Social presence is difficult to achieve, but an imperative component of online learning. In this study, we investigated the effect of group size on students' perceptions of social presence in two graduate-level online courses, comparing small group versus whole class discussions. Our results indicated that when in small group discussions, students…

Many students cringe and groan when told that they will need to work in a group. However, group work has been found to be good for students and good for teachers. Employers want college graduates to have developed teamwork skills. Additionally, students who participate in collaborative learning get better grades, are more satisfied with their…

Facilitating successful focus groups requires both science and art. One element that can fully challenge focus group facilitators includes how to handle the unfocused focus group. This article describes "unfocus" and the benefits and disadvantages of unfocus in focus groups. Lessons learned from and approaches taken on this journey are shared to…

Investigated the role of a group structuring technique on the amount and depth of process involvement in two counseling training groups. The results partly supported the conclusion that early structure significantly affects process involvement among group members. Additionally, both groups showed strong gains in depth of process involvement over…

Examines the nature and impact of boundaries and boundary management in interpersonal skills training (IST). States that the management trainer should be aware of the boundaries he is establishing with trainees and colleagues, and the possible consequences, and the boundaries others are establishing and his reactions to them. (NRJ)

Examines the transition from a single conversation to two conversations in a group larger than three by focusing on three distinctive properties of the schisming-inducing turn (SIT): (1) the changes in recipiency structure; (2) the sequence-structural properties of the SIT and its uptake; and (3) the topical properties of the SIT. (61 references)…

Conflict episodes among first-graders were videotaped and analyzed. It appears that the function of social conflict among children is to build their small-group society and its structure: while arguing, children create political alignments, and thereby realize their practical interests within a changing set of social relationships. (KH)

Observations were made of the social participation, constructiveness of play, and communicative interactions of developmentally delayed and non-delayed preschool children as they interacted in heterogeneous groups. The only significant effect of heterogeneous group composition on the children was reduced inappropriate play by severely delayed…

Studies on peer interaction in infancy seem to imply that social group structure emerges from infants' and toddlers' dyadic interactions. In contrast to this position, the present study hypothesizes that attention structure may be a major precursor for social group structure. To investigate that possibility, an attempt was made to develop a…

The purpose of group counseling was to promote new social learning involving identification with other group members, leading to expanded field perception and insight into the projection of thoughts, feelings and motives onto others. (Author)

In response to article by William Coulson in this issue, the author explores the possibility of a T group with a specific group focus rather than one which seeks to explore individual behaviors. He feels differences of opinion regarding the use of groups is a step toward understanding how best to proceed in the future. (CJ)

The hypothesis was that structures built by group members in dealing with conflict and decision making would be contingent on their life styles. Three different sets of groups of persons with homogeneous life styles created three different (and predicted) structures in a problem-solving task. (Author)

THE T-GROUP IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT MEMBERS IN REEDUCATING THEMSELVES TOWARD IMPROVED SKILL IN HUMAN RELATIONS. MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO DEVELOP THEIR GROUP TOWARD CONSENSUS WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE PERSONAL GROWTH AND LEARNING OF EACH MEMBER, AND THEN, THROUGH ANALYSIS, EVALUATE HUMAN EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN THIS PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT. THE TRAINER DENIES…