Research has established that individual student interest has a positive effect on learning and academic achievement. However, little is known about the impact of a blended learning approach on individual student interest and whether combinations of online and face-to-face learning activities significantly enhance student interest. This paper…

Describes ways to enable fifth-grade students to lead discussions about provocative books without an adult and to enjoy discussions as much as they enjoy simple retellings. Describes preparing for, setting up, and ending the discussion. (SR)

The purpose of this study was to compare the knowledge and attitude test results of a student-led discussion group in two college-level introductory health courses. The 70 students enrolled in the courses were divided into eight groups represented as equally as possible concerning sex, age, year, and major in school. Student discussion leaders…

A study of the effects of variation in student preparation and leadership (emergent vs. assigned) in discussion groups found that both factors influenced verbal inactivity. The leadership effects were explained in terms of interaction-expectation theory and behavior modelling. (MSE)

The author discusses the use of the open-ended discussion as a teaching strategy. The intended outcomes for students are listed along with a brief delineation of the teacher's role, including focus setting, structuring, accepting, and clarifying. (RP)

Used asynchronous electronic discussion groups across sections of a required introductory U.S. Government course. Findings for three course sections show the ways in which initial parameters affect student participation and perceived value. (SLD)

Describes seven techniques that can be used as part of classroom discussions (at elementary, secondary, and university levels in a variety of subjects) to get students actively involved in discussing their ideas with fellow students. (SR)

This paper identifies some of the pedagogical benefits of an active learning course delivery complemented by an online discussion forum to teach sustainability by evaluating the case of a geography master's course. The potential benefits and some challenges of an active learning course delivery to teach sustainability in geography and related…

Asynchronous text based discussion boards are included in many online courses, however strategies to compare their use within and between courses, from a disciplinary standpoint, have not been well documented in the literature. The goal of this project was to develop a multi-factor metric which could be used to characterize discussion board use in…

This study examined interaction among members in small groups under different leadership conditions: leadership by teacher, by untrained student, and by trained student. Small groups of low-income fifth- and sixth-grade students were videotaped as they discussed solutions to problem-solving stories. Analysis of the tapes shows that trained…

A counselor describes his attempt to bridge the generation gap" at a small rural high school, not only between faculty and students, but between older traditionalists and younger members of the faculty. (CJ)

Describes discussion group activities which foster student interaction. (DD)

Questions about the suitability of cognitively-oriented instructional approaches for students of different academic levels are frequently raised by teachers and researchers. This study examined student participation in knowledge-building discourse in two implementations of a short inquiry unit focusing on environmental problems. Participants in…

Online discussion can be designed to develop the skills and confidence of students as well as providing an opportunity for constructing knowledge. If students decide not to participate or join too late, they put their own development and the quality of the learning community at risk. This article reflects on a first term undergraduate experience…

This collection of papers includes: "Teaching Approaches in Social Studies" (Lisa N. Andries); "Teacher Assigned and Student Generated Writing Topics" (Robert L. Barr, Jr.); "Environmental Knowledge and Concern among High School Students" (Kristin Redington Bennett); "The Use of Primary Sources in the Social…