Discusses an approach to general chemistry used to make chemistry relevant for students in chemical and environmental technician programs using the following ideas: utilizing group project teaching methods, involving local industry in the education process, and assigning oral presentations and written reports to students. (JRH)

Explores links between science education and current developments in environmental education that take account of the concept of sustainability and the impact of local action on global issues. Uses the greenhouse effect as a case-study example with 16-year-old students. Reports that students learned more effectively using a discussion-based…

Three education professors returning to the classroom as students in a graduate course on research methods analyze the experience through a collaborative project in which they examined themselves as researchers. Recommendations are offered about the use of such collaborative reflection as a means of professional development. (MSE)

Reviews recent research that can inform educational practice. Includes the influence of high school students' epistemological beliefs on academic performance; effects of cooperative and mastery learning on students' ability to generate higher-level questions; effects of knowledge maps on undergraduate learning; and comparison of learning by…

Investigated whether audiotape construction would affect preservice teachers' mastery and retention of important terms and socialization to technology. Experimental students collectively created audiotape scripts for learning terms. Control students received lectures and text. Experimental students expressed confidence and competence in using…

Describes a cross-county writing project involving a third-grade class and high school drama students. The third graders write character sketches and send them to the drama students, who write a play using the characters. The high school students then produce the play for the elementary students, complete with costumes, makeup, and scenery. (TJQ)

Presents a defense of the use of collaborative writing projects in writing classrooms, particularly in creative writing courses. Considers the issues involved in the use of such practices. Suggests ways to use collaborative writing in English classes. (HB)

A college teacher's survey of 100 freshmen found only 11 who planned to study in groups, and that most would do so for subjects they believed the most difficult, particularly those requiring quantitative problem-solving and those in which assessment was more frequent. Most believed that reading and writing were solitary, not group, tasks. (MSE)

The relationship between collaborative learning and some major theoretical and empirical approaches to fostering critical thinking are examined. Three frameworks for combining collaborative learning and critical thinking are suggested: use of mental models, creation of discourse communities, and creation of disciplinary discourse communities. (MSE)

Presents a lesson combining statistics, algebra, and economics in which students create their own mathematical functions and make inferences from those functions. Students learn about the relationships among profit, revenue, and cost. Includes reproducible student group report form. (MKR)

Total Quality uses group methods to identify and collectively prevent or solve specific problems related to consumer satisfaction and quality issues in business. This article integrates social influencing strategies with developmental group processes for facilitating consumer satisfaction and problem-solving in total quality groups. A case study…

Outlines a model for distance collaboration between business writing classrooms using network technology. Discusses ways to teach national and international audience awareness, problem solving, and the contextual nature of cases. Discusses goals for distance collaboration, sample assignments, and the pros and cons of network technologies. (SR)

Discusses the National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, a network of students, educators, industry representatives, and community and government leaders that work to combat energy ignorance. Describes NEED's philosophy of energy education. Explains that NEED includes activities simulating Senate hearings, television talk shows, and…

Nineteen college students with deafness made significant gains in their writing after use of a cooperative-learning question/probe procedure. However, maintenance of improved written performance did not occur despite students' reports of increased use of self-regulated strategies and enhanced perceptions of their ability in writing. (DB)

In this article, constructivism is examined as an epistemological basis for school science and mathematics instruction. The nature and process of constructing scientific and mathematical knowledge in school settings is also considered. A distinction is made between truth and feasibility, and the implications for science education are discussed.…