Many teachers have designed lessons for students who will be working in groups to discuss and solve a problem. After investing time in constructing an interesting problem, creating strategically designed groups, and introducing the problem carefully, teachers may be left wondering how to help students collaborate to make sense of mathematical…

Various domains require practitioners to encounter and resolve ill-structured problems using collaborative problem-solving. As such, problem-solving is an essential skill that educators must emphasize to prepare learners for practice. One potential way to support problem-solving is through further investigation of instructional design methods that…

Online learning has been conceptualized for decades as being delivered in one of two modes: synchronous or asynchronous. Technological determinism falls short in describing the role that the individuals' psychological, social and pedagogical factors play in their perception, experience and understanding of time online. This article explores…

As sociology instructors increasingly include materials on sexual violence in their courses, both instructors and students express anxieties over how best to handle such sensitive conversations. This article critically examines the conventional advice to offer a trigger warning, which can interfere with student education (e.g., requiring survivors…

This study, rooted in the evaluation of a reading methods course, sought to determine the implications for preservice teachers (PSTs) who participated in literature circles that intentionally used multicultural literature to discuss social justice issues. Using an interpretative mixed-methods approach, we collected quantitative surveys and…

Vitriol--and even violence--between U.S. citizens of different groups reaches another high mark this year. Racism is one of the strongest challenges of our time. But racism isn't insurmountable, U.S. institutions--with schools as ground zero--can lessen racism if they examine their own racist thinking and policies and, especially, encourage…

Group work projects are common components of graduate course curricula. Instructors often try to mitigate the benefits of group work projects for students while avoiding negative effects. Informal learning and participatory culture practices like video logs can enhance learning environments. Video logs that promote both informal learning and…

We aimed at investigating knowledge revealed by the tutors of a continuing education course for mathematics teachers offered at a distance. Initially, we observed the work of 32 tutors over a year, in order to typify their interventions in discussion forums with course participants. From the results, we offered training to a new group of tutors,…

How better to begin the study of linear equations in an algebra class than to determine what students already know about the subject? A seventh-grade algebra class in a suburban school undertook a project early in the school year that was completed before they began studying linear relations and functions. The project, which might have been…

The discussion board is a tool used in online teaching that allows students to share ideas and facilitate learning. Research suggests that while the discussion board has been an enlightening experience for online students, there is concern that the online classroom has become stagnant and in some cases boring and ineffective. This paper proposes…

This essay explains pedagogical experiment at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock using a piece of literature as a case study to examine interpersonal-communication concepts and to emphasize a course theme of objectification of other human beings. The course, entitled Rhetoric and Communication, has two co-instructors. One instructor is from…

The contribution discusses attitudes of German Teacher Training Students on Inclusion based on an empirical analysis containing three elements: Evaluation of students' written exams, results of a survey with closed as open questions and the interpretation of group discussions among students about inclusion. One can see that, though the found-out…

In the learning sciences and game studies communities, there has been an increasing interest in the potential of game-related "paratexts" and "surrounds" in supporting learning, such as online discussion forums and gaming affinity spaces. While there have been studies identifying how learning occurs in such communities, little…

This article examines the use of a book discussion as an instructional tool for developing leadership exploration competency skills in university students, as it pertains to the study of women and leadership. A book discussion centered on Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In" was held as a means to conceptualize discourse regarding leadership…

During the author's everyday math discussions with her class, young children talk about mathematical ideas, theories, and concepts within a predictable structure. These discussions include many concepts from--and beyond--the first-grade math curriculum, and their depth and complexity build throughout the school year. Concepts and skills include…