Examined changes in students' group skills before and after employer feedback and in students receiving and not receiving feedback, and the relationship between skill level and performance on the assignment. Experience with employer-observed group work increased students' self-rating of their skills; teams with a good knowledge of team processes…

Investigates the effects of breath management instruction on the performance of 61 elementary brass players in in grades 4, 5, and 6. Shows that breathing instruction within group lessons was effective in improving the breathing and performance of elementary brass players. Includes references. (CMK)

Explores students' psychological responses to an introductory Internet course delivered using computer-supported collaborative learning. Data were collected in pre- and post-course surveys and through observation of patterns of participation. Students' self-efficacy for learning and preference for collaborative work increased, while their…

This article suggests that colleges and universities can improve intergroup relations on campus by implementing a cooperative learning technique known as the jigsaw classroom. What is argued is that use of the jigsaw classroom will facilitate a recategorization process by which members of racial-ethnic groups other than one's own (them) will begin…

M. S. Peck (1987) identifies six characteristics of a "true community": (1) inclusiveness (no "in group" or "out group"); (2) commitment; (3) consensus (differences are acknowledged and processed); (4) contemplation; (5) vulnerability; and (6) "graceful" fighting (conflict should not be avoided, minimized,…

A dissertation study is described which employed action research methods and was conducted over four semesters of practice in a large first year undergraduate physics laboratory making extensive use of microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) technology. Three cycles of action research are recounted, along with the resultant changes in goals,…

This paper looks at using collective critical thinking about issues as an assessment technique instead of or in addition to written tests. A substantial literature review examines the role of assessment and alternative strategies such as group oral exams in classes where cooperative activities and learning have been emphasized. The review reveals…

Academics spend most of their intellectual lives engaged in theoretically complex and sometimes arcane debates, and it is sometimes easy for them to forget that their students are being introduced for the first time to many of the concepts they as educators take for granted. In political science courses, a variety of group activities can serve the…

This paper presents the thesis that pair problem-solving serves as an aid to students in developing their metacognitive skills. Metacognition has been defined as knowledge and cognition about cognitive objects and as any kind of monitoring. The ability to monitor one's thoughts and actions is greatly facilitated through the pair problem-solving…

The 35 exercises presented in this paper have been designed to simulate real-life experiences involving the process of persuasion and to enhance understanding of the persuasive process. Among the aspects of the persuasive process dealt with are the identification of persuasive events, emotive language, language intensity, source credibility,…

Intended for use by teachers who are concerned with making effective responses to conflict in the classroom, this booklet describes the nature of adolescent conflict and the differences between conflict, competition, and cooperation. The theory section of this work analyzes some of the major concepts and research findings emphasized in the study…

Describes the group-building process used in the Prairie Writing Project programs. Provides specific guidelines for implementing group work in inservice teacher workshops and in the classroom. Claims that preparatory group-building techniques promote more effective group work. (MM)

Examines three different regression models of small group problem solving. (JK)

Six exercises intended to promote conversation skills are presented, including five survival games situated in space, caves, the middle of the ocean, the Sahara desert, and the North Pole; and a game to select a prison parolee from a group of candidates. The games involve role playing and decision-making activities. (MSE)

Describes the group evaluation procedure in higher education with its incorporation of unstructured and focused interviewing of small student groups, along with evaluator's and students' roles. Its theoretical basis, the clarification of data and data feedback through use of this method, and its advantages are discussed. Fifteen references are…