Describes distance education in an elementary science methods course using newsgroups and electronic mail discussion groups via computer. Compares the newsgroup to the discussion group and points out the importance of interaction in cooperative learning. (YDS)

Shares stories from the author's classroom to show how literature discussion groups can help students raise their own questions about literature, and support students in moving away from instructional dependency to thinking critically. (SR)

Discusses how electronic mail helps foreign-language (FL) teachers by enhancing their curriculum, improving their FL contacts, and facilitating their own professional development. Electronic mail offers access to discussion groups and newsgroups. It allows teachers to design activities and projects that enhance their curriculum and provide…

Used the philosophy of Matthew Lipman as the basis for a discussion-group intervention to improve peer relationships, increase children's self-understanding, enhance their respect for others, and improve critical thinking in 3- to 6-year olds. Found that children improved in their understanding that others have opinions and in their ability to…

Discusses results of a survey that was distributed via email discussion groups to determine why and how librarians and graduate students decide to enter the field of science and technology librarianship. Topics include the influence of a sci-tech background on job performance and professional association membership. (Author/LRW)

The simplicity activist defines voluntary simplicity as critical thinking and discusses its relationship to the environment, consumerism, excessive wealth, alternative education, and democracy. Voluntary simplicity involves discovering what matters, and study circles allow small groups of people to explore an "examined life." Contains…

Presents a model instructional session that was prepared and taught by librarians to introduce college students, faculty, and staff to the Internet by teaching them how to join listservs and topic-centered discussion groups. Describes the sessions' audience, learning objectives, facility, and course design. Presents a checklist for preparing an…

In a large online course, students were divided into 18 asynchronous online discussion groups with different gender mixes. The number and cognitive content of student messages were analysed. Females wrote more messages than males with no difference in the cognitive quality of message content. In mixed groups, females wrote fewer messages than in…

This article reports on a case study of a women's prayer and Bible study group that has met for over forty years. The report focuses on factors contributing to the group's longevity and vitality over time, how it changed over the years, and its impact on the lives of the women who participated in it. It also addresses how this long-term group…

Rumor discourse has been conceptualized as an attempt to reduce anxiety and uncertainty via a process of social sensemaking. Fourteen rumors transmitted on various Internet discussion groups were observed and content analyzed over the life of each rumor. With this (previously unavailable) more ecologically robust methodology, the intertwined…

This article presents case studies of political literacy among primary pupils. While researching primary pupils' understanding of "enterprise", the researchers added interviews connecting this concept to the Iraq war. A sample of 10 non-representative Scottish primary schools from seven local education authorities has provided the…

Recent education reforms informed by learning science support the effectiveness of collaborative learning strategies such as problem-based learning groups. However, the efficacy of these methods depends on the authenticity of the problem context and the quality of the dialog established. Communication within groups must be dialogic, and students…

Scrapbooking is one of the fastest-growing crafts in the world. Unlike sports or other recreational activities, scrapbooking has no rules; it is a form of creative expression that allows a person to share and preserve his or her experiences and memories in albums that usually consist of photographs, newspaper clippings, and other mementos, in…

The use of web applications has become a trend in many disciplines including education. In view of the influence of web application in education, this study examines web application technologies that could enhance undergraduates' learning experiences, with focus on Quantity Surveying (QS) and Information Technology (IT) undergraduates. The…

Enabling learning through meaningful classroom experiences has always been a challenge for teachers. Bringing about a balance of the "conceptual" and the "hands-on", along with contextual embeddedness in problem-solving situations, broadly characterises the experience of development and trials of three Design and Technology…