Learning that can occur through small group work is considered. Practitioners and advocates of the method describe learning through small group work as active learning that is deeper and more enduring than passive learning. The key is that students are personally engaged in the work and peer interaction is seen to be a major facilitating factor…

This experiment in adult learning processes was carried out in a course in applied linguistics in which the students were teachers with experience in teaching English as a foreign language. Consideration of the importance of process in such a situation derived from dissatisfaction with the lecture and tutor-led seminar methods, from the…

Three behavioral training programs for college men with dating inhibitions were evaluated. All treatment groups received a dating manual, contact with female confederates, and group discussion meetings. The discussion group received only these treatment components, while the other two treatment groups received behavior rehearsal. All treatment…

Struggles to cope with a wildly diverse group of adults in a course in tragedy are recounted. (JH)

Elderly people in institutions frequently become isolated and noncommunicative. By using behavioral measurements of group workers and group members, the authors have formulated ways of treatment that encourage members to participate more actively. (Author)

Use of conditional statements by seventh-grade mathematics teachers in general class discussions was found to correlate positively with the ability of students to apply the principles of logic. Interaction with mathematics ability was not significant; correlations varied for subscales of the reasoning test. (SD)

Reading is viewed as a language processing mode of behavior which can be developed by using good teacher questions that assist, guide, and clarify. (JH)

In teaching students to write extended definitions it is essential for writing instructors to teach students the concept of criteria. Without such a concept students will never be able to write effective definitions on their own. The criteria they establish for a particular definition allow them to judge which items support their positions on an…

A staff development program has been organized and conducted by the teachers in a middle school. At a weekly early morning meeting, teachers come together to discuss a wide range of educational topics. Participation is voluntary. The program was created to promote staff involvement, collaboration, partnership, cooperation, interactive development,…

A young Latina mother's appreciation of a children's book inspired the development of a parent discussion program. Hispanic parents meet regularly to examine children's literature, a non-threatening, non-academic topic. Parents discuss books written in Spanish and stories and poems written by their children. Through the project, parents learn to…

One of the thorniest problems facing teachers of public address and other speech performance courses concerns students' reticence in classroom criticism and discussion of fellow students' performance. Many teachers believe that discussing the speeches in class provides valuable feedback to the speaker and helps foster critical thinking skills in…

A study investigated the effectiveness of using a small-group discussion as the main vehicle for the construction of an initial representation of a problem that activates previously acquired knowledge. College students (N=39) were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition or a control condition and asked to brainstorm about a presented…

A brief description is given of the Bellack System, which is used to analyze the content and structure of discussion. The system identifies who speaks, when they speak, and what they say. Four types of pedagogical "moves" were identified by Bellack: (1) a structuring move--beginning a new topic; (2) a soliciting move--a question; (3) a…

The story of the United States Constitution is told in 12 posters: "The Blessings of Liberty"; "The Articles of Confederation"; "A 'Less Perfect' Union, 1781-1788"; "The Constitutional Convention"; "The Founders' Achievement"; "The Anti-Federalist Argument"; "Ratification";…