The method of normalisation combined with peer ratings is utilised to provide the solution to the biased rating problem of mapping group work marks to individual marks. We critically evaluate the method of normalisation following the findings of an article which argued against the use of self and/or peer rating mechanism. We demonstrate that the…

Teaching with virtual worlds provides new means for collaborative learning but creates challenges for teachers in terms of IT skills. To address these challenges, we developed a teaching model for using virtual worlds in classroom practices and applied it to Minecraft in several rounds of design-based research experiments. Our conceptual framework…

The accuracy and consistency of peer marking, particularly when students have the power to reward (or penalise) during formative and summative assessment regimes, is largely unknown. The objective of this study is to evaluate students' ability and behaviour in marking their peers' teamwork performance in a collaborative group assessment context…

Group projects are widely used in higher education, but they can be problematic if all group members are given the same grade for a project to which they might not have contributed equally. Most scholars recommend addressing these problems by awarding individual grades, computing some kind of individual weighting factor (IWF) from peer and…

An antecedent exercise (AE) intervention was conducted with two young children who demonstrated challenging behaviors during a large group circle time activity in a preschool classroom; outcomes were evaluated in the context of alternating treatments designs. Results from the initial visual analysis suggested no overlap between conditions, with…

Simulations are often employed as content-teaching tools in political science, but their effect on students' reasoning skills is rarely assessed. This article explores what effect the "Statecraft" simulation might have on undergraduate students' perceptions of their decision making. Decisions are often evaluated on the basis of…

Three experiments (total N = 140) tested the hypothesis that 5-year-old children's membership in randomly assigned "minimal" groups would be sufficient to induce intergroup bias. Children were randomly assigned to groups and engaged in tasks involving judgments of unfamiliar in-group or out-group children. Despite an absence of information…

Research on shared information bias has shown that group members involved in a decision-making task tend to undervalue information that a single member shares with the group, especially when that information conflicts with their prior conclusions. The group activity in this article is intended to heighten awareness of this shared information bias…

This article addresses the challenges of supporting students' engagement with complex, challenging texts. How do teachers sustain students' interactions with texts that many see as irrelevant to their lives? How do they provide space to name and challenge the simplistic or problematic portrayals of cultures and communities often found in the texts…

Despite the growing use of virtual worlds in distance education, no studies have shown how self-representation in these environments impacts collaboration in multicultural learning groups. In this article, Paul Wallace and Jim Maryott report on a preliminary study in Micronesia designed to investigate the impact of negative social attitudes based…

Children often overestimate their contribution to collaborative activities. Across 2 studies, the authors investigated whether this memory bias supports internalization of the actions of others in the context of joint exchanges. After taking turns with (high collaborative condition; Studies 1 and 2) or working independently of (low collaborative…

Guided reflection in group settings is a way to decrease the bias that may exist in individual perceptions of experience. Group deconstruction and reconstruction of critical incidents by imaginatively visualizing options can develop deeper insight and awareness of the consequences of actions. (Contains 37 references.) (SK)

Argues that the strategies and goals of cooperative learning promote good citizenship and the reduction of prejudice. Reviews supporting theories and research and reports on a fifth grade's ten-week cooperative learning experience. (JDH)

Reviews research on prejudice reduction. The areas covered are audiovisual approaches, approaches using special materials, cognitive approaches, cooperative learning approaches, human relations training, direct approaches, schoolwide conditions, teacher education, and other techniques. (JDH)

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an educational intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of pre-allied health students toward older adults. The subjects were 41 pre-allied health students assigned to an intervention (n = 19) or comparison group (n = 22). The intervention group participated in a six-hour multi-modal…