This article discusses a study which was designed to explore how online scaffolding can be incorporated to support knowledge acquisition in asynchronous discussion. A group of Singapore preservice teachers engaged in collaborative critiquing of videos before they embarked on their video projects to illustrate what constitutes good and bad video…

In recent years in Spain there has been a growing popular concern as well as research interest in the study of social relations pertaining to coexistence at school, including a desire to know the real incidence and nature of conflicts involved. Thus, a great variety of school interventions have been underway, with the aim of reducing the…

Forty fourth-grade students participated in a study of the effects of intact-group versus small-group discussion on type and level of verbalization and on reading attitudes. The experimental group, divided in subgroups of five pupils each, discussed seven stories; the control group discussed the same stories as an intact class with teacher…

Forty-five undergraduates discussed a moral issue with a confederate who had the same opinion (no controversy) or opposite opinion (controversy). Subjects in the controversy conditions discussed within either a cooperative or a competitive context. Subjects in the controversy conditions indicated more conceptual conflict or uncertainty, engaged in…

Purpose of this survey was to assess the attitudes of pupils in grades three through eight toward the Study of People and Social Development Programs in which they were participating. (Authors)

The study involving 339 third through sixth graders investigated the application of the group discussion paradigm as a vehicle to improve nonhandicapped children's attitudes toward mentally retarded children. (SBH)

Describes Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), a form of computer-mediated communication, which can be used to enhance discussions in college and high school classrooms. An example of a GDSS in a high school is included, and results of a questionnaire regarding student preferences are appended. (Author/LRW)

A majority of 123 British elementary students surveyed rated TV/video as the most enjoyable learning mode, but only 54% felt they learned a lot; half enjoyed whole-class teaching, 63% learned a lot this way. Whole-class and small-group discussion received the lowest ratings for enjoyment and learning potential, suggesting students are not aware of…

Offers a narrative based on a real event, in the form of a "docustory," describing that moment when teaching worked--when, in an instructional setting, communication was "perfect,""best," or "excellent." Describes a role play activity that demonstrates to students how to draw upon each other's store of information, reasoning ability, and common…

This article makes a case for devoting time to independent reading and then describes the "Book Bistro," a strategy for promoting independent reading. Research concerning adolescents and reading is reviewed, followed by detailed instructions for implementing Book Bistro and advice from teachers. In Book Bistro, adolescent students are invited once…

This research investigated faculty choice of web-based technologies for interaction in online economics courses and students' perception of those technologies. The literature review of online interaction has established the importance of learner-learner, learner-instructor and learner-content interaction in distance learning. However, some…

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of online synchronous audio and video systems on the performance of cooperative learning in decision making and intellective tasks. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 156 subjects, divided into 46 groups, were invited to resolve decision and intellective tasks in text messaging and audio conferencing…

This study investigated the effect of group discussions and question prompts on students' vicarious learning experiences. Vicarious experiences were delivered to 65 preservice teachers via VisionQuest, a Web site that provided examples of successful technology integration. A 2x2 factorial research design employed group discussions and question…

In a diverse population such as the one at the University of New Mexico, a population made up of a variety of ethnic groups including Hispanic, Navajo, Japanese, and Anglo students, instructors need to give a voice to every student, to point out differences, similarities, universal and not-so-universal ideas, all of which enrich everyone's store…