A study was conducted to determine what kinds of references to cooperative activities or collaboration appeared in the journals kept by students in a graduate methods course on the teaching of writing and if there were difference in the references made by two new teaching assistants and two experienced high school teachers. New teachers wrote…

A description is provided of the use of a group process approach to the Freshman English research paper at El Paso Community College. After highlighting problems associated with traditional approaches to freshman research papers, an overview of the group process approach is provided, along with warnings for instructors who might view the approach…

This document presents reports of three studies focused on cooperative pedagogical strategies. The first concerns individualistic and cooperative goal structures in high school mathematics achievement. Two general mathematics classes were taught a unit on percents, one with a cooperative and the other an individualistic goal structure. The…

This teacher's manual is designed for teaching deaf adolescents about human sexuality. Each chapter is organized into topic objectives, large group content presentation strategies, small group activities, materials, and resources. Topics include: (1) relationships; (2) adolescent growth and development; (3) female and male anatomy; (4) conception,…

The paper describes the basic features and techniques of a specific kind of discussion group, the Grouptalk. Grouptalk, especially useful in the elementary grades, is a formal discussion of a question by a small group and a leader. Participants follow the specific rules that all contribute relevantly to the discussion and that all help in the…

A joint committee from the American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation and the Department of Rural Education, NEA, developed this handbook for physical education for rural youth. General needs of children in relation to physical fitness and social development are discussed. The major portion of the document consists of games…

Explains how student "companies" can be made more effective by giving them more responsibility for the way the group is run. Claims student companies will be more cohesive, and will provide students with more writing that combines the personal and professional. (MS)

Listening and reading comprehension are seen as problem-solving activities, which require instruction in thinking skills. An instructional technique, reciprocal teaching, is conducted as a group problem-solving activity to teach remedial and special education students to predict, question, summarize, and clarify while reading and listening to…

Describes an activity (which has worked well with gifted students in grades 2-10, high school seniors, and in-service workshops) which uses only loops of string or yarn approximately six to nine meters in length. Groups (four to six participants) then make various geometric patterns using the yarn. (JN)

The purpose of this paper is to draw a distinction between the use of group work and subgroup work in the delivery of online courses, and along the way to pose the question "What should be the objective of the instructor?" To do this, four different models of online course delivery used in the teaching of information technology (IT) and…

Play is more than just fun; it is a powerful teaching tool that helps young children learn. With this practical, activity-filled guide, teachers will have ready-to-use strategies for weaving individual learning goals into play throughout the school day. Created for use with children ages 2 to 5 who have special needs--but equally effective for…

This paper reports on observations from teaching an undergraduate information-based organization (IBO) course and builds on past research to explain the findings in student issues, achievement motivation, and small-group effectiveness in information management teaching. The paper has three purposes: (1) to describe the development of a new course…

One of the issues a college writing instructor grapples with in teaching writing is how best to structure collaborative groups to maximize benefit for each student in a multicultural classroom where many students might fairly be considered "marginalized"--to create an environment in which they become "insiders." Criteria sets for forming group…

Describes an analytical chemistry course restructured around the use of cooperative groups to help students become active learners in a non-competitive environment. Five years of experience with the course indicates that the syllabus covers almost exactly the same content as old courses and that test scores compare favorably on the national level.…

A high school English teacher inquired into how small writing groups could best be used in the classroom to promote good writing. His students designed the inquiry, generating and selecting 12 questions for a final survey. Students asked cogent questions and gave provocative answers that greatly enhanced their writing. (SM)