Sample records for small groups students

  1. A trial of team-based versus small-group learning for second-year medical students: does the size of the small group make a difference?

    PubMed

    Willett, Laura Rees; Rosevear, G Craig; Kim, Sarang

    2011-01-01

    Team-based learning is a large-group instructional modality intended to provide active learning with modest faculty resources. The goal is to determine if team-based learning could be substituted for small-group learning in case sessions without compromising test performance or satisfaction. One hundred and sixty-seven students were assigned to team-based or small-group learning for 6 case discussion sessions. Examination scores and student satisfaction were compared. Instruction modality had no meaningful effect on examination score, 81.7% team based versus 79.7% small-group, p=.56 after multivariate adjustment. Student satisfaction was lower with team-based learning, 2.45 versus 3.74 on a 5-point scale, p<.001. Survey responses suggested that the very small size (8-10 students) of our small groups influenced the preference for small-group learning. Team-based learning does not adversely affect examination performance. However, student satisfaction may be inferior, especially if compared to instruction in very small groups of 10 or fewer students.

  2. The teacher's role in promoting collaborative dialogue in the classroom.

    PubMed

    Webb, Noreen M

    2009-03-01

    Research on student-led small-group learning in schools going back nearly four decades has documented many types of student participation that promote learning. Less is known about how the teacher can foster effective groupwork behaviours. This paper reviews research that explores the role of the teacher in promoting learning in small groups. The focus is on how students can learn from their peers during small-group work, how teachers can prepare students for collaborative group work, and the role of teacher discourse and classroom norms in small-group dialogue. Studies selected for review focused on student-led small-group contexts for learning in which students were expected to collaborate, reported data from systematic observations of group work, and linked observational data to teacher practices and student learning outcomes. This review uncovered multiple dimensions of the teacher's role in fostering beneficial group dialogue, including preparing students for collaborative work, forming groups, structuring the group-work task, and influencing student interaction through teachers' discourse with small groups and with the class. Common threads through the research are the importance of students explaining their thinking, and teacher strategies and practices that may promote student elaboration of ideas.

  3. Student Perceptions of Small-Group Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florez, Ida Rose; McCaslin, Mary

    2008-01-01

    Background/Context: Elementary school teachers regularly arrange students in small groups for learning activities. A rich literature discusses various types of small-group learning formats and how those formats affect achievement. Few studies, however, have examined students' perceptions of small-group learning experiences. Our work extends the…

  4. A phenomenological research study: Perspectives of student learning through small group work between undergraduate nursing students and educators.

    PubMed

    Wong, Florence Mei Fung

    2018-06-18

    Small group work is an effective teaching-learning approach in nursing education to enhance students' learning in theoretical knowledge and skill development. Despite its potential advantageous effects on learning, little is known about its actual effects on students' learning from students' and educators' perspectives. To understand students' learning through small group work from the perspectives of students and educators. A qualitative study with focus group interviews was carried out. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were performed with 13 undergraduate nursing students and 10 educators. Four main themes, "initiative learning", "empowerment of interactive group dynamics", "factors for creating effective learning environment", and "barriers influencing students' learning", were derived regarding students' learning in small group work based on the perspectives of the participants. The results showed the importance of learning attitudes of students in individual and group learning. Factors for creating an effective learning environment, including preference for forming groups, effective group size, and adequacy of discussion, facilitate students' learning with the enhancement of learning engagement in small group work. The identified barriers, such as "excessive group work", "conflicts", and "passive team members" can reduce students' motivation and enjoyment of learning. Small group work is recognized as an effective teaching method for knowledge enhancement and skill development in nursing education. All identified themes are important to understand the initiatives of students and group learning, factors influencing an effective learning environment, and barriers hindering students' learning. Nurse educators should pay more attention to the factors that influence an effective learning environment and reduce students' commitment and group dynamics. Moreover, students may need further support to reduce barriers that impede students' learning motivation and enjoyment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Which peer teaching methods do medical students prefer?

    PubMed

    Jayakumar, Nithish; Srirathan, Danushan; Shah, Rishita; Jakubowska, Agnieszka; Clarke, Andrew; Annan, David; Albasha, Dekan

    2016-01-01

    The beneficial effects of peer teaching in medical education have been well-described in the literature. However, it is unclear whether students prefer to be taught by peers in small or large group settings. This study's aim was to identify differences in medical students' preferences and perceptions of small-group versus large-group peer teaching. Questionnaires were administered to medical students in Year 3 and Year 4 (first 2 years of clinical training) at one institution in the United Kingdom to identify their experiences and perceptions of small-and large-group peer teaching. For this study, small-group peer teaching was defined as a tutorial, or similar, taught by peer tutor to a group of 5 students or less. Large-group peer teaching was defined as a lecture, or similar, taught by peer tutors to a group of more than 20 students. Seventy-three students (81% response rate) completed the questionnaires (54% males; median age of 23). Nearly 55% of respondents reported prior exposure to small-group peer teaching but a larger proportion of respondents (86%) had previously attended large-group peer teaching. Of all valid responses, 49% did not have a preference of peer teaching method while 47% preferred small-group peer teaching. The majority of Year 3 students preferred small-group peer teaching to no preference (62.5% vs 37.5%, Fisher's exact test; P = 0.035) whereas most Year 4 students did not report a particular preference. Likert-scale responses showed that the majority of students held negative perceptions about large-group peer teaching, in comparison with small-group peer teaching, with respect to (1) interactivity, (2) a comfortable environment to ask questions, and (3) feedback received. Most respondents in this study did not report a preference for small-versus large-group settings when taught by peers. More Year 3 respondents were likely to prefer small-group peer teaching as opposed to Year 4 respondents.

