Describes how strength in numbers lies behind the success of the Posse Foundation, a program that takes kids who do not fit the typical merit scholarship profile and sends them as teams or "posses" to competitive colleges around the nation. (EV)

Describes an educational game in which students get the opportunity to review Lewis structures and molecular geometries through problem solving activities as a team. (YDS)

Discusses one way of addressing the difficulty of mastering a large number of concepts through the use of ConcepTests; that is, multiple choice questions given in a lecture that test understanding as opposed to calculation. Investigates various types of ConcepTests and the material they can cover. (Author/KHR)

When group activities in business classes become dysfunctional, the conflict can be used as a teaching tool to explore the resolution of real workplace problems. Faculty should be skilled in facilitating group participation. (SK)

Describes a survey that examined the existence and activities of Friends of the Library groups at colleges and universities in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The discussion includes founding dates, institutional data, factors affecting the formation of Friends groups, and the membership and purpose of existing groups. (14 notes/references)…

This photosynthesis exercise is intended for introductory college biology or botany courses. It is based on the principle that a closed suspension of algal cells may be expected to produce more dissolved oxygen with a greater photon fluence rate, but within limits of the photosynthetic capacity of the system. Describes materials and methods. (LZ)

Describes a project that linked students in a quantitative decision-making course at the University of Hawaii with students in the same course at Southern Methodist University (Texas) to participate in remote group collaboration via electronic mail and to observe and evaluate students' decision-making capabilities. Student comments are included.…

Explains and explores how organizations are using computer-mediated communication (CMC) and its broader category, computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). Discusses how the introduction of CMC and CSCW applications alters the flow of information exchange within an organization and between organizations and creates different channels of and…

Offers teaching tips on thematic writing assignments, student resubmission of papers, sharing memorable sentences from students' writings, and nontraditional grading policies in writing classes. (RDS)

A study investigated the hypotheses that law students researching a problem together would learn legal research better than those working individually, and that group work during class time under teacher supervision would reduce the intimidation of manual research tools. Results and some classroom materials are presented. (MSE)

Describes an assignment useful in high school and college-level literature classes in which students choose a book (or other reading material) from among a group of works that fit the parameters of the course or unit and work in groups to prepare a presentation. Suggests these reading groups and self-selection of reading material encourages active…

Describes the Key Groups that is a 40-60 minute exercise centering on student-led groups that create an answer key to a quiz that the students have taken immediately before the exercise. Recommends using Key Groups because this exercise helps students develop leadership skills and task-group membership. (CMK)

Discusses an activity that uses the metaphor "the mind is a black box," in which students work in groups to discover what is inside a sealed, black, plastic box. States that the activity enables students to understand the need for theories in psychology and to comprehend how psychologists build, test, and refine those theories. (CMK)

Reviews the literature on peer evaluation to identify some of the best practices. Notes that best practices include building a foundation in the classroom that supports collaborative evaluation, creating effective tools, implementing formative feedback during the collaborative experience, formulating summative feedback at the conclusion of the…

Presents an approach that provides a means for business communication faculty to design team projects that introduce students to the benefits of collaborative efforts and to emphasize the correlation between positive working relationships and quality outcomes. Finds that by the end of the project students' attitudes changed. Outlines objectives,…