A collection of group disussion topics, developed and field-tested by a group of Iowa teachers, is presented in this guide. Twenty-eight topics for K-6 students, 24 topics for K-12 students, and 7 topics for students in grades 7-12 are included. Warm-up activities are given for introducing some of the topics, and lists of questions to provoke…

The purpose of this report is to explore an analysis of discussions, among groups of elementary school children, of a social problem. The intent of the research is to contribute to the advancement of methods for program and student assessment, particularly toward goals not usually evaluated by traditional testing programs. The analysis method used…

A science classroom was used to study the effects of a shared intranet environment on students' problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection skills through shared contextualization. Subjects were first-time 9th- and 10th-grade biology students from three public high schools. An evaluative analysis of the CourseInfo software (Blackboard,…

Explains how teachers applied the case method approach in a college pedagogy class, describing the case and context, noting how problem solving evolved within student groups and presenting results from follow-up surveys. Numbers of students in class and time devoted to problem solving were critical to the approach. (SM)

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of three college courses on attitude change toward older adults. To measure attitude change the Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (1961) was administered to 221 college students at the beginning and end of the semester. Participants were enrolled in one of three college courses: Child…

This facilitator's guide explains how to lead a series of five sessions (study circles) designed to foster public dialogue and problem solving among citizens interested in meeting the challenges of community growth and development. The document begins with an introduction to the concept of study circles that examines the following: definition of…

This book presents a wide array of sophisticated problem-solving tools and shows how to use them in a humanizing way that involves all stakeholders in the process. Chapter 1 develops the rationale for educational stakeholders to consider quality tools. Chapter 2 highlights three quality group-process tools--brainstorming, the nominal group…

Self-formulating study-groups, comprised of teachers voluntarily meeting with consultant leaders, are used in Denmark as an effective tool for identifying and discussing relevant problems and developing action programs. The general educational approach employed in self-formulating study-groups includes a problem orientation related to the…

Based on papers and discussions at a national conference organized by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the University of Aston in Birmingham in July 1967, this book outlines the principles of modern industrial training, based on task and skill analysis, and looks at the part that new learning resources can play in implementing these…

Discusses the educational approach and process at the Highland Center, formerly known as Highlander Folk School, which for forty-five years has experimented with various means of utilizing nonformal education to support social movements. The Highlander technique, short-term residential workshops to help people solve their problems, is described.…

Using the children's book "Tops and Bottoms" by Janet Stevens--an adaptation of the classic fable of the Tortoise and the Hare--students are given opportunities to build connections between a problem-solving situation and mathematics and to communicate solutions through writing, symbols, and diagrams. A key concept is to demonstrate to students…

The interpersonal communication courses at the University of Washington have adopted the use of experiential learning strategies in response to the changing student population and changing attitudes. A major goal of the program is to provide a solid, explicit academic foundation for the use of experiential strategies by (1) outlining the…

Knowledge of theory, of research, and of potential strategies is an important component in any educational equity effort. Unless these kinds of knowledge can be applied to specific situations, they are of little "real life" value. The use of vignettes may help. A vignette is a short story without an ending that presents an issue. The…

In a teaching experiment, 16 face-to-face and 11 e-mail Finnish university students engaged in an argumentation course. The 19 students of the control group did not study argumentation. The course involved two lectures, exercises with argumentative texts, and face-to-face or e-mail seminar discussions based on these texts. The topics of the texts…

Describes the position of Specialist in Continuing Education (SCE) developed by the Cooperative Educational Research Laboratory, Inc. The SCE conducts seminars with small groups of teachers engaged in self-assessment and professional growth. Seminars focus on teachers finding their own solutions to their problems and on professional…