The authors detail the design, implementation and evaluation of an eConference entitled "Biohorizons," using a presage-process-product model to describe the development of an eLearning community. Biohorizons was a summative learning and assessment task aiming to introduce large classes of first-year Human Biology students to the practices of…

The benefits of online collaborative learning, sometimes referred to as CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) are compelling, but many instructors are loath to experiment with non-conventional methods of teaching and learning because of the perceived problems. This paper reviews the existing literature to present the seven most commonly…

This paper uses the case-study method to examine detailed data related to student and tutor usage of an asynchronous discussion board as an interactive communication forum during a first-semester associate degree course in applied psychology at the City University of Hong Kong. The paper identifies "what works" in relation to discussion…

In this self-study of a secondary teacher education course, the authors investigated whether there was evidence of critically reflective problem solving on the part of prospective teachers who participated in a peer-led online discussion of a teaching case about English-language learners. They also examined what approaches to multicultural…

With the purpose of developing caring and capable children, this book offers teachers and counselors a collection of over 75 activities as teaching and guidance tools. Characteristics of caring and capable children, which reflect the development of empathy, compassion, assertiveness, and self-discipline, are described. The activities are grouped…

As K-12 schools connect to the Internet, a new method of communication opens up to educators and students. This updated digest describes some sample services and resources that are available to the K-12 community by electronic mail over the Internet. Information services and resources covered include: question answering services; listservs…

This paper reports on a pilot study of 34 sixth-grade students engaged in mathematical explorations that was carried out in the context of a national Logo project in Costa Rica. Students worked in pairs investigating a mathematical microworld written in Logo. The investigation had three phases: (1) open exploration of the microworld, during which…

The purpose of these guidelines is to help the reader organize and lead a study circle--a participatory, democratic discussion group that focuses on a social or political issue. It provides detailed instructions on how to organize and lead a successful study circle. Following the introduction, section 2 focuses on the role of the organizer and…

This program guide provides the information a study circle will need to discuss the death penalty. It offers a balanced, nonpartisan presentation of a spectrum of views. The four positions and the supporting material are designed for use in a single-session program of approximately 2 hours. The four positions are as follows: (1) the death penalty…

This paper presents the individual narratives of five participants in a writer's support group in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton (Ohio). Participants were new faculty in tenure track positions. Each participant's narrative describes her reasons for joining the group and the ways in which the group has helped her…

This study investigated the extent to which English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) writing students in a Taiwanese university used ideas provided by their peers during computer-mediated prewriting discussions, and the quality of the peers' comments. Subjects were 17 students in four writing groups. Transcripts of discussions preceding the first…

Designed to help people engage in constructive dialogue on whether the plight of the people of Bosnia calls for military intervention, the package provides the basis for three distinct and self-contained discussions that move conversation from general questions about what justifies the use of military force to specific questions about what to do…

For four years Lord Fairfax Community College has conducted voluntary, bi-weekly "Instructional Development Clinic" sessions to provide assistance to individual faculty members asking for help on improving specific course practices. Sessions usually focus on diagnostic, prescriptive, and/or prognostic instructional considerations,…

A study was conducted to analyze the quantitative and attitudinal variables that affect the nature and extent of use of the New Jersey public libraries. The first phase of the study consisted of a series of group discussions which focused on public knowledge of library facilities, attitudes and interests of the public, and library use patterns.…

A college reading program at Grambling College of Louisiana, funded through Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, is reported. The cooperation of library personnel with the program of the college Communicative and Study Skills Center provided students with opportunities to become acquainted with library facilities and to increase their…