It appears that the use of group activities is continuing to gain momentum in both mainstream education (Gillies, 2007) and L2 education (Jacobs & Goh, 2007), based on support from theory, research and people's own experiences with groups as teachers and students. However, the use of group activities brings with it a host of questions that…

Successful team building depends on the presence of four fundamental concepts of group behavior: (1) shared knowledge, vocabulary, and level of sophistication; (2) shared territory; (3) similar status; and (4) shared access to communications networks. (SK)

In order to help social learning become a more operational theory, this thesis attempts to create a better understanding of the conditions conducive to effective group action in a social context. Parts one and two trace the evolution of social learning theory in education and planning. Part three attempts to identify within a practical setting --…