A learning model describes how learning occurs, and two major classifications of models are objectivism and constructivism. A. D. Carswell (2001) notes that "within an objectivist schema, the instructor identifies the course objectives required of students and then systematically arranges the content to reach those goals." Constructivism, on the…

Central to the argument about the influence of media on learning is how this influence is measured or ascertained. Conventional methods which comprise the use of true and quasi-experimental designs are inadequate. Several lessons can be learned from this observation on the media debate. The first is that, conventional methods of ascertaining the…

The research reported in the current article studies the impact of learning in asynchronous discussion groups on students' final exam scores and levels of knowledge construction. Multilevel analyses were applied to uncover the specific influence of student, group and task variables. The results indicate that the impact of student characteristics…

"Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition"[R] ("CIRC") is a comprehensive reading and writing program for students in grades 2 through 8. It includes story-related activities, direct instruction in reading comprehension, and integrated reading and language arts activities. Pairs of students (grouped either by or across…

This study investigated whether second language (L2) learners' interaction with other learners is as effective as interaction with native speakers (NSs) in addressing three theoretical needs: (1) L2 input modified toward comprehensibility; (2) feedback focused on form; and (3) modification of output. The interactions of five dyads of English L2…

A study attempted to replicate earlier research on the collaborative strategies used by non-native speakers (NNSs) of English in conversation and compare them with the strategies used by native speakers (NSs). Subjects were two graduate students, one Malaysian and one Japanese, both advanced NNSs of English. Each was shown a group of tangram…

Collaborative learning may be an approach to for a liberal arts college program to help improve the retention of minority students. The importance of collaborative learning can be seen in the power of collaborative action in the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Rights Movement. In a collaborative experience the teacher acts as a facilitator…

Student attitudes about learning were assessed in association with usage of MicroWorlds, a multimedia learner-based software program, as a publishing tool. A language arts class of 19 sixth graders was divided into cooperative groups following a small group investigation model. After implementing a two-week unit which incorporated MicroWorlds as…

This article describes one teacher's methods of role-playing for helping students in the foreign language classroom advance to higher level skills. Role-playing is a closed book, cooperative learning technique in which the student has an opportunity to use the language in a non-threatening, spontaneous response environment. Role-playing is an…

Cooperative assessment was investigated in a classroom setting, examining achievement outcomes, effects on motivation, and student perceptions of the cooperative assessment process. Eighty-four undergraduate psychology students participated in this nonequivalent control group study design. It was hypothesized that students taking tests using a…

Two pilot studies of a new science program called WEE Science were conducted in fifth-grade classrooms. The pilots lasted for 7 days in one of the classrooms and 9 days in the other. At the beginning of the program the students chose a science tradebook from among the many that the researchers, teachers, and librarians had selected and brought to…

M. S. Peck (1987) identifies six characteristics of a "true community": (1) inclusiveness (no "in group" or "out group"); (2) commitment; (3) consensus (differences are acknowledged and processed); (4) contemplation; (5) vulnerability; and (6) "graceful" fighting (conflict should not be avoided, minimized,…

Intended for a broad spectrum of teachers using or considering using computers networks for written interaction, this teacher's guide presents techniques and behaviors that encourage and support learning on a computer classroom environment. The 21 essays that make up the book are written by people involved in the ENFI (Electronic Networks For…

The experience of students with learning disabilities during cooperative learning reading lessons with peers without disabilities was studies ovr the course of 2 years. In the first year of research observations were conducted in one elementary school. Twelve children with mild disabilities and 12 students who were average in performance were…

A dissertation study is described which employed action research methods and was conducted over four semesters of practice in a large first year undergraduate physics laboratory making extensive use of microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) technology. Three cycles of action research are recounted, along with the resultant changes in goals,…