the space shuttle. Activities are geared for students in pairs. (AIM)

Examined economic concept learning and retention in 121 first and second graders who were randomly assigned (stratified by grade) to 1 of 4 instruction conditions: cooperative learning, mastery learning, cooperative-mastery learning, or control treatment. Found on posttest and delayed posttest that cooperative-mastery method was superior to other…

Presents an activity from the track and field unit of the Science of Sporting Events program in which teachers and students experiment with four broad jump techniques in order to determine which method will allow them to jump the farthest. Enables students to use a variety of math and science skills including observing, predicting, measuring, and…

Examines how emerging technologies may reshape both face-to-face and distance education. Delineates a three-part conceptual framework (knowledge webs, virtual communities, and shared synthetic environments) for understanding the new types of instructional messages that enable distributed learning. (Author/AEF)

A self-help approach used to enhance medical students' self-directed learning (SDL) skills in an elective course resulted in increased student feelings of self-efficacy, and the self-ratings had significant relationships to measures of deep approach to study. Academic achievement was higher for this group than for controls. Some conditions…

Face-to-face discussion has been shown to increase cooperation behavior in social dilemmas. Two general explanations of this effect were tested: group identity and perception of consensus. Female undergraduate students (N=160) participated in four-person groups in one of four experimental conditions. Findings indicate the most plausible…

A study of interactions among Swedish intermediate-grade students as they solved a nonstandard mathematics task confronting the phenomenon of infinity shows that the children can reach a considerable understanding of the problem by contextualizing the problem in different ways. The collective orchestration of problem variations results in enhanced…

Discusses effective designs, management tactics, and strategies to produce ideal asynchronous network discussions that allow contemplation and encourage the development of critical thinking. A model of an online collaborative learning community is applied to implement the designs. A sample of online collaborative moderation guidelines is…

Introduces an inquiry-based cooperative learning project in which education students paired up with young children. Provides an experience of inquiry-based pedagogy to education students and a meaningful learning experience to children. (YDS)

Describes a sea-water analysis project that introduces qualitative and quantitative analysis methods and laboratory methods such as gravimetric analysis, potentiometric titration, ion-selective electrodes, and the use of calibration curves. Uses a problem-based cooperative teaching approach. (Contains 24 references.) (YDS)

Analyzes effectiveness of learning communities (LCs), which deliberately restructure the curriculum to build a community of learners among students and faculty. Reports that, although LCs have been praised, there continues to be a lively debate among community college educators as they examine and assess how LCs might best help them serve…

Argues that problem-based learning (PBL) shows students that the best scientists are not those who memorize facts, but rather those who apply facts in a creative manner. Explains that the author, who incorporated group learning into a general education science course, found that PBL led to increased class attendance and participation. (Contains…

Describes the results of an assessment of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Initiative at Samford University in Alabama. States that surveys were sent to faculty and students in PBL and non-PBL courses. Reports that PBL students were more likely than non-PBL students to agree with positive statements regarding educational outcomes. (NB)