The topic of inquiry is explored in an online freshman level introductory biology course for non-majors. The research took place in a distance learning program at a small community college in the Southeast. Students in the course were required to complete an extended guided inquiry in their homes and to communicate about their work by way of the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between critical thinking skills (CTS) and critical thinking dispositions (CTD), and (2) the effectiveness of different levels of instructional strategy (asynchronous online discussions (AODs), CTS instruction via AODs, and CTS instruction with CTD cultivation via AODs) in improving…

In this paper, we examine how students discuss and interpret data and whether these actions vary depending on the type of data they analyse. More specifically, we are interested in whether students perform differently when analysing first-hand data, which they collect themselves, compared with second-hand data provided to them. Our data analysis…

The Swedish educational system states that work in schools should depict and mediate equality. One way of achieving this is through fiction, which according to the syllabus provides students with knowledge about the living conditions of women and men during different epochs and places. The present paper examines gender in a Swedish school,…

This paper describes the application and development of the work discussion method within educational settings. In the first section of the paper, I outline some key contextual factors that are important to consider when setting up work discussion groups within schools. A number of case examples are then described, illustrating a range of central…

The effectiveness of a multidimensional Canadian sex education programme was evaluated using 240 Grade Nine students. The intervention was offered by representatives from various community groups and involved instructional classes on anatomy/physiology of the reproductive system and sexually transmitted infections, a video and group discussion on…

This research project examines students' reactions to in-class discussion as an instructional technique by investigating the effect of participation practices on communication-based skill development. The findings provide evidence that active preparation and participation in class discussion can be linked to students' reports of improved oral and…

This article examines a classroom discussion of multiple interpretations of the scales on two distance versus time graphs. The analysis describes how two students and a teacher used multiple meanings for phrases of the form "I went by" and coordinated these meanings with different views of the scales. Students' ambiguous and shifting meanings did…

Different kinds of discussion methods have been developed to help students achieve different kinds of instructional objectives. The following discussion methods are analyzed from the perspective of the role demands that they make of students and teachers: (1) cooperative learning discussions; (2) the subject mastery discussion method; and (3)…

Junior Great Books discussions were used to teach critical thinking skills and independent learning behaviors to learning-disabled 5th-grade students. In baseline observations, the seven learning-disabled students exhibited active off-task behaviors and disruptive behavior causing dismissal from the group, while seven students in a…

A case writers workshop was sponsored by the Intercollegiate Case Clearing House to encourage case development by business faculty in the midwest. An afternoon discussion on teaching by the case method used a case called "The Vessal Apparel Shop" by Philip M. Van Auken. The 40 attendees were divided into two groups of 20; one group was instructed…

This collection of seven articles for the college teacher of speech relates specific ways that videotape has been used in training teachers and in teaching the fundamentals of speech, advanced public speaking, and discussion. Included are articles by (1) Harold E. Nelson, who explains how videotape is used in college speech classes to aid in…

From a social-interactionist's view of language learning, "reflective conversation" via CMC, particularly through the asynchronous mode, has been advocated (Lamy & Goodfellow, 1999). It emphasizes learning through reflection on experience and through the exchange of thoughts with others. Guided by this pedagogical model, asynchronous…

This article describes one teacher's use of case studies with a class of secondary student teachers, examining her efforts to assess and better understand the effects of case method in teacher education. The challenges and possibilities of reflection on practice are discussed through the examination of case method. (Author/SM)

The use of student-led discussions, or literature circles, offers the potential to engage all students through a more democratic, dialogic approach. The central goal of this research was to understand how adolescents practise literacy within the context of a peer reading group, and how gender impacts these practices. Transcripts of student-led…