  6. Peer-led small groups: Are we on the right track?

    PubMed

    Moore, Fraser

    2017-10-01

    Peer tutor-led small group sessions are a valuable learning strategy but students may lack confidence in the absence of a content expert. This study examined whether faculty reinforcement of peer tutor-led small group content was beneficial. Two peer tutor-led small group sessions were compared with one faculty-led small group session using questionnaires sent to student participants and interviews with the peer tutors. One peer tutor-led session was followed by a lecture with revision of the small group content; after the second, students submitted a group report which was corrected and returned to them with comments. Student participants and peer tutors identified increased discussion and opportunity for personal reflection as major benefits of the peer tutor-led small group sessions, but students did express uncertainty about gaps in their learning following these sessions. Both methods of subsequent faculty reinforcement were perceived as valuable by student participants and peer tutors. Knowing in advance that the group report would be corrected reduced discussion in some groups, potentially negating one of the major benefits of the peer tutor-led sessions. Faculty reinforcement of peer-tutor led small group content benefits students but close attention should be paid to the method of reinforcement.

  7. Keep It Positive: Using Student Goals and Appraisals to Inform Small Group Work in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woods-McConney, Amanda; Wosnitza, Marold; Donetta, Kevin

    2011-01-01

    In teaching science, small group work is often recommended and frequently used. In this study, we asked 130 students about their personal goals and views (appraisals) of small group work in science. We found significant relationships between students' personal goals and their views of doing science in small groups. We discuss the practical…

  8. Medical students perceive better group learning processes when large classes are made to seem small.

    PubMed

    Hommes, Juliette; Arah, Onyebuchi A; de Grave, Willem; Schuwirth, Lambert W T; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Bos, Gerard M J

    2014-01-01

    Medical schools struggle with large classes, which might interfere with the effectiveness of learning within small groups due to students being unfamiliar to fellow students. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of making a large class seem small on the students' collaborative learning processes. A randomised controlled intervention study was undertaken to make a large class seem small, without the need to reduce the number of students enrolling in the medical programme. The class was divided into subsets: two small subsets (n=50) as the intervention groups; a control group (n=102) was mixed with the remaining students (the non-randomised group n∼100) to create one large subset. The undergraduate curriculum of the Maastricht Medical School, applying the Problem-Based Learning principles. In this learning context, students learn mainly in tutorial groups, composed randomly from a large class every 6-10 weeks. The formal group learning activities were organised within the subsets. Students from the intervention groups met frequently within the formal groups, in contrast to the students from the large subset who hardly enrolled with the same students in formal activities. Three outcome measures assessed students' group learning processes over time: learning within formally organised small groups, learning with other students in the informal context and perceptions of the intervention. Formal group learning processes were perceived more positive in the intervention groups from the second study year on, with a mean increase of β=0.48. Informal group learning activities occurred almost exclusively within the subsets as defined by the intervention from the first week involved in the medical curriculum (E-I indexes>-0.69). Interviews tapped mainly positive effects and negligible negative side effects of the intervention. Better group learning processes can be achieved in large medical schools by making large classes seem small.

  9. Medical Students Perceive Better Group Learning Processes when Large Classes Are Made to Seem Small

    PubMed Central

    Hommes, Juliette; Arah, Onyebuchi A.; de Grave, Willem; Schuwirth, Lambert W. T.; Scherpbier, Albert J. J. A.; Bos, Gerard M. J.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Medical schools struggle with large classes, which might interfere with the effectiveness of learning within small groups due to students being unfamiliar to fellow students. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of making a large class seem small on the students' collaborative learning processes. Design A randomised controlled intervention study was undertaken to make a large class seem small, without the need to reduce the number of students enrolling in the medical programme. The class was divided into subsets: two small subsets (n = 50) as the intervention groups; a control group (n = 102) was mixed with the remaining students (the non-randomised group n∼100) to create one large subset. Setting The undergraduate curriculum of the Maastricht Medical School, applying the Problem-Based Learning principles. In this learning context, students learn mainly in tutorial groups, composed randomly from a large class every 6–10 weeks. Intervention The formal group learning activities were organised within the subsets. Students from the intervention groups met frequently within the formal groups, in contrast to the students from the large subset who hardly enrolled with the same students in formal activities. Main Outcome Measures Three outcome measures assessed students' group learning processes over time: learning within formally organised small groups, learning with other students in the informal context and perceptions of the intervention. Results Formal group learning processes were perceived more positive in the intervention groups from the second study year on, with a mean increase of β = 0.48. Informal group learning activities occurred almost exclusively within the subsets as defined by the intervention from the first week involved in the medical curriculum (E-I indexes>−0.69). Interviews tapped mainly positive effects and negligible negative side effects of the intervention. Conclusion Better group learning processes can be achieved in large medical schools by making large classes seem small. PMID:24736272

  10. Small group discussion: Students perspectives.

    PubMed

    Annamalai, Nachal; Manivel, Rajajeyakumar; Palanisamy, Rajendran

    2015-08-01

    Various alternative methods are being used in many medical colleges to reinforce didactic lectures in physiology. Small group teaching can take on a variety of different tasks such as problem-solving, role play, discussions, brainstorming, and debate. Research has demonstrated that group discussion promotes greater synthesis and retention of materials. The aims of this study were to adopt a problem-solving approach by relating basic sciences with the clinical scenario through self-learning. To develop soft skills, to understand principles of group dynamics, and adopt a new teaching learning methodology. Experimental study design was conducted in Phase I 1(st) year medical students of 2014-2015 batch (n = 120). On the day of the session, the students were grouped into small groups (15 each). The session started with the facilitator starting off the discussion. Feedback