Cohort groups in adult and higher education develop skills in communicating, accountability, respect, conflict resolution, and commitment. Through collaborative and experiential learning, learning cohorts foster the development of collective knowledge. (Contains 14 references.) (SK)

Two organizational problem situations were worked on by 61 teams in 4 conditions: (1) controls, (2) traditional process (goal clarity, commitment, decision making), (3) team learning (assumption surfacing, dialog, reflection), and (4) combined 2 and 3. Team learning produced significantly more double-loop learning. Controls achieved more…

Investigates group gender composition and communication styles in small task groups involved in computer-mediated communication. Describes a study that tried to train small task groups in the use of one communication style and suggests further research in the area of communication training for online task groups. (Author/LRW)

Generated typology of accounts of specific behaviors that cause problems and prevent successful work group meetings. Administered self-reports to participants (N=569). Found problems stemmed from ineffective interpersonal communication skills even though participants attributed problems to task and structural difficulties in premeeting phase.…

Identifies nine myths prospective members frequently hold regarding group counseling. Discusses four leader strategies for challenging these myths: using a pregroup interview; providing factual information; group conceptual-low intensity responses; and group structural-low intensity responses. Concludes that leader may use these strategies singly…

An inter-group exercise, a form of the experiential model for studying higher education, is described. A further adaptation called "serious play" is also examined. The nature of the findings of research using these approaches is discussed, and the whole research process is outlined, including dissemination and implementation. (Author/MSE)

Describes the Persuasive Arguments Theory (PAT), a noninteractional theory of group decision-making that predicts postdiscussion shifts from prediscussion cognitive arguments, elaborates on it, and advances two models to test the PAT perspective on argument. Finds the second model demonstrates superior predictive ability to the PAT model at some…

The article describes a 14-week program (one hour per week) of the Punxsutawney (Pennsylvania) schools in which 29 gifted high school students learned and practiced fundamentals of small group dynamics to enhance their leadership abilities. (DB)

Expert facilitators combine both diagnostic and intervention skills in eight domains: group development, goals, roles, communication, meeting management, decision making, problem solving, and conflict management. Most people can develop group facilitation skills. (SK)

Criticizes Belbin's team role theory on the basis that roles are appropriate only in static organizations. Argues that most teams have no set roles and members interchange them. Suggests that all team members be trained to manage teamwork effectively. (SK)

Offers and discusses eight suggestions for secondary teachers who plan on giving cooperative learning a fair trial: (1) start slow, start short; (2) design clear activities; (3) make each student accountable; (4) monitor the groups; (5) identify teams as mixtures of strengths; (6) use grades wisely; (7) use teams every day; and (8) leave teams…

Teams share commitment, translate purpose into performance goals, and have members be accountable with and to their teammates. Types of teams are those that recommend, make or do things, and run things. The distinction between teams and other working groups is performance: an effective team is worth more than the sum of its parts. (SK)

Examined relationship between realistic, interpersonal, and here-and-now agendas and group members' in-session behavior and outcome among 24 college students in established personal growth groups. Found that group members who set here-and-now session agendas enacted more in-group intimate behaviors and had better outcomes than did members in…

Analyzed structure of social interaction within four therapy groups in terms of conditional responding of participants. Proposed that groups' interactions would show increasing structure across sessions. Findings showed no consistent pattern of group development, that frequency with which members spoke was inversely related to dominance in group,…

Lists 19 new publications in group work and reviews 7 of these. Publications reviewed focus on group counseling and group psychotherapy, structured groups, training groups, and group dynamics. (Author)