For over 3 years, 6 faculty members and 1 graduate student have gathered as a working group applying an interdisciplinary focus to public engagement projects involving immigrant families in the rural Midwest. One dimension of the group's effort has been to involve faculty, staff, and students from many disciplines in its examination of pertinent…

Many post-secondary common book programs purport to increase a sense of community on campus. This study explored whether a common book program at a Canadian university was able to create a sense of community among students. Results indicate that in-class discussions about the book, liking the Facebook page, attending the author lecture, and…

This article explores cooperative learning in choral conducting education. The five characteristics of cooperative learning identified by Adams and Hamm ((1996). "Cooperative learning: Critical thinking and collaboration across the curriculum" (2nd ed.). Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publishers): positive interdependence; face-to-face…

Participation is a complex process, engaging the whole person, implying cognitive, emotional and relational aspects. In online open and distant learning, group work is a commonly used strategy, given its collaborative nature and constructivist framework ([Bates and Poole, 2003], [Garrison and Anderson, 2003] and [Jonassen, 2005]). In this context,…

Integrating social presence theory and social identity theory, this study brings system design and social influence aspects together to explain their joint effects on knowledge contribution in virtual communities (VCs). Different from most prior information systems (IS) research that adopts a uni-dimensional approach and restricts social presence…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of competitive Student Team Achievement Division (STAD), non-competitive STAD, and traditional learning on chemistry learning and learning perceptions. Sample, design and methods: By adopting the STAD approach, this study examined 144 nursing students at a five-year junior…

The term "risky shift" is used to describe the tendency of groups to make a collective decision that is less conservative than the members might make as individuals. Previous research on this subject has been based on three analytical categories: demographic makeup of groups, group familiarity with the task and information, or individual…

Discussion groups are an excellent instructional strategy for exploring ideas, disclosing views on issues, and uncovering learning needs. Their strength lies in that they draw upon the experiences and values of the group members. They are most successful when structured in such a way that they encourage all members to contribute freely to the…

DURING JUNE 1966 OVER 100 RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS (RPCV'S) PARTICIPATED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE SPEECH COMMUNICATION CENTER RPCV DISCUSSION LEADERS' ORIENTATION PROJECT. THE PROJECT CONSISTED OF SEMINARS DESIGNED TO ASSIST THE RPCV'S ACCEPT AND ADAPT TO THEIR NEW ROLES AS TRAINING PROJECT STAFF MEMBERS. IN THIS REPORT ARE…

Instructors and trainers are increasingly using online education and technology-mediated learning (TML) to supplement or replace traditional approaches to classroom teaching. Because mandatory involvement requirements may not intrinsically motivate learners to achieve high quality learning, social factors with commitment, such as identification…

This curriculum guide consists of materials for use in implementing two 10-meeting series of group discussions designed to enhance the process of the socialialization of students enrolled in an associate degree nursing program. Addressed in the discussion sessions are the following topics: developing an awareness of self-concept and gaining…

Describes Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), a form of computer-mediated communication, which can be used to enhance discussions in college and high school classrooms. An example of a GDSS in a high school is included, and results of a questionnaire regarding student preferences are appended. (Author/LRW)

Assessed relationship between group's ability to differentiate characteristics of conflict and consensus/cohesion formulation among 141 subjects in 32 problem-solving discussions. Determined that high consensus groups had significantly higher differentiation scores on depersonalized/positive and depersonalized/negative conflict than did low…

In order to determine the communication factors of group leadership, 500 undergraduates enrolled in an introductory communication theory course at a large New England university were randomly assigned to laboratory sections of 25 students each. Over an eight week period the students in each group redistributed into different groups varying in size…

The aim of this research was to improve understanding of the attitudes, experiences and dynamics of interaction of students working in online groups. This was achieved through a case study of postgraduate Information Studies students using the WebCT discussion board at City University in the academic year 2004-2005. Qualitative and quantitative…