This phenomenological study sought to identify the attributes of meaningful learning experiences as found in an outdoor education program. Thirteen students in the Wilderness Writing Program at Brigham Young University were the sample of this study. Their participation in outdoor recreational activities and their reflections about their…

Forty-eight college students participated in an ABAB analysis; the A condition was online study groups and the B condition was individual online quizzes. The effect of A and B on student satisfaction and achievement was determined. The Index of Learning Styles categorized students on four dimensions of learning style (active-reflective,…

Peer leading of small-group discussion of cases; use of modified subjective, objective, assessment of physiology (SOAP) notes; and opportunities for self-assessment were introduced into a Medical Physiology course to increase students' awareness and practice of professional behaviors. These changes arose from faculty members' understanding of the…

This paper discusses the frequency of use and the reasons for non-use of the online component of a course developed in "Blackboard 9", one popular learning management system (LMS) in tertiary education. The study particularly focuses on the three tools in the LMS: Groupwork tool, Downloadable quiz and Discussion forum. These tools were…

Children's books with characters that have disabilities have been touted as an avenue to introduce children to their peers with disabilities. Children's literature specialists have suggested that the use of these books may result in a more positive attitude on the part of children without disabilities toward their peers with disabilities. Working…

Challenging some of the current predominantly negative representations of the effects of religion on young people requires further research into faith and family life, particularly from the perspective of young people themselves. This article presents a preliminary report of a study of 40 young people, mostly Christians and Muslims, aged 13-15…

There has been an unquestionable upsurge in distance education in recent years. Given this, it is extremely important to understand the experience of online courses from students' perspectives. The purpose of the current qualitative study is to understand student attitudes about distance education in a specific context, namely that of a…

A step-by-step description is given of the development of a model for the improvement of student teacher relationships. This model was created by a student forum in workshop sessions with teachers, other school personnel, and parents. In this report the design of the workshops is described, and the recommendations resulting are outlined. Included…

A study of the reliability and validity of a course evaluation method using small student discussion groups revealed the method to be reliable and productive but found discrepancies between student and teacher objects of evaluation and some dissatisfaction among teachers. (MSE)

The purpose of this study was to examine how graduate students participated in Web-based course discussions by analyzing the interactions that occurred between synchronous (chat) and asynchronous (listserv) modes of discussions using a coding scheme developed by the researchers. The study examined whether participation was substantive (directly…

An action research project examined open meetings in four elementary classrooms. Open meetings allowed class members and teachers to discuss topics important to the group. Interaction data, meeting videotapes, and student and teacher interviews indicated that all participants considered open meetings in classrooms an effective pedagogical method.…

Reports on a study that utilized surveys, interviews, and a modified focus group to examine the perceptions of graduate students regarding the effectiveness of computer-conferencing communication on higher-order learning. Recommendations for effective computer conferencing are included that address organization of content, small-group interaction,…

Use of student focus groups to help shape college and university student recruitment efforts is examined, illustrated with the experiences of a variety of institutions. Benefits and limitations of the approach are noted, specific techniques for maximizing the groups' effectiveness are suggested, and uses of the resulting information are discussed.…

"Connect with Kids" aims to promote prosocial attitudes and positive behavior of elementary (grades 3-5) and secondary (grades 6-12) school students by teaching core character values. Lesson plans include videos, story summaries, discussion questions, student games, and activities for both core and supplemental character traits. The…

One hundred sixty students in an educational psychology course used WebCT Discussions to satisfy one of two study group conditions, reciprocal peer questioning or mnemonic devices. Students made postings according to their assigned study strategy in order to facilitate the learning of their group. At the end of the academic term, student…