Presents historical background about the path to universal suffrage and voting rights for all U.S. citizens. Addresses reasons citizens do not use their right to vote. Asserts the importance of democracy and discusses this ideal. Includes questions for discussion. (CMK)

Features of a web-based learning environment for physicians included the following: balance between content richness and bandwidth; shared knowledge and interaction using actual cases; constructivist approach to develop basic cases into advanced cases for reflection and interaction. Evaluation of the program showed comparable participation rates…

Examines the performance and construction of subjectivities of four early adolescent, sixth-grade girls as they read and discussed a novel about two adolescent Mexican children seeking a new life in America. Suggests they engaged in ongoing construction of their subjectivities as they interacted with the text and each other. Notes the girls…

Notes that adolescent readers view characters in young adult novels as living and wrestling with real problems close to their own life experiences as teens. Reviews recent studies related to teaching literature and adolescent identity construction. Offers a framework teachers can use to initiate discussions based on critical literacy in their own…

Examines how students construct shared understanding by exploring what interactive and discursive tools students use in their collaboration. Presents observations made during a series of innovative mathematics lessons in an eighth grade Dutch primary school classroom. (CMK)

This article discusses ways that educators can encourage critical thinking in their students, including gifted children. Strategies include: questioning students to encourage critical thinking; developing and prizing creative thinking as a partner to critical thinking; and realizing that if students can learn critical thinking skills, so can they.…

Examines the relationship between online professional development, knowledge management, and electronic learning based on an online discussion in a graduate course in instructional technology. Discusses changing definitions of professional development and how it is now being evaluated through measures of school and student improvement. (LRW)

Studies the importance of both debate discussion and general political discussion in predicting political cognition. Finds that political conversations with others leads to much learning, controlling for effects of education, gender, political interest and media use. (MG)

Forty U.S. and 70 Israeli occupational therapy students received lecture or group discussion treatments in groups based on active versus reflective learning styles. Matching reflective style with lectures and active style with discussion resulted in better problem-solving performance and shorter learning time. (SK)

Explains the use of dramatic texts in the classroom to demonstrate how ideas which are inconsistent with a culture's sense of reality may sometimes be rejected as implausible. Argues that a dominant ideology makes other views seem implausible or even inconceivable. Provides several examples from a variety of dramatic works. (SG)

Proposes 10 hypothetical "mini-cases," and calls upon upperclass technical writing students either to select from 1 of 4 given responses or to devise their own. Explains that, after choosing answers, students collaborate to devise the best answers, then talk about their solutions in open class discussion. Provides suggested answers. (SG)

This article suggests classroom activities that call upon students to generate questions as an aid to analytical thinking. Suggested activities apply the questioning technique to term paper planning, test review, and textbook reading. A reproducible student worksheet for use in planning term papers is included. (IAH)

Uses William B. Stiles' discourse analysis system to determine whether there are general differences in the way individuals varying in construct system development use their utterances to establish understanding with each other. Finds that construct system development was positively correlated with edification and question response mode use, and…

Literary classics encourage children to ask questions and seek answers that address universal problems. Such books make terrific springboards for critical thinking. This article provides information about a successful classics program, Junior Great Books, and discusses how the program's strategy can be applied in the classroom. (IAH)

Discusses the importance of student questions as tools of instruction and as indicators of student misconceptions. Suggests different ways in which students may gain an understanding of biological concepts through discussion of popular movies and biological problems. (CW)