Analysis of protocols from think-aloud paired problem-solving sessions of 2 year-11 students found that, although the students were generally successful in coordinating their different, yet complementary, problem-solving roles, their metacognitive decision making was sometimes adversely affected by the social interaction between them. (17…

Reports on a study that focused on Australian students' cognitive and social skills in group decision-making activities conducted in the classroom. Finds that students were motivated to participate in group decision-making and that students' decision-making strategies are destructive when students assert their own ideas at the expense of others.…

Although relational demographers have based their arguments on self-categorization theory, they have paid little attention to the underlying processes associated with this theory. The authors examined whether demographic dissimilarity affects individuals' identification with groups by affecting the group's prototype valence and clarity and the…

This study investigated the effect of different gender and ability composition on students' behaviors, interactions, and learning outcomes during small cooperative group activities. The study involved Year 6 children (N=440) who were assigned to one of 12 four-person groups that were either gender-balanced or gender-imbalanced with different…

A study of the games played by children in Brisbane, Australia was conducted to provide information for physical education curriculum development and to compile a descriptive record for the period from 1975 to 1976. Attention was given to physical activities in which two or more children proceed with observable rules of conduct toward a…

A positive self-concept is important for all children. Parents can assess their children's feelings about themselves and improve their children's self-respect. Feelings about the self are important because they affect children's success, sense of worth, ability to love others and to learn. Adults may inadvertently undermine a child's self-esteem…

Presents the results from an Australian study where secondary school students (n=290) completed questionnaires that focused on motivational goals, metacognitive awareness, need for affiliation, social anxiety, and feelings towards group work. States that the results were discussed in the context of group-based learning. (CMK)

Presents the Conceptual Understanding Program (CUP) as a means of helping first-year university physics students overcome their misconceptions in mechanics. Students work on exercises alone, then in threes, and finally as a class, which has resulted in high levels of participation and satisfaction among students. This strategy can be implemented…

With increasing pressures being placed on early childhood teachers to provide academic programs, many are turning away from programs that foster pretend play. This study examined two contrasting approaches to teaching preschool children and considered their effects on children's linguistic and social abilities. One of the teaching approaches…

This guide offers advice on using and running teleconferences, beginning with background information on what teleconferencing can and cannot do; situations, systems, and applications; and how and why to use visuals. Ideas on how to run a teleconference are then presented. The preparation of a teleconference is discussed in terms of organizers and…

The increased use of group work in teaching and learning has seen an increased need for knowledge about assessment of group work. This report considers exploratory research where the SOLO Taxonomy, previously used to analyse the quality of individual responses, is applied to group responses. The responses were created as part of an activity…

Discusses the purpose, design, implementation, and value of an issues-based role play exercise in a first year Australian university undergraduate topic. Explains that the exercise requires students to consider implications for environment, economy, and culture of a large-scale tourist development on Rarotonga (Cook Islands). (CMK)

Investigation of activity patterns of four residents of a Community Residential Unit in Victoria, Australia, found that personal/domestic activities engaged 35-47 percent of residents' time, followed by sedentary activities (18-25 percent). Social interaction and indoor recreation occupied less than 9 percent of time and outdoor and social…

This paper reports the results of a study that examined an online discussion group established for a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) course and investigated patterns of interactions generated through the online discussion and participants' attitudes toward the computer-mediated communication (CMC) activity. The participants in the study…

To study the effects of structured cooperative learning environments on helping interactions and behaviors in the early, middle, and later primary school years, a study was conducted in 11 classrooms across 4 schools in suburban Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Subjects were 172 children (56 in year 2, 68 in year 4, and 52 in year 6). Through…