Alex F. Osborn's group brainstorming treatment remains the most frequently applied procedure for the creative generation of ideas despite considerable evidence that demonstrates its ineffectiveness. This paper synthesizes many findings that challenge the premise that Osborn's traditional "group" brainstorming treatment is the optimal…

This study investigated fourth graders' (N=18) self-generated analogies and the effects of their collaborative reasoning and arguing over these analogies on individual understanding of three scientific phenomena concerning air pressure. The data were subjected to both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. The first showed that the children, on…

Texts and courses related to research methods generally teach students essential research designs, data analysis techniques, and interpretation guidelines. However, students are less likely to learn how research techniques function holistically. To provide this holistic understanding, a classroom activity has been developed at St. Mary's College…

Successful learning in a discursive interaction demands that participants be able to follow the interaction from its beginning to its end; instruction on Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs) poses challenges because, unlike in face-to-face interaction, not all messages are serial. This paper offers strategies and techniques to help ALN teachers…

The qualitative research method of focus group interviewing was employed in a study of the subjective meaning of newswatching for the average American. Thirty-two adults were interviewed in four groups of seven to nine people each, and the audiotapes of the discussions were analyzed for comments on various aspects of television newscasters (the…

Debate can provide a format for the development of communication skills to aid students in managing conflicts, because an understanding of rule-governed communication in conflict situations is invaluable in constructive conflict management. Since in debate procedural rules restrict discussion primarily to substantive and procedural topics, debate…

Proceeding from the traditional principles of the directed reading activity strategy in the classroom, a group reading approach was developed to aid graduate students in a reading methods course both to study and comprehend their textbook and to provide a teaching method for future classroom use at the secondary or junior college level. The design…

A panel of 11 human resource development (HRD) practitioners (2 session chairs and 9 panelists) participated in an innovation session devoted to critical thinking in HRD. The session objectives were as follows: (1) share knowledge, views, and beliefs about the relevance of critical management theory and research to the HRD community; (2) provide a…

This study was designed to supporting teachers on developing teaching norms based on classroom-learning community in which students are willing to engage in discourse. A collaborative team consisting of the researcher and four second-grade teachers were set up. The collaborative community intended to generate norms of acceptable or appropriate…

This paper explores the role of instructional scaffolding in the development of undergraduate students' understanding of mathematical proof during a one-year discrete mathematics course. We describe here the framework adapted for the analysis of whole-class discussion and examine how the teacher scaffolded students' thinking. Results suggest that…

Creating a nonthreatening atmosphere, drawing out introverted participants, and relating the lessons of programmed activities to everyday life are a few of the challenges of quality processing (debriefing). At times, alternative methods of processing open doors when straightforward questioning does not. In some instances, alternative methods serve…

This study investigated the use of various forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to support the formation of a knowledge-building community (KBC) in teacher education. A KBC involves students working in small and large groups to solve "real world" problems, and in the process develop skills of negotiation, communication, and…

While most students in a secondary language arts methods course found writing and reading each other's critical literacy autobiographies interesting and helpful to their understanding of literacy, they struggled with how to respond to their classmates' autobiographies. That struggle emerged within a teacher inquiry project whose central question…

While university researchers cannot agree on a model for teaching literature, or even what literary knowing is, the training for literature that prospective elementary teachers receive is totally that of teaching reading. Such education is unrelated to reading and responding to literature. Even when preservice elementary teachers do receive…

A study compared the discourse within a knowledge-building community in dual mediums: face-to-face meetings and electronic mail postings to a discussion list. Participants were faculty members and graduate students at a major university. The study focused on patterns of participation in both mediums, changes in these patterns, and possible effects…