Presents a lesson for middle and secondary school students in which they respond to a hypothetical scenario that enables them to develop a list of basic rights. Expounds that students compare their list of rights to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in order to explore the assumptions about human rights. (CMK)

The process of students' conceptual change was evaluated during a computer-supported physics unit in a Grade 10 science class. Computer simulation programs were developed to confront students' alternative conceptions in mechanics. A conceptual test was administered as pre-, post-, and delayed post-tests to determine students' conceptual change.…

Forty sixth-graders of three mental maturity levels--low, middle, high--were randomly assigned to classes using either the Preplanned Sequentially Structured Approach or the Incidental Unstructured Approach to determine the differential effectiveness of these two approaches in the teaching of literature appreciation. The effect of literature study…

Results of a study indicate that beginning courses in college economics should be taught with fewer lectures and more student involvement. Current events and group activities should be an integral part of classes. (Author/KC)

Asserts that, although many researchers and teachers have written about the use of cooperative, or collaborative, learning groups, their work has focused on small classes. Reports on a study of informal cooperative group assignments used in a large (225 students) college-level Introduction to Sociology class. (CFR)

Describes the two-day experiential, adventure-based orientation for a teacher-education program focused on developing teaching skills for collaborative learning and leadership within diverse learning communities. Participants established expectations, concerns, and ground rules before experiencing discrimination and collaboration through group…

Maintains that in order to educate students to join the informed citizenry they must first develop their political identity through learning base knowledge concepts, such as the political continuum where students learn their political affiliations. Proceeds with a discussion on how students can apply this knowledge through participatory activities…

Given today's global work environment, business education should prepare learners not only for technical excellence but also for effective collaboration. In this article, the author describes how collaborative activities--ranging from exams to projects and role playing--enhance the understanding of operations management (OM). The author found that…

Challenge course participation is becoming increasingly recognized as an alternative intervention for improving group functioning. A preliminary investigation of challenge course participation among students who later participated in an experiential training group as part of a graduate-level group counseling course is discussed. Findings indicated…

This study sought to describe graduate students' opinions of selected learning activities encountered in large-group, teacher-led instructional contexts. The subjects, 40 graduate students of instructional technology at a major western university, completed a questionnaire. The instrument asked subjects to rate each of ten alternative learning…

The effects of uninstructed and teacher instructed cooperative group learning on the interactive behaviors of 32 nonhandicapped and 16 handicapped (moderately mentally retarded) elementary students and also on the attitudes of nonhandicapped students toward handicapped persons were investigated. In the teacher instructed condition, the teacher…

In addition to reviewing the literature on the pros and cons of computer use in the schools, this document reports the results of a research project in which 13 pairs of first graders learned to use the LOGO computer language over a 10-week period as part of their classroom activities. The first two chapters discuss the overall question of…

Reactions to attitude items from the first national assessment of music expressed by a panel of music educators during a two-day conference on implications of the entire assessment are reproduced in this report. The panel states that aesthetic sensitivity is the ultimate goal of music education; however, the attitude items in the assessment do not…

Reviews research on prejudice reduction. The areas covered are audiovisual approaches, approaches using special materials, cognitive approaches, cooperative learning approaches, human relations training, direct approaches, schoolwide conditions, teacher education, and other techniques. (JDH)

This study examined 26 third-grade teachers' use and evaluation of cooperative learning (CL) groups and 38 students' reactions to and verbal interactive behaviors during CL in two classes. Surveys indicated that both groups reported using CL almost daily, with many positive academic, social, and attitude outcomes. Most student interactions were…