Describes meta-analysis, a quantitative approach to conducting literature reviews. Illustrates the power of this technique by reporting the quantitative effects of cooperative learning on chemistry achievement in high school and college classes. (Contains 32 references.) (WRM)

Describes a collaboration between a local youth arts organization, mobile home community residents, 6th grade students and teachers, professional artists, local agencies and businesses, and community members to create a playground and public arts space in a diverse, low-income mobile home community. Overall, students gained awareness of problems,…

Addresses how the resources of public libraries and youth-serving organizations can work together to support young people and expand their opportunities. Summarizes ways librarians are developing effective strategies to engage youth who formerly felt alienated from public libraries and describes ways public libraries are connecting with community…

Describes a study that examined the effects of collaborative group learning within a multiethnic classroom at the community college level. Confirms that when community college teachers utilize collaborative learning skills in conjunction with traditional learning skills, academic performance increases and student ethnic perceptions improve.…

Describes Ohio's Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program's dual enrollment program. Outlines the options under which students can attend college classes, the rules, and the structure of the program. Details the PSEO process at Columbus State Community College (Ohio), including procedures for admission, counselor meetings, and course…

Evaluated the effects on student teachers of a preservice program that grouped them into cohorts and emphasized community- building. Interview, observation, and questionnaire data highlighted positive effects (high participation levels in group activities, greater awareness of the value of collaboration, and greater willingness to take risks in…

Describes School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 findings about state- and district-level policies and practices related to mental health and social services issues (organization, staffing, and facilities; required services; school based health clinics and services at other sites; professional preparation; collaboration; and evaluation);…

The focus of this article is to provide practical tools to assist secondary special educators and English teachers to more effectively meet the needs of students with disabilities in the area of English/Language Arts. The articles focuses on ideas that emerged as two teacher educators brought together 6-12 English and special education preservice…

This paper describes the professional growth of two teacher educators. It notes obstacles to teachers' professional development, and investigates the factors which make some teachers less vulnerable to challenges. The paper observes that teacher educators who engage in self-study can reach a renewed understanding of their roles both in and beyond…

Based on the construct of "language-related episodes" (Swain & Lapkin, 1998) and Vygotsky's (1934/1986) notions of scaffolding and private speech, this investigation explores student interaction during a formalized assessment task. The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: first, to analyze the small-group quiz interaction that took place…

In this study we investigate how prior knowledge influences knowledge development during collaborative discovery learning. Fifteen dyads of students (pre-university education, 15-16 years old) worked on a discovery learning task in the physics field of kinematics. The (face-to-face) communication between students was recorded and the interaction…

Few events in American history are so universally deplored as the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The United States government has acknowledged the error and the injustice that resulted with an official Presidential apology and a Congressional disbursement of reparations to the victims of the incarceration policy. The…

Group work is increasingly being used in a variety of college courses. A number of strengths have driven the increase in the use of this form of collaborative learning. Still, a number of problems potentially limit the use of group projects. In this study, we report on research in which we examined how students recommended changing group projects.…

The study describes the factors that render possible and restrain students' learning when they try to develop new knowledge through collaboration in a net-based learning environment. The pedagogical platform takes as its starting point a framework of socio-cultural theories of learning and is based on dialogues and collaborative situations in…

As mentioned in Part I, certain classroom activities can help students learn about the ocean and empower them to make informed decisions about their impacts on the environment. One such activity focuses on harmful algal blooms (HABs). In this article, the authors include background information on HABs and then present two activities. Activity 1 is…