Describes the group dynamics, science discovery processes, and activities involved in building a raft at camp. The project used recycled products and required group cooperation; critical thinking about density, buoyancy, and balance; use of familiar resources in creative ways; and application of previously learned facts. (SAS)

Rich educational environments encourage students to construct their own knowledge, to solve problems collaboratively, and to heighten their interest and motivation to continue to learn. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that investigated the formation of collaborative problem solving through social interaction during a…

Describes the use of simple projects to help freshmen-level chemistry students develop chemical knowledge and an aptitude for the research process. These projects pose a new problem to students without presenting a detailed experimental procedure. Guiding questions help students design their own experiments and stimulate students to think…

In recent years, the information and communication technology (ICT) has created a significant impact on the methods of communicating information and knowledge to the learners and, consequently, innovative teaching techniques have evolved to change the way teachers teach and students learn. In this paper, the focus is on a study which was conducted…

This document offers science teachers a reference for various student projects that are intended to increase student interest in engineering, science, and technology. The book contains information, guidelines, and specific ideas for: (1) engineering design competitions; (2) engineering problem solving competitions; and (3) short-term…

This document was developed with the intention of increasing California public school students' awareness of and participation in science-related enrichment activities. Some of the activities are intended for participation by individuals, while others are meant for teams of students. These annual events are listed in chronological order for a…

Two graduate teaching assistants (TAs)--one taught language arts methods and the other taught social studies methods--who were office mates at a large university in Florida formulated a plan to create one end-of-course project that would both satisfy requirements and combine the social studies and language arts. That way, students could see that…

Contends that is necessary to consider geography when shaping foreign policy. Presents a secondary school group activity designed to integrate geography with other social science disciplines. Includes objectives keyed to the five themes of geography and step-by-step instructional procedures. (CFR)

This paper presents a multimedia mediated, student centred learning environment which seeks to study the group based, cooperative learning paradigm, using a web based multimedia project. This project is carried out in a Malaysian classroom by groups of students in the second year course in the Faculty of Creative Multimedia (FCM), Multimedia…

As members of the faculty of the same college, the State University of New York at Potsdam, the fifteen contributors to this book have the unique experience of working from the same pool of students in order to explore how to improve teaching, enhance learning, and make the classroom more interesting. Together professors from thirteen different…

The Rhodes College (Memphis, Tennessee) History of Opera class collaborated with Opera Memphis to create a documentary on regional opera production, to present online information about Opera Memphis through a World Wide Web home page, and to construct a class home page to be used as a repository for examples of creative writing. The project…

Describes the evolution of a university course from a face-to-face experience to a Web-based asynchronous learning environment. Topics include cognition and learning; distance learning and distributed learning; student learning communities and the traditional classroom; the future as it relates to education and technology; collaborative student…

This packet contains materials for a professional development workshop series to prepare adult educators to design and implement instruction based on the SCANS skills, using a project-based approach to instruction. Session 1 is a full day, although facilitators may choose to make it two three-hour sessions. Session 2 is three and one-half hours.…

Teachers must make sure that the right book gets to the right child at the right time in order to develop positive reading habits. However, once a book is selected, students should be encouraged to think about what they are reading and use the story to evaluate and enrich their personal knowledge. Two classroom programs that use the whole language…

Designs an elementary level social studies unit with the focus on Japan. Provides sample units of cooperative learning group projects. Suggests integrating mathematics, language arts, economics, fine arts, and science. Lists resources for obtaining more information and materials about Japan. (NL)