PBL is described as small-group collaborative learning; however, literature on how collaboration is enacted in PBL contexts is limited. A two-year ethnographic study examined the experiences and responses of Asian students to the obligations of PBL in a Western context. Participant-observation, videotape data, and video-stimulated recall…

At least 10% of students in private Christian schools are considered students with special needs. Private Christian schools vary in the degree to which they educate these students and in the approaches that they take toward educating them. This study examines whether or not private Christian Schools are allowing students with special needs access…

Drawing on current research and best practices, this third part of the three-part resource, "Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools," provides information and strategies for providing intensive, individualized support and instruction for the small percentage of students requiring a high degree of intervention. This system of…

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

This mixed method case study provides insights about how the professional development of middle school teachers is facilitated through their participation in content-focused online communities of practice. A key finding from this research reveals that the online community provided teachers with enhanced opportunities to share ideas, to discuss…

To promote student engagement, professors must actively seek to create the conditions that foster engagement. Chickering and Gamson (1987) suggest that good practices in undergraduate education are ones that: encourage student-faculty contact, develop reciprocity and cooperation among students, encourage active learning, provide students with…

This paper discusses a cognitive model of how action agendas and goals emerge through the dynamics of self-organization in collaborative activities. While machines are designed to perform a function, or goal, humans are self-organizing systems that set their own goals and produce order without having external order imposed on them, or, more…

This guide is intended to help individuals with deaf-blindness or other severe disabilities and the people involved with them to plan positive futures. An introduction notes that Personal Futures Planning is different from other planning meetings in that all participants are there voluntarily, there are no rules, and the planning is done…

This 23-minute videotape describes the Conciliation Project, which was developed to resolve conflicts between parents and schools in Lane County (Oregon) regarding students' special education programs. The video presents a case developer who gathers information about a specific situation and a team of trained community volunteers who facilitate…

The long-term success of school improvement depends on the ability of participants to function productively together. This book explores a variety of forms for collaboration in schools and presents a framework for understanding how to build stronger working relationships among colleagues. Following the introduction, chapter 1 establishes the…

This booklet offers a humorous perspective on important guidelines for developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities which respect the values of collaboration, student and family leadership, and full inclusion. Humorous section titles and cartoons illustrate important principles: "Developing an IEP Shouldn't Be…

This book is designed to provide individuals with practical assistance in introducing and using critical reflection strategies. It is intended for workshop facilitators whose aim is to assist committees, organizations, and various groups in solving problems. The book explains procedures for Critical Reflection Strategies using Teams (CReST), a…

Team teaching provided a model for real-world collaborative research efforts in a doctoral level course in research methodology. The instructors--one bringing extensive experience in teaching statistical methods and program evaluation; the other specializing in conducting qualitative research--used a constructivist framework for the course,…

This paper suggests methods for incorporating cooperative learning into the college classroom, including both short-term and long-term activities. It stresses the importance of self-directed work teams in the work environment and the contribution of cooperative learning in the college classroom to building team work skills. Cooperative learning is…

In winter of 1993, a design research project was conducted in the Department of Interior Design at Ohio State University by interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from Industrial Design, Industrial Systems and Engineering, Marketing, and Communication. It was, in effect, a course which aimed to apply knowledge from the students' diverse…