In the late 1950's and early 1960's an ongoing program in liberal arts was introduced using the study - discussion method, popularly known as Living Room Learning. The purposes of the groups were to draw basic information from specially prepared reading and audio-visual materials and to stimulate participants to think better for themselves through…

Secular (commercial) films should be used in the service of the church for two major reasons: 1) a responsible church cannot ignore the fact that in our culture films play a determinative role in belief and value formation, and 2) a creative church will not want to ignore their great potential as an educational tool. If the church urges its…

Describes procedures for helping elementary school students develop self confidence in group discussions. (CW)

A procedure is outlined by which all students, not just one spokesman, report back to the class on small group projects, thus increasing participation in class discussions. (SJL)

Staff and student opinion were surveyed at the Law Faculty of the University of New South Wales to determine the advantages and disadvantages of assessing class participation. Results from 12 staff and 390 students showed that although a majority favored this method of assessment, many difficulties were experienced in putting it into practice.…

Common problems encountered in using classroom discussion, particularly in seminars, are examined and a seminar format used at Wadhams Hall Seminary-College is described that avoided most pitfalls. The use of these techniques in other institutional settings is discussed. (MLW)

Online computer conferences used to assist distance learning courses often fail because the moderator-usually the instructor responsible for the conference-is not properly trained in techniques that build a community of learners. It has often been assumed that the skills required to create a vibrant classroom discussion translate easily to an…

These classroom guides, designed to accompany the daily CNN (Cable News Network) Newsroom broadcasts for the month of March 2002, provide program rundowns, suggestions for class activities and discussion, student handouts, and a list of related news terms. Lead stories include: the U.S. expands the War on Terrorism into the Republic of Georgia and…

A special discussion class provides students with an organized outlet for expressing their dissatisfactions. (MF)

Discusses in depth the kinds of trust within classroom communities that make reader-response groups work (trust between teachers and students, trust among students, and students having trust in themselves). (SR)

Examined how video clubs (ongoing discussions of videotaped classroom instruction) supported the development of productive conversations among teachers and educational researchers. Analysis of six video clubs involving high school mathematics teachers and a university researcher illustrated the complementary character of expertise the participants…

Describes an elementary school book club with 12 elementary teachers, their principal, and 2 university teachers reading the same piece of contemporary multicultural fiction and keeping response journals. Describes how their discussions were studied and how the literature discussions changed their classroom practices. (SR)