Describes application of cooperative-learning techniques to a translation course, using small group discussions to collectively arrive at more in-depth understanding of source texts and greater grammatical correctness, accuracy, and faithfulness. Argues that social support is important as participants share difficulties, gain confidence and…

Examines assumptions underlying the use of groupwork in the teaching of English as a foreign language (FL) in China. The article concludes that the primary role of small group discussion in FL learning should be in the development of collaborative learning strategies to master content rather than interpersonal communication in the target language.…

In a study of class participation, a survey of 1,059 college students and 49 professors revealed that students perceived seven factors in student participation, four of which were class traits, none professor traits; and that faculty perceived three variables, two class traits and one student trait. Implications of these findings for teaching,…

Discusses several online and offline community-building strategies that may be used to foster a positive social dynamic in online courses. Introduces a "communal scaffolding" model which lets instructors conceptualize how affective and cognitive learning are intertwined in online learning. A "communal architect" is someone who erects a communal…

To investigate collaborative learning with multimedia, four groups of three ninth-grade math students worked for one hour with a multimedia package presenting the relationships between distance, speed, and time. Interactions were videotaped and transcribed. Groups engaging in cycles of observation, reflection, discussion, and feedback were seen to…

Examines the processes and interpretations underlying communication in English between Island Puerto Ricans and continental Americans. The article views cross-cultural communication through a lens incorporating the way members of each group interpret their own language and behavior as well as those of the other group. (50 references) (CK)

A graduate student in a nontraditional experiential program in environmental education at the Audubon Expedition Institute (Belfast, Maine) reflects on an experience in which she and her peers faced an ethical decision about whether to pay a fee to paper companies in order to hike in the North Woods. Describes the processes that allowed the group…

Examined the relation between perceived dissimilarity to peers and several peer-reported characteristics in 478 students from 26 fourth- through sixth-grade classrooms. Found that perceived dissimilarity was related positively to perceptions that a student was odd, socially excluded and withdrawn, bullying, and inattentive; dissimilarity related…

An alternating individual and group-oriented reinforcement contingency did not generate consistent levels of supportive peer behaviors between two preschoolers with handicaps and their socially competent peers. Two socially competent children were then taught to deliver supportive prompts to their peers during dramatic play, increasing the…

Investigated effects on group member satisfaction and communication behavior when male and female leaders either maintained or lost reward power during problem-solving sessions. Found group member communication was more substantive and positive when leaders maintained reward power than when they lost it; communication behavior was also affected by…

Presents a 33-item annotated bibliography of articles and books in 6 areas essential for both novice instructors and those experienced in assigning collaborative writing: (1) research implications; (2) theoretical foundations; (3) cooperative learning; (4) small group dynamics; (5) pedagogical practices; and (6) textbooks. (RS)

In 3 of 5 Australian grade 8 math classes, 5 students, most high ability males, dominated teacher-student interactions in whole-class activities. These students' involvement was facilitated by behaviors of teachers and students and by management problems prevailing in these classes. In a fourth class the teacher systematically involved a larger…

Reviews 12 books in group work published in 1989. Includes treatments for both growth and remediation groups, representing diverse target audiences and a variety of approaches. (Author)

Presents a comparative review of conceptually planned short-term group treatment models. Compares structure (selection, composition, pregroup orientation), time (duration, session frequency and length, group development), and therapeutic characteristics (focal themes, interventions, therapeutic factors). Suggests implications for the clinician and…

Offers a view of writing as a process involving three forms of collaboration: coauthoring, workshopping, and knowledge making. Offers guidelines for designing courses in which writing is consciously, deliberately collaborative in all three of the realms identified. (MG)