One of the major themes of reform in science education is that science should not be compartmentalized into single distinct disciplines but rather should be integrated. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrated programs and impediments to their success in K-12 education. The research was carried out collaboratively by California…

An integrated workplace-learning project is a self-directed, intellectually rigorous, field-based learning experience in which students apply academic skills in solving real-world problems in the community. This guidebook was designed to help teachers and other school staff collaborate with students and employers to plan integrated…

This paper presents an overview of the effectiveness of writing and cooperative learning in developing thinking skills in technical theatre education. The paper first offers a statement of purpose and an outline of a survey of university technical theater personnel and design students in an introduction. The four parts of the paper then discuss:…

Writing shapes identity, since it explores the core of values and experience that defines the self. The literary canon, once considered sacrosanct, is now being disassembled in response to the many voices that are now recognized to comprise the American experience. Sensitivity to such a multicultural perspective resulted in the design of a…

Professional communication as commonly taught and practiced encourages the avoidance of ethical concerns and responsibilities. Communicators are asked to accept the assumption that they are engaged in the value-free transmission of objective truth. Teachers should go beyond instruction in communication techniques to engage students more deeply in…

Findings of a study that evaluated both the implementation and the public's reception of the first 2 years (1990-92) of Connecting Learning Assures Successful Students (CLASS), a cooperative learning program in 62 Indiana schools, are presented in this policy bulletin. Data were collected from three participating elementary schools through the…

This activities and techniques book was developed within the framework of a cooperative learning model. Direct instruction in specific social skills such as communication, problem solving, conflict management, group dynamics, and meeting management is emphasized. The development of thinking skills and building of self-esteem through successful…

This report presents the results and activity ideas created by a peace and international education project. The project implemented and evaluated activities suitable for primary school pupils over a three-year period. The goals, contents, and methods presented are those of peace and environmental education. The teaching suggestions, methods, and…

This report documents the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) special pilot study of group assessment. In 1994, NAEP administered U.S. History projects to a limited number of students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of group assessment, and to gain practical experience in the design, development,…

This paper suggests that the mathematics teacher needs to do much reading and studying of important trends in improving the mathematics curriculum. Recommendations are made for what teachers need to look for in research studies in mathematics in order to help them recognize what would make for a quality study. Collaborative and individualized…

Successful learning in a discursive interaction demands that participants be able to follow the interaction from its beginning to its end; instruction on Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs) poses challenges because, unlike in face-to-face interaction, not all messages are serial. This paper offers strategies and techniques to help ALN teachers…

This document consists of a brief project report and a manual developed by the Adult Learners' Training and Assistance Program. The report describes how instructors at Luzerne County Community College (Pennsylvania) learned about the basic/essential elements of cooperative learning by actively experiencing cooperative learning instructional…

A classroom technique for helping elementary and secondary school students of English as a second language (ESL) integrate language skills into the language arts curriculum is described. The activity, shadow play, is used as a culminating experience in a unit on the solar system, and consists of the development of dramatic scripts based on folk…

This study compared cooperative learning with individual learning in an introductory college electrical engineering course, using attitudinal and cognitive measures. Cooperative learning activities were implemented in homework assignments in one section of the course, while individual homework assignments were used in two other sections. A total…

This action research project described a program for increasing student skills in writing. The targeted population consisted of fifth grade academically talented, regular education, and inclusion students in a middle class, western suburb of a Midwestern city. The inadequacy of student writing skills was documented through writing samples, local…