Asserting that cognitive maps can serve as a technique to review course readings in a small group format and allow students to both become familiar with course content and learn group processes. A sample map and evaluation sheet are also provided. (EV)

Cooperation in the classroom counteracts well-established routines and values that nearly all adults and many educators take for granted. Education remains a fiercely competitive enterprise, and individualistic notions of professionalism predominate. Despite the continued importance of independence, initiative, and personal achievement, today's…

Discusses the fact that despite a decade of changing ideas about student learning and instruction based on learner-centered education, most faculty still rely on lectures. Identifies individual and group dynamics that impede collaborative learning, considers the moral base of collaborative learning, and offers some guiding principles of…

Offers a view of writing as a process involving three forms of collaboration: coauthoring, workshopping, and knowledge making. Offers guidelines for designing courses in which writing is consciously, deliberately collaborative in all three of the realms identified. (MG)

This paper argues that the major models of administration are inappropriate to higher education, and the difficulties of these models are outlined. An approach based on structuration theory, cooperative-learning theory, and group work is proposed. Application of the approach to a program of teaching awards in an Australian university is then…

Developed by classroom teachers during the development phase of Minnesota's Graduation Standards, this performance package is made up of locally designed assignments that, taken together, show whether a student has learned and can apply the knowledge and skills related to speaking to an audience or interact with a group. It begins with reference…

This guide, which is intended to assist literacy practitioners interested in establishing collaborative learning (CL) groups, outlines a collaborative learning approach that was developed during a project to coordinate citywide adult literacy efforts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Discussed in the guide's eight sections are the following topics:…

In successfully establishing and having students complete group tasks within a cooperative learning framework, 14 essential elements must be present. The elements necessary for cooperative learning are: (1) a clear set of specific student learning outcome objectives; (2) all students in the group accept the targeted outcome; (3) clear and complete…

Plain talk is the cornerstone for creating a classroom atmosphere in which students want to learn to improve their writing. As much as possible, the jargon and technical terminology of the profession of English should be eliminated. Teachers will know what level of language to use if they determine the nature of their audience. Teachers have to…

This document, intended for Literacy Volunteers of America tutors, explains how to carry out collaborative small group tutoring. Chapter 1 explains the benefits of small group tutoring and collaborative learning. Chapter 2 tells what factors to consider when forming a small group (e.g., whether there is a desire to be in a small group, the…

Authoritarian and democratic teaching styles are contrasted by comparing how a college faculty facilitator using each style would approach standard teaching assignments of interaction, policy, task development, feedback, and evaluation. Democratic style is seen as producing greater student satisfaction, collaborative learning as the logical…

Intended as a resource for student seminars, this guide describes the seminar process and provides suggestions for making seminars more productive. First, the learning objectives of the seminar process are listed, indicating that students should gain the following skills: group interaction, integrative discussion, critical evaluation, and…

This book describes issues, trends, and practical teaching concerns that surround cooperative learning. It puts forward specific organizational plans and content area lessons for teachers who would like to become more familiar with active team learning in the classroom. Major themes include collaborative approaches to multicultural education,…

This handbook on participative learning is designed for workers involved in community and adult education programs, staff development, and youth, community, and social work organizations. The introduction explores a theoretical basis for participative learning and defines terms. Chapter 1 examines program planning issues and includes some useful…

Technology Mediated Instruction (TMI) is an alternate mode of instructional delivery that provides several benefits. In addition to assisting information transfer through integration of course material, TMI fosters instructor-student interaction through methods such as interactive question-answer areas, video-based office hours, e-mail, and…