This book provides information on what works in education, how teachers can find what works, how educational research can find its way into classrooms, and how teachers can apply it to help individual students. Data come from a meta-analysis of research studies on instructional strategies that could be used by K-12 teachers. Nine research-based…

Many cooperative learning programs are merely exhibitions of the willingness to work with others. They apply teams of people to do work that could be accomplished just as well by individuals. Successful programs focus on collaborative learning that fosters working together to solve problems beyond the capacity of any individual. A cooperative…

The Military Career Transition Program (MCTP) at Old Dominion University (Virginia) is the primary alternative certification program for teacher licensure targeting military personnel who are transitioning into education careers. Beginning in the fall of 1998, the MCTP added distance learning to its existing course offerings at 5 of its 15 sites.…

This paper reports on a study that investigated group learning processes in computer-supported collaborative concept mapping. Thirty 5th grade Taiwanese students were selected to attend a computer-mediated collaborative concept mapping activity. Dialog messages and map products tracked and recorded by the mapping system were analyzed. The…

This paper presents a hybrid course framework at the Teachers College at Columbia University (New York) that seamlessly integrates a traditional course plan designed for on-campus students with an online course plan designed for distance learning students. Based on innovative teaching and learning principles, the course encourages active…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

A college statistics class for limited-English-speaking Hispanic students and students with disabilities incorporates principles of problem-based learning. Sessions start with brainstorming in which real-life problems are presented to raise issues, encourage participation, and generate enthusiasm. Using negotiation, the issues generated in the…

This paper reviews the research on cooperative learning combined with technology and presents a formative report of those findings. The review focused on these questions: What are the benefits of cooperative learning in a multimedia environment? What benefits do computer-based training offer? What are the benefits of cooperative learning…

This document contains: 2 videotapes and an accompanying viewer's guide that provide information for differentiating instruction for gifted learners and for students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. The first 50-minute videotape, "A Focus on Inclusion," discusses how to deliver appropriate curriculum to children with special…

The authors developed a collaborative learning environment (CLE) as a student-centered approach to assist students' understanding of difficult scientific concepts. Computer-facilitated investigative group projects were designed to enhance students' communication and reasoning skills, peer-learning, and peer-teaching. Projects were structured…

This book introduces third through sixth grade teachers to problem-based learning (PBL), a system for classroom instruction and curriculum development. It combines the PBL system with practice in locating, evaluating, and thinking about information from the Internet. It provides 8 PBL units for use in the classroom, offering instructions for…

Teachers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in the language arts to offer an updated curriculum. The language arts areas are vital in each academic discipline and integrate well with diverse subject matter areas. Some common trends when reading the literature on teaching the language arts are: portfolios; journaling; computerized reading…

This paper describes the use of the CoFIND (Collaborative Filter in N Dimensions) system to evaluate two assessment styles. CoFIND is a resource database that organizes itself around its users' needs. Learners enter resources, categorize, then rate them using "qualities," aspects of resources which learners find worthwhile, the n…

This book describes the current state of developments in distance education and distributed learning. The volume brings together some of the leading contemporary contributors in the areas of educational technology and distance education. Topics covered include research and evaluation in distance education, online communities, faculty productivity,…

This paper presents a review of the Virtual Factory Teaching (VFTS) project, a Web-based, multimedia collaborative learning network. The system allows students, working alone or in teams, to build factories, forecast demand for products, plan production, establish release rules for new work into the factory, and set scheduling rules for…