This book presents a collection of essays on building collaborative communities in which democratic principles of education may be recognized, focusing on learning and teaching through inquiry. After (1) "The Development of a Community of Inquirers" (Gordon Wells), there are three parts. Part 1, "Inquiries in the Elementary…

This paper discusses a two-semester integrated mathematics content and methods course for preservice elementary school teachers taught for the past twenty years at Saint Xavier University. The course material is presented in a problem solving format in a laboratory context with students working with manipulative materials as part of cooperative…

In this book, a working model for leadership development is presented, resulting from groundbreaking work with learning communities in educational leadership preparation programs. Chapter 1 develops the concept of a learning community as both a structure for the delivery of course content (the product) and a laboratory for promoting collaborative…

This journal presents four articles on gifted adolescents. The first is "Gifted and Gay: A Study of the Adolescent Experience" (Jean Sunde Peterson and Heather Rischar). This paper reports on a retrospective study of the experiences of 18 gay, lesbian, or bisexual young adults with high ability, finding themes of danger, isolation, depression, and…

This study investigated the use of various forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to support the formation of a knowledge-building community (KBC) in teacher education. A KBC involves students working in small and large groups to solve "real world" problems, and in the process develop skills of negotiation, communication, and…

Diagnostic Cognitive Assessment (DCA) is an alternative dynamic assessment. It aims at measuring cognitive processes for effective learning support and coaching. DCA is embedded in a digital coaching system (DCS) as an executive director. It contains three sub-models: Expert Knowledge Model, Inference Model, and Student Model. While the Expert…

The teacher-centered model that has dominated instruction for centuries is slowly giving way to a learner-centered conception with instructors in roles of facilitators, or "guides on the side." Active learning and collaboration increasingly characterize learning environments. E-learning is unable to promote learning on its own. Its use does not…

This paper addresses the problems of collaboration in distributed Web-based learning. It reviews, treats and discusses these problems from the learning theoretical perspective of "communities of practice" as presented by Etienne Wenger (1998), with reference to past and future Web-based designs. The paper suggests the concept and design…

A study explored the nature of collaborative learning as a method to prepare future nurses for collaboration in health care. Qualitative research data collection and analysis methods were used. A constant comparative method occurred during and after the data were gathered. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and document review were the…

This report describes a program for improving social skills while incorporating cooperative learning in the curriculum. The targeted population consisted of third grade students in a regular classroom and fifth grade students in physical education classes at two different elementary schools in the same district. The schools were located in a…

A qualitative research conversation needs to include a critical examination of a study's relational dimension. Excerpts are presented from two doctoral dissertations that discuss the nature of the researcher-participant relationships formed through the studies. The first dissertation, "Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: Educational Portraits of…

A method to facilitate collaborative learning in complex learning environments was developed and evaluated. Sixteen college students of educational science were given the CoStructure-Tool, a task-specific computer-based tool developed on the basis of concept mapping techniques to support the processes of knowledge construction in collaborative…

This paper presents four teaching strategies, grounded in pedagogical theory, to encourage an active, challenging, creative, and meaningful experience for journalism and mass communication students grappling with moral issues, and developing higher order thinking in ethical decision-making processes. Strategies emphasizing critical thinking and…

This report describes a program designed to enhance social studies skills and knowledge. The target areas for enhancement are geography skills and community understanding. The targeted population is a second grade class in a rural Midwestern setting. The need for strengthening these skills was documented by observation, checklists, surveys, and…

This book focuses on the use of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in education. The book addresses the interface of home and school, encourages the development of thinking skills, considers the establishment of good practice for young learners, and examines the changes in learning approaches for students of all ages. The following…