Maintains that early childhood educators should encourage cooperative behavior among young children. Teachers can encourage such behaviors by organizing space and activities that facilitate cooperative social interactions; by supporting and reinforcing children's cooperative ventures; by planning for cooperative classroom activities; and by…

Schools hoping to become communities must be sensitive to subcommunities serving as building blocks for the supracommunity. Cooperation/competition is a system for increasing effective subcommunities in schools and simultaneously increasing these groups' support for school goals (assisting the school's academic program). This article explains the…

Focuses on computer systems that support groups who complete tasks together despite separations in space, time, or variations in team size. Reviews the literature on the history of the technology, application packages, case histories, and current research, and includes a synopsis of activity in academic and commercial institutions. Contains 217…

Management education programs often rely on collaborative learning, which requires high levels of openness and interpersonal support. We describe how one program accomplishes this and offer a theory to explain why it works. We propose that the activity is successful because it addresses in a repeating sequence (a) the alignment of affect with…

Average-ability students often do not take full advantage of learning in mixed-ability groups because they hardly engage in the group interaction. This study examined whether structuring collaboration by group roles and ground rules for helping behavior might help overcome this participatory inequality. In a plant biology course, heterogeneously…

Computer networks have provided a foundation for interpersonal computing, and new tools are emerging, the centerpiece of which is called "groupware." Groupware technology is reviewed, and the theoretical framework that will underlie interpersonal collaborative computing is discussed. Groupware can consist of hardware, software, services,…

Consisting of an audio-visual series and study exercises for cooperative, interdependent learning opportunities, this curriculum project is designed to provide in-depth learning and to develop positive attitudes about India in junior high school students. The project can also be used to influence curriculum development and to acquaint teachers…

The effect of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences within which majority students worked with lower-achieving minority peers were compared. The results support the position that cooperative experiences result in liking regardless of the ethnic membership or achievement level of collaborators. (Author/PN)

Examined group and individual factors that facilitate changes in cooperation and learning outcomes in trained and untrained work groups of elementary school-age children (N=192). Results indicate observable differences between student interactions in the two conditions. Trained students were more cooperative and helpful to each other, compared to…

Examines how students construct shared understanding by exploring what interactive and discursive tools students use in their collaboration. Presents observations made during a series of innovative mathematics lessons in an eighth grade Dutch primary school classroom. (CMK)

Presents tips on how to create a positive, friendly classroom community from day one. Ideas include beginning the year with getting-to-know-you activities; identifying and positively involving students with potential behavior problems; offering opportunities for students to assist one another with activities; working together toward a goal; and…

Provides a brief overview of the research on cooperative learning, and describes several classroom grouping techniques useful for all grade levels and subject areas. Discusses group retellings, associational dialogue, dyadic learning, needs grouping, the buddy system, cybernetic sessions, and research, interest, ability, tutorial, random social,…

Presents the results of an ethnographic study of cooperative learning experiences in one fourth- and one fifth-grade classroom. Describes the types of conflicts which arose during group work and offers four guidelines for making cooperative learning experiences more successful. (JDH)

Addresses the problem of how the effectiveness of collaborative teaching models can be assessed. Discusses the teacher's role in collaborative sessions as task setter, classroom manager, and synthesizer. Summarizes the features of collaborative session to be considered by an outside evaluator. (EL)