Cooperative learning is a generic classroom technique that requires students to work and talk together about academic material while learning effective interpersonal skills. This packet, prepared in conjunction with the Minnesota School Effectiveness Program, describes the benefits of cooperative learning and defines its critical attributes,…

Three exercises have been developed to help participants experience and analyze the effects of seating arrangements on interpersonal communication. The exercises have been used in classes for college students and for federal and municipal employees. This paper discusses the objectives of the exercises and provides detailed instructions for…

A comprehensive case study is presented of the Antigonish Movement in eastern Nova Scotia. Originally founded to combat poverty and exploitation, it has functioned since 1929 under the extension department of St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish. The Movement brought education into the lives of ordinary working people and introduced group…

A n experiment explored possible personality differences between sociometric techniques following small group discussions. Such differences could predict emergence of leadership behavior in initially leaderless discussion groups. Participating in assigned groups of four or five were 269 Master of Business Administration students and 65 business…

Citizens of Brown County, Wisconsin participated in planning for Total Resource Development, led by professional extension personnel who oriented study group members to planning purposes and procedures and provided resource information. Data to determine how the planning process met six conditions were obtained from questionnaires, analysis of…

A whole range of information is given for librarians who wish to provide library programs for their communities. Types of programs include discussion groups, film showings, poetry readings, drama presentations, music and drama programs, talks, demonstrations and instruction, workshops, videotape and multimedia productions, automated programs, and…

This study examined the effects of a cross-age training program on the interpersonal conceptions of the students serving as trainers. A total of 24 sixth graders participated in the study, 12 in the training group and 12 in the control group which received no training. The training group met twice a week, once to lead dilemma discussion groups…

This first annotated bibliography of materials designed and organized for adult use in disucssion groups includes both book and nonbook material. Areas dealt with are: art, censorship, change, child guidance, communication, crime, democracy, economics, education, evolution, food, foreign affairs, forgetting, generation gap, gold, good and evil,…

The objective of the study was to determine whether a carefully developed educational television series combined with organized viewing post discussion and specially prepared study materials would have any effect on social attitudes and opinions of participants. Data were obtained from a sample of 360 viewers at 22 posts randomly selected from…

This paper describes the Family Development Project which is aimed at developing a systematic model of parenting support for new families and evaluating its effects on family development. The project focuses on Parenting Groups consisting of 6 to 10 couples who meet together as soon after delivery as possible, weekly for 6 weeks, and monthly for 4…

A learning experiment at a West Coast cluster college is reported that involved curricular devices designed to modify student-faculty interactions, change the basis of student motivation, and develop new insights into subject matter on the part of both faculty and students. (Author/LBH)

At Queen's University an extramural interprofessional discussion group, involving students and faculty members from medicine, nursing, theology, education, and law, has been meeting since February 1977. The discussions center on actual persons and problems with implications for a number of professional groups. (Author/LBH)

Describes two teaching techniques that can be used to personalize the standard lecture format used in large group human sexuality classes. The techniques involve the use of varied homework assignments and the use of upper-level students as discussion leaders. (Author/AEM)

The goals, formats, and outcomes of journal clubs in a sample of internal medicine residency programs in New York City were surveyed. The results of the survey and a description of the club in the Department of Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center are presented. (Author/MLW)

A "cognote" system was developed for coding electronic discussion groups and promoting critical thinking. Previous literature has provided an account of the strategy as applied to several academic settings. This paper addresses the research around establishing the inter-rater reliability of the cognote system. The findings suggest three indicators…