In a method called "cooperative controversy," students team up to study controversial subjects, then synthesize their findings. In a philosophy course, small-groups work on a specific philosophical problem. Group work was as effective as traditional lecture in three cases and more effective in two cases. (MLW)

Sees introduction of specific structures and exercises in psychotherapy group as directly controlling course of events and affecting members' perceptions of the group and leader. Asserts that exercises must highlight, rather than bypass, existing group processes. Presents five-step model for preparing, working with, processing, generalizing, and…

The article presents a metacognitive intervention for teaching mainstreamed learning-disabled students four learning strategies for thinking before, during, and after class discussions. Instructional and assessment procedures used for teaching the strategies are described. (Author/DB)

Argues that "talk around the edges," informal exchanges between children in the classroom, are important moments for the enhancement of language facility, at least as important as formal language lessons. Provides approaches to incorporating "talk around the edges" or talk much like "talk around the edges" into lessons. (TB)

Through focus groups and a telephone survey, a New York school district found out what more than 500 members of the community thought of the district and how they expected it to improve. (MLF)

Examines problem-based small-group discussions and describes a study conducted in The Netherlands that investigated the thoughts of students, both content-related and non-task related, through a thought sampling method. Highlights include categories of students' thoughts; validity measures; and results of student questionnaires. (LRW)

Teachers can make sure students know important facts and concepts before giving unit tests by using the expert group review strategy. Small, mixed-ability student groups review different parts of the unit and present their findings to the class. After the test, students discuss the value of expert group review. (SM)

Describes an interactive approach to the study of German lyric texts, based upon reader response theory. Using this approach, students observe themselves and their reactions to the experience, and their observations become the basis for class discussion and analysis of the text. (GLR)

The literature seminar format meets the needs of gifted students for intellectual challenges, complex curricular experiences, creative research and writing activities, and stimulating interactions. Three seminars conducted in the English curriculum at a special school for gifted students are described: "Dickens and the Industrial…

Examines whether exploratory talk in small groups can help students assimilate new information on complex topics more effectively than can participation in a class discussion or lecture. Finds that, of the three treatments, small group discussion is more effective in improving the students' knowledge as they prepared to write and in the quality of…

Using the latest newspaper as an authentic text in a language classroom can present the teacher with difficulties in advance preparation and reuse of activities. This article provides suggestions for preparing activities such as group work, information transfer grids, focus on content and language, and relation to other media. (10 references) (LB)

This article reports on a reading comprehension instructional technique which uses reciprocal-like teaching formats in groups and semantic mapping to make text structures apparent. The procedure significantly affected recall of expository ideas and knowledge of comprehension strategies with 28 intermediate grade students with learning…

Discusses theoretical and empirical research relevant to the use of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL)--including including collaborative-learning research and computer-mediated communication research--using a descriptive model to categorize the literature. Shows how the model provides guidance in designing and utilizing CSCL…

Transcripts from three problem-solving discussions involving eight or fewer social scientists were analyzed by nonlinear regression to determine whether the groups' productivity was chaotic over time. It was shown that the productivity was chaotic, correlated with the number of active discussion threads, and dependent on the discussion…

Describes three games for all ages, used in adventure- and experiential-education settings. Includes target group, group size, time and space requirements, activity level, props, instructions, and tips for post-activity group reflection and processing where appropriate. The games demonstrate the tenets of adventure programming, involve group…