Discusses the goals of team building, scope of team-building interventions, and specific contributions of both experiential (corporate adventure training) and nonexperiential (traditional) methods for increasing work-group effectiveness. A model for effectively combining the two approaches involves establishing goals, clarifying team members'…

A communication and problem-solving model is presented for individuals who lead extended field-based courses. The model focuses on the positive aspects of a situation and on encouraging individuals to accept responsibility for their behavioral choices. The four steps in the model are establishing rapport, what needs to change, where are we going,…

Interviews and surveys of 98 students and 7 instructors in Outward Bound Canada found that specific aspects of course activities, the physical environment, instructors, and participants influenced course outcomes. As role models, instructors made a greater contribution to student interpersonal skills than most other course components. Implications…

Describes a packet of instructional forms to guide students' reflections on their collaborative writing group's process and progress. Reports that student self-reports at the end of the project reveal that group satisfaction did increase and that those groups that used the forms regularly found them useful. (RS)

Teaching has endured largely as an assemblage of entrepreneurial individuals whose autonomy is grounded in norms of privacy and noninterference and is sustained by the very organization of teaching work. This article examines prominent forms of collegiality and discusses their prospects for altering the fundamental conditions of privacy in…

The hypothesis that student groups working under conditions of intergroup competition will adopt different motivational orientation than will groups not in competition was studied using 89 Israeli fourth graders (50 males and 39 females). The impact of prior socialization on group behaviors and implications for cooperative learning are discussed.…

Advocates role playing for teaching a unit on the legislative branch of government. Students were divided into political parties, sat on committees, and produced legislation. Concludes that experiencing the governmental process enhances citizen participation. (GG)

Organizational growth in student government, Greek-affiliated organizations, and activities councils can occur through the use of properly planned student leadership training programs. Low adventure training can enhance such programs while promoting optimal organizational and personal growth, providing a framework from which to view group…

Reports the findings of a naturalistic study of stigmatization processes in the peer interactions of a kindergarten class. Discusses the social construction of deviance, and the implications of labeling. (FMW)

This article describes several cooperative learning activities which can be included in teacher education courses. Jigsaw learning, study teams, informal resource groups, and group projects are discussed. Student perceptions of cooperative learning, based on a survey of 52 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in education courses, are also…

Describes a magazine project developed by students in seventh and eighth grade language arts classes. Discusses the formation of small work groups, group dynamics problems, peer tutoring, learning interview skills, and selling the magazine. (SV)

The use of graduate student support groups to complement the academic advisor's role and reduce students' sense of isolation is examined, particularly for female graduate students. Intersection of research on collaborative groups for thesis-writing and on gender-related communication patterns is examined to suggest how such groups can be…

Forty college students of second-year French were used to study the extent to which individual learners exercise initiative in structuring classroom talk. Textual outcomes of four typical tasks for pairs were examined. Interactions were coded in four areas (topic, self-selection, allocation, and sequencing); results showed variation in the extent…

In second-language learning, personal goals, political and economic relations, and sociocultural circumstances will largely determine the outcome of contact and the language strategies available. This article suggests how the outcome of language and culture contact can be predicted once an understanding of the context is achieved. (Contains 22…

Describes a study of student attitudes in a mixed-age classroom, examining perceptions of student-professor relationships and attitudes toward different-age students. Finds students enjoyed being in a mixed-age classroom. Although many believed professors had different relationships with older students, older students were insecure about…