The potential of wikis for learning has recently begun to capture the attention of English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) research. While students' collaboration, attention to form, and perceptions of wikis in document mode have been widely addressed in previous research, the educational value of wikis used in thread mode, as discussion…

This article summarizes 8 presentations from Group 8 on the theme "Training of Researchers and Practitioners," which were part of the 2007 joint symposium of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Society for Vocational Psychology, and National Career Development Association held in Padua, Italy. Three…

The present study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of online discussion forum in student learning. A conceptual model based on "theory of online learning" and "media richness theory" was proposed and empirically tested. We extend the current understanding of media richness theory to suggest that use of…

Teacher education involves an identity transformation for trainees from being a student to being a teacher. This discourse analysis examined the online discussion board communications of a cohort of trainee teachers to better understand the situated identities of the trainees and how they were presented online. Their discussion board posts were…

In this study, computer conferencing was applied in the field of university-level social studies and education to examine: (1) the extent to which it is possible to promote students' argumentation skills through computer conferencing; and (2) whether a tutor-led seminar mode or a student-led discussion mode is a more appropriate way to practice…

Suggests two units for use in grades 10 to 12 based on the topics for group discussion in the booklet "Guide to the Bagrut Examination." The units are intended to prepare students for the oral examinations to be used in Israel starting in 1986. An annotated reference list is included. (SED)

The "Vicarious Learner" project at Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Edinburgh is looking broadly at issues concerning the role of dialogue in learning. This paper looks at the more general question of how the value of dialogue in learning depends on the structure of the environment in which it takes place. In…

In professional development, attention to both collaboration and critical thinking in the various interactive socialization processes of teaching practices should be essential strategic elements in a formative environment. This study presents contributions from the teleinteractive dynamic established in a virtual environment for the critical…

The mission of the NetPro European project is to develop project-based learning through the Internet. The NetPro project is creating tools and services to facilitate communication and collaboration between distant students, and to manage access and control of project deliverables. NetPro project teams form cross-institutional learning communities.…

Examines assumptions underlying the use of groupwork in the teaching of English as a foreign language (FL) in China. The article concludes that the primary role of small group discussion in FL learning should be in the development of collaborative learning strategies to master content rather than interpersonal communication in the target language.…

Summaries of six language-related research projects are presented from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Topics include English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) textbook evaluation, translatability of Filipino texts, group discussions in Thai junior colleges, bilingual language, and children's reading development. (LB)

This study investigated the role of talking-to-learn in small- and large-group discussions about a knowledge object and writing-to-learn in individual time after collaborative reasoning and arguing. The study involved a fifth-grade class in Italy studying ecological concepts, and results show that by sharing cognition students constructed more…

The Seeds of Peace program began in August 1993 when forty-eight Egyptian, Israeli, and Arabic boys met at a summer camp in Maine for a two-week coexistence program that gave them the opportunity not only to meet their "enemies" for the first time, but to live with them in cabins, share meals, and participate in typical summer camp activities. In…

This article reports the findings from a series of "Talkshops"--interactive facilitated discussions--undertaken with 114 young people from six secondary schools serving one town within Northern Ireland. The young people first met with the researchers in their own schools, then an elected group came together in combined Talkshops and,…

The Invitational Conference on the Future of School Psychology held at Indiana University in Fall 2002 included a number of paper presentations and group discussions. Toward the end of the conference, four participants were asked to present their reactions, reflecting input from a practitioner, a graduate student in school psychology, a faculty…