Introduces a simple student-centered activity that can effectively complement a traditional lecture by encouraging group discussion and reflection. Students orally review the lecture in groups and submit summaries to the lecturer that are ultimately compiled into a course review. Discusses the benefits of this practice and students' responses.…

Presents a discussion by journalists, scientists, and writers on educational problems in the Soviet Union. Focuses on the the role of the pedagogical press in restructuring public education in light of perestroika. Calls for press involvement in defining and developing public education. Lists questions for consideration and invites responses. (NL)

When they found themselves overwhelmed by the university experience of combining teaching, publishing, and service, the authors decided to meet regularly to discuss their experiences and frustrations with academic publishing in order to learn as much as possible from their pooled experiences. Here, they reflect on the obstacles they have faced and…

Maintains that the ways in which students react, absorb, and communicate new information are defined by their perception of the requirements and expectations of their surrounding situation. This information is particularly relevant in designing and implementing school-based drug prevention programs. Provides examples of various situational-based…

This book describes issues, trends, and practical teaching concerns that surround cooperative learning. It puts forward specific organizational plans and content area lessons for teachers who would like to become more familiar with active team learning in the classroom. Major themes include collaborative approaches to multicultural education,…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 13 titles deal with the following topics: (1) collective bargaining in higher education; (2) decoding nonverbal communication and clinical effectiveness; (3) the need for interpersonal communication training for Texas peace…

Investigates the influence of the teacher's presence/absence on primary children's group work in a World Studies class. Discovered that, although children generally remain on task, the teacher's presence resulted in improved quality and consistency. Includes tables of statistical and observational data, as well as excerpts from the students'…

Guidelines present ways to create written material for small group, democratic, and highly participatory discussions of social and political issues. Twelve suggestions for creating effective study circle materials precedes consideration of study circle goals. The overarching goal of any study circle is to provide opportunities for people to learn…

Presents study results examining social pressure within sexually homogenous groups. Explains that cohesiveness, based on common beliefs, was established in half of the sample while prevented in the remainder. Reports that groups were required to reach consensus after conflict was introduced. Concludes that low cohesion groups showed the greatest…

A leader's legitimacy through election or appointment has been found to create differing relationships with followers, resulting generally from greater expectations for an elected leader. To compare the authority and influence of elected and appointed leaders, 140 students were recruited to participate in research on "urban planning."…

Design Based Research (DBR) is a new and still-emerging approach to research about design, learning, and allied areas. This article reports one designer's experiences within a DBR project. Whereas most reports of DBR focus on the outcomes of the design itself, the current paper offers a hermeneutical perspective by focusing on the personal…

Research on gender differences in group performance suggests that males excel at brainstorming while females excel at human relations and integration. To investigate the relations among gender, interaction style, and task performance, 264 college students (130 female, 134 male) worked in three person same sex groups on a production task which…

Finds volumes of research on questioning and none on discussion. Defines discussion and presents concepts and techniques that facilitate it in the classroom. Recommends the need for further research. (MD)

This study was designed to investigate the influence of a diversified instructional strategy to overcome misconceptions held by freshmen undergraduate students with respect to the nature of a scientific theory. The theory of evolution was selected because it is the most significant unifying theme within the discipline of biology. Two classes were…

Abstracts of papers presented during discussion and display sessions, symposia, and training sessions at the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA) Annual Meeting in 1988 are presented. Papers presented during the display sessions discuss the following topics: the use of data maps for displaying/analyzing statistical data; programs for…