Although previous studies have highlighted the positive effects of cooperative learning (CL) on academic achievement as well as the learning environment, they have not shown how this happens. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of CL in the field of nursing, as well as to identify students' perceptions of how these effects…

Flexible modular scheduling (flex mod)--a schedule philosophy and system that has been in place at Wausau West High School in Wausau, Wisconsin, for the last 35 years and aligns nicely with current research on student learning--is getting more and more attention from high school administrators across the country. Flexible modular scheduling was…

Building a repertoire of teaching skills means organizing instructional strategies in some meaningful way. In this brief essay, the author recommends that beginning teachers develop a repertoire comprised of a mix of strategies from each of Joyce, Weil, and Calhoun's (2004) categories: three strategies from the Cognitive Family (Concept…

The professional expertise of educational leaders has been defined through the lens of problem-solving processes. Problem-based learning has therefore become an increasingly popular instructional approach in principal preparatory programs. As such, this study represents an initial attempt to explore learning from success (i.e., success-based…

Van Allen (1996) supports a paradigm shift in how Americans think about education, from a view of school as hierarchy to school as continuum. While the relationship between elementary and secondary education is not always visible, teachers can model cooperative learning for students by working as a team across grade levels to solve problem,…

There is a rich theoretical base for cooperative learning. Three interrelated types have been developed (formal, informal, cooperative base groups) that provide a framework for effective college teaching. However, too much emphasis is placed on developing the skills of individuals and too little on creating learning communities within which…

A group is a learning community when members share a common vision that learning is the primary purpose for their association and the ultimate value to preserve in their workplace and that learning outcomes are the primary criteria for evaluating the success of their work. Some attributes of a learning community include modeling, continual sharing…

This article examines critical staff development issues that must be addressed if cooperative learning is to produce quality implementation across classrooms. Staff development programs should consider teacher ownership and governance, teachers' levels of concern regarding education innovation, formats for training, relevance of ecological impact,…

The literature urges business schools to change their undergraduate curricula in response to changes in the models and methods currently used by corporate America. Critics contend that business schools should place more emphasis on teamwork and integrative models. Business schools are urged to "break down the silos" between functional subjects by…

Through lively discussions of specially selected texts, students of diverse abilities often discover that they can learn a lot from one another. The Touchstones Project in a Baltimore (Maryland) middle school features group discussion of classical texts. (Author/TE)

Effective schools research demonstrates that school principals are an important factor in schools' success. Yet many factors of the job inhibit principals' learning. To help leaders, professional learning experiences should center around what we know about the difficulties of the job and how principals can better learn from their own experiences…

Maintains that teachers often ask groups of pupils to undertake computer tasks with the understanding that positive benefits will result within the social context of learning. Reports on a study of the impact of social skills training on two fifth-grade British classes. (CFR)

Specific ways in which lectures, laboratories, cooperative group learning, and examinations and grading can be used as part of a strategy to increase pharmacy student interest and involvement in basic science are outlined. The techniques focus on making the presentation of content at least as important as the content itself. (MSE)

Maintains that current research suggests that heterogeneous grouping is preferable. Reports on a study of a new mathematics curriculum using 600 students in 6 Dutch schools. Finds that students in heterogeneous classes taught with cooperative-learning techniques achieved more than students in traditional ability-grouped classrooms. (CFR)

Asserts that whether students engage in creative and critical thinking depends on how teachers structure the learning situation. Contends that using "academic controversy" among students provides a basis for deliberate discourse and creative problem solving. Presents a five-step instructional model to guide students. (CFR)