A program at the Federal Reformatory, El Reno, Oklahoma, in which young inmates read and discuss significant literature in courses developed by the American Institute of Discussion. (LY)

The author gives his views on the nature and justification of class discussion, along with implications for class management, participant involvement, and the evaluation of learning. Three references. (LY)

Explains why Internet groups are a good medium for retrieving and exchanging information. An example of the use of netgroups to obtain information on the Gulf War of 1990-91 is given; the benefits of the informal nature of netgroups are discussed; and a mediated discussion group, Humanist, is described. (LRW)

The purpose of this article is to offer a critical discussion of the practice turn in contemporary educational research. In order to make the discussion specific, I use two influential theories, namely activity theory and situated learning theory. They both turn to the notion of practice in order to overcome the limitations of mentalist and…

The aim of this project is to study the quality of the discussions in groups of students during laboratory work. The project builds on a study of the role of communication in science classrooms with students aged 14-15 years. An intervention with role-playing for example reporting to another group is carried out to foster discourses that focus…

In the present study cross-age peer tutoring was implemented in a higher education context. Fourth-year students (N=39) operated as online tutors to support freshmen in discussing cases and solving authentic problems. This study contributes to a better understanding of the supportive interventions of tutors in asynchronous discussion groups. Peer…

Yes-No (Y/N) questions are distinctive in calling for a bipolar response. Some Y/N questions predispose one answer over the other. Conversation analysts have examined the sequential relevance of this predisposition and found the institutional character of social actions enacted in Y/N questioning processes. Classroom interaction is one such…

A simplified model of an industrially relevant fluid-particle flow system is analyzed using linear stability theory. Instabilities of the uniform state of a fluidized bed are investigated in response to small flow perturbations. Students are expected to perform each step of the computational analysis, and physical insight into key mechanistic…

This paper examines the alternate use of Arabic and English in the context of a university classroom, where a policy to use the former language in place of the latter was being implemented. Analysis of a sample of recorded university lectures of English and Arabic medium classes in sciences and humanities reveals that teachers use code switching,…

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of students' epistemic belief and the instructor's discussion-facilitating strategies on interaction and satisfaction in online discussion. It was predicted that the effects might vary depending on whether epistemic belief, one of the personal characteristics of learners, corresponds to epistemic…

Assigning a grade to students' class contribution may be 1 of the most controversial and difficult challenges that instructors face. The authors examine the perceived fairness of class contribution grading methods from the perspective of the performance appraisal literature. In 2 scenario studies based on actual grading techniques, the authors…

This study investigated graduate students' perceptions of the online collaborations and the factors that contribute to the quality of online discussion with a qualitative case study. Data were collected through interviews with 20 graduate students in an online course, their online discourse, and the instructor's observation notes. The case study…