This speech discusses the concepts of the large group presentation, or the motivational experience; the small group discussion, or reaction discussions; and independent study, or continuous progress self directed learning. The discussion of these concepts is taken from the perspective of three years' participation by the author's school in a Model…

This article represents the findings of a small-scale, classroom-based investigation of 11- and 12-year-old pupils working in self-directed groups. It shows how a more holistic understanding of group work can be achieved when teachers and pupils "think together" to explore the dynamic, ambiguous, and often provisional links that exist between…

This report has two sections: an account of the meeting on autodidaxy, or self-directed learning; and a collection of studies and papers on the subject. The first part considers the following: (1) the conceptual domain of autodidaxy; (2) the constitutive elements of autodidaxy, and the plurality of definitions attached to it; (3) aspects of…

Students can learn to grapple with real political problems by doing policy analysis, studies designed to produce well-supported recommendations for action dealing with particular problems. Instead of asking what is being done about particular issues, they could ask what should be done. These questions could be examined in a systematic and analytic…

Three models were conceptualized for facilitating student-directed learning: teacher-guided, group-planned, and individual-oriented. Undergraduates in an educational psychology course were studied using the Involvement Behavior Questionnaire and the Inquiry Fluency Task. All three experimental treatments encouraged student involvement. The…

This research explored the implications for a teacher in undertaking small-group work in the classroom. The two resources used were "The Practice of Group Work" by William Schwartz and "Group Work in Secondary Schools", and the "Training of Teachers in Its Methods" by Barrington Kaye and Irving Rogers. The first resource was concerned with…

Describes the advantages of students' free discussion groups in literature classes. Provides a transcription of five students discussing a poem. (RL)

Issues in making small-group instruction effective are addressed in this theme issue, which focuses on an approach called Complex Instruction (CI). Developed by Elizabeth Cohen at Stanford University (California), the approach is designed for middle school students in heterogeneous classes. The program is based on four goals to help teachers…

This book provides educators with the background and procedures needed to conduct group investigation, a method for classroom instruction in which students work collaboratively in small groups to examine, experience, and understand their topic of study. Significantly different from traditional instruction, group investigation is designed to appeal…

Description of student-run, problem-oriented work groups as an alternative teaching model that allows for fusion of the rigor of a structured course and the flexibility of independent study. (ND)

Student team techniques, involving two conceptually distinct components--a cooperative reward structure, in which students are evaluated and rewarded based on the performance of the group as a whole, and a cooperative task structure, in which students are encouraged to peer tutor--have had positive effects compared to control methods on academic…

An experiment in self-directed learning, through which the student not only learns, but learns to identify his personal objectives and goals. (Editor)

Study circles have been an inexpensive, practical method of adult education in Scandinavia since their formal introduction in Sweden in 1902. From their origins in political and union ideas, they have been developed through a network of organizations which sponsor them on all different subjects. A study circle is a group of people with a common…