One of the most important decisions to be made in a face-to-face collaborative learning activity is how the participating groups are composed. These compositions produce different learning and social interaction results. The ability to change the group member composition in real time and dynamically enables the leveling up of learning results and…

The identification and integration of reusable and customizable CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) may benefit from the capture of best practices in collaborative learning structuring. The authors have proposed CLFPs (Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns) as a way of collecting these best practices. To facilitate the process of CLFPs…

Because of the great amount of child maltreatment within the last decade in America, teachers are likely to have some of the children who are victims of abuse and neglect in the inclusive classes. It is important for educators to be informed about the negative effects of maltreatment on academic competence, which can exacerbate existing learning…

The Hong Kong Classroom Environment Scale (HKCES) is a new instrument designed to assess upper primary and junior secondary school students' perceptions of actual and preferred classroom environment. The development of the scale involved 2 stages of study. In the 1st stage of study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses clearly identified 4…

The Gateway Science Workshop is a peer-facilitated, problem-focused program designed to improve student retention in the sciences. This article discusses its development, implementation, and efficacy, which is demonstrated by higher retention of workshop students in the course sequences. Evidence suggests that the program has particular benefits…

This paper is the result of a research project that set out to document a group of adolescent musicians in a rural Australian secondary school as they wrote and performed their own music. The processes they developed are reflective of a cooperative approach to group composition where upwards of 21 students composed and "jammed" their way…

Collaborative learning organizes students into small groups in which they assist each other to solve problems and integrate skills and knowledge. It can be used in classrooms, laboratories, and clinical settings. Learning occurs through small group discussion, with students responsible for helping each other achieve desired learning outcomes.…

Increasingly, higher education institutions and businesses are developing distributed learning systems to provide continuing job-related and professional education. Principles and examples of distributed learning and support systems that promote individual development are outlined, considering issues of motivation, speed of program development,…

Describes an English undergraduate physical geography class that combines lecture and practice to create an integrated team project involving fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data analysis, group report writing, poster production, and presentations. The class encourages group interaction, student decision making, and the development of transferable…

Connects the personal classroom experiences of a sociology professor with the changes in teaching methods over the last 30 years. Unequivocally, supports the more interactive teaching methods such as collaborative learning, role playing, simulations, and debates. Valuable appendix includes detailed descriptions of six group activities. (MJP)

Presents a social studies lesson, Head-Smashed-In, based on inquiry and cooperative learning principles, that asks students to hypothesize about the mystery of an Indian buffalo jump. Provides clues and topographical maps for the Head-Smashed-In jump in Alberta, Canada. Objectives include understanding the relationship between physical environment…

Describes study that investigated the effects of instructional control and gender pairing arrangements on learner achievement, attitudes, and interaction during an interactive video elementary school science lesson. Cooperative learning strategies are discussed, results of statistical analyses are reported, and implications for instructional…

Current thinking of researchers from different disciplines about interaction among students in educational settings and the potential of peer interaction for learning and cognitive development is discussed. Topics of the eight papers presented include: potential outcomes of peer interaction, its nature, peer learning settings, and factors shaping…

Reports a college-school project that examined the effects of thematically integrated mathematics instruction on Mexican American middle school students' mathematics achievement, attitudes, and motivation. Students receiving thematic instruction surpassed traditionally instructed students on mathematics concepts and applications. The two programs…

Presents a narrative case study based on the use of cooperative learning in a 10th-grade global studies class. Focuses on ethnic groups and emerging issues related to national sovereignty. Describes student participation in group discussions about these topics. (CFR)