In this case study, we examined the influence of five groups of communication activities on the quality of student's contributions to online discussion. The activities were the nominal group technique, debate, invited expert, WebQuest and reflective deliberation. Quality of discussion was operationalised as "cognitive presence", a construct…

Science classrooms in the United States have become more diverse with respect to the variety of languages spoken by students. This qualitative study used ethnographic methods to investigate the discourse and practices of two ninth grade science classrooms. Approximately 44% of students included in the study were designated as English learners. The…

U.S. higher education institutions are enrolling increasing numbers of long-term immigrant students, who belong to Generation 1.5. Essentially beginning college while still in the process of learning English, these students often struggle in higher education, and they present new challenges to college writing instructors. This study explored the…

The aim of this book was to present innovative applications of technology in second language teaching and learning, as well as to explore the transformation of the different techniques to different theoretical frameworks. It has also been desired to have a representation of researchers from different parts of the world as contributors. When the…

Force field analysis encourages members to examine the probability of reaching agreed-upon goals. It can help groups avoid working toward goals that are unlikely to be reached. In every situation are three forces: forces that encourage maintenance of the status quo or change; driving or helping forces that push toward change; and restraining…

There has been much discussion recently of the effect that gender and learning style have on student performance. Educators have attempted to develop new teaching and assessment strategies that accommodate a variety of learning styles, and both males and females are becoming more aware of gender-related traits and their relationship to classroom…

James Berlin has idenitified three common ideological approaches in rhetoric in composition courses crucial to an understanding of how collaborative learning works in writing courses: the expressivist, cognitivist, and social-epistemic. One of the primary distinctions among these rhetorics is how the subject is perceived. In an expressionist or…

The manual offers a process and suggestions to help support groups working to make disabled individuals less dependent on professional recreationists and segregated programs. The manual is divided into 10 steps and can be completed in a 1-day meeting or over a period of weekly meetings. Step 1 focuses on leisure, what it is and how it happens.…

Authors considered a teacher training course which brings students into closer contact with the classroom. (Editor/RK)

Communication among students, faculty, and administration is difficult to establish and maintain in a high school with more than 1,500 students. One attempt to promote communication at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Ia., is through rap sessions. (Author)

A description of college student interaction in interracial classroom situations involving students froma predominantly black college (District of Columbia Teachers College) and a predominantly white university (The American University). During a four year period, six classes, meeting twice each term, participated. An analysis of the interaction…

The present investigation superimposed a group discussion process over a typical vocational counseling process in which the primary focus was on test information and over two atypical vocational counseling processes. The atypical groups learned significantly more and retained longer than did both the typical groups and the control groups. (Author)

Techniques suggested by Eric Berne's work freed freshmen students to write easily and well. (JH)

An outline for a communication strategies training program/workshop is provided that is specifically designed to meet the preservice and inservice needs of special educators. It is based upon the collaborative consultant model and provides specific, but flexible, training plans. The various communication strategies are described: (1) empathetic…