Describes student tours to the Soviet Union, discussing the benefits to be derived from such experiences by both students and leaders. In particular, discusses the organization of the tours, their types and costs, advertising strategies, suggested itineraries and guidebooks, student orientation and group composition, and problems encountered…

Describes how students can be encouraged to draw upon their imaginations and upon their observations of and speculations about the outside world to write their own short fiction. (AEA)

Describes teaching method for college level history instruction which combines the lecture method with group work. All lectures are mimeographed and presented to the student the first day of class. Class periods are spent clarifying printed lectures and assigning tasks to groups for the purpose of developing critical thinking skills. (KC)

Describes the entrepreneurial team approach utilized in a course designed to sensitize students to the opportunities, as well as the problems inherent in the ownership and management of a small business. (LRA)

Suggests that the classical exact formula for the conversion of degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit is not user-friendly. Offers an approximate linear transformation that is easier to remember and use. Investigates both the exact conversion and the approximate conversion and provides interesting and relevant problems for small group…

Discusses common methods of forming student groups for group work, suggesting that many are ineffective, then describes a student self-assessment method used to group students according to their skills. Asserts that the method, used for 2 years in both sophomore- and senior-level courses, has been proven to prevent intragroup skill imbalances. (EV)

Describes transfer principles to apply in student group projects that prepare them for teamwork: motivation, practice/feedback, follow-up, similarities between learning situation and applied context, and generalization. Addresses team effectiveness skills and implications for classroom application. (Contains 39 references.) (SK)

Describes group role-playing activities that have been used to teach about education, criminology, and sex roles. Suggests that role play helps students to absorb and retain many of the insights about the issues involved. (DB)

Describes a way to enliven vocabulary lessons by combining them with two effective teaching strategies--cooperative learning and story development by students. (SR)

After 110 business students participated in collaborative learning activities, male attitudes toward work groups became significantly more positive, females' less. Those reporting mostly positive group experiences preferred collaborative working styles; those rating the experience as "just OK" preferred working alone or with one other person. (SK)

Supplements Steven A.Meyers's article (Teaching Psychology, 1997) on the use of collaborative-learning groups. Provides additional suggestions on starting in-class groups, maintaining their effectiveness, and anticipating common problems. Argues that with careful attention, in-class groups can effectively complement lectures. (DSK)

Outlines two projects that highlight the multidimensionality of aging processes for adult development and aging courses: (1) students design an age-appropriate retirement community using buildings on the local college campus; and (2) students present products they design to remedy specific age-related problems. (DSK)

Solutions for evaluating student team members who do not contribute equally include the following: eliminate group projects, monitor group meetings, build teamwork skills, give all members the same grade, and have students evaluate other members' contributions. A survey of 68 students found that 80% were not motivated by peer evaluation but…

This case study investigates the participant structure of leadership in online course environments and helps instructors design and facilitate high-quality lessons. Researchers used course experiences that were authentic, collaborative, and computer-based to collect student data: assignments, discussion transcripts, and interviews. Analysis of the…

Noting that it is important in communication classes to devise ways to help students to be comfortable with each other, this paper maintains that icebreakers and group builders are strategies that are vital in creating openness and trust in such classes. The paper offers eight icebreakers (activities designed to help students feel comfortable with…