Many concepts, methods, and technologies regarding computer support in collaborative environments have been proposed. It is important to take into account human relations in collaborative learning environments, where personality plays a central role. However, it is not easy to build human relations in Web-based education (WBE), because there are…

This study examined the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in a foundational teacher education course at Alabama's Samford University. It measured students' attitudes within the university and in the teacher education course. All undergraduate students were asked to complete a "Student Attitude and Activities Assessment…

Reports on an informal round-table discussion with educators and computer science experts about computer literacy and the role of computers in education, which was conducted at the National Educational Computing Conference. (Author/JJD)

Peer relationships greatly influence how students form opinions of books and of reading in general. Students in a class can be seen as a community of readers. Their discussions, both formal and informal, can be a means of developing an awareness of literature and how to enjoy it. (PP)

Medical student response to a required sex education course at the University of Texas Medical School is reported. The results suggest that the students have an objective awareness of sexuality as an integral part of medicine, but are reluctant to admit interest and are uncertain where their knowledge will be utilized. (JMD)

Describes a seminar for minority, particularly Black, students entering the junior year at the School of Nursing, Loyola University of Chicago. Seminar objective was to give academic, emotional, and social support. Notes changing minority student attitudes, the need for earlier tutoring for academic weakness, and the value of group discussion. (MF)

Gaming, an approach to problem solving that engages a real life situation, is a technique particularly appealing for design students because it permits learning about the process of change in a dynamic environment requiring periodic decisions. Two games about consensus decisions are discussed: KEEPS and Senior Center Game. (MLW)

Investigates how teaching and the teacher's role in elementary and secondary school writing classes have been conceptualized by leading workshop advocates. Uses M. Bakhtin's writing on F. Dostoevsky to develop a metaphor of the writing teacher as novelist. Argues that workshop visions of teaching and the teacher's role mystify meaning-making and…

Gender and group composition variables in a computer-mediated communication context are examined. Subjects were 36 undergraduate male and female psychology students. Findings are analyzed in terms of choice of language; participation; satisfaction; and interpersonal conflict. Ten tables present study results. (Author/AEF)

Small group discussions with Illinois State University freshmen to evaluate the integration of library instruction and technology training in a new gateway course found that students were confused about course purpose, that students received inadequate instruction in e-mail use, and that campus e-mail technology was inadequate to meet demands of…

Presents various strategies for effective classroom teaching, including giving appropriate questions to adult students of English as a Second Language; discussing the physical attributes of the US flag and of the flags of students' native countries; using the characteristics of fruits to teach students to present characteristics in an organized…

Focuses on teachers' group identity, seen as a process of co-construction of their group voices within the context of large-group dialogs. Findings identified three types of dialogs: conversation; discussion after a presentation; and interactional dynamics. Findings also indicated four types of teachers' voices: pragmatic; multiculturalist;…

Describes the development of a distance education graduate course at Arizona State University; the course is text-based, supported by the Internet and computer conferencing. Discusses course planning and design factors, implementation strategies, technical considerations, students' evaluations, and instructor perspectives. (AEF)

Describes how a Norwegian high school student constructed meaning about a poem with the help of her interactions with two peers in a response group that integrated writing, reading, speaking, and listening. (SM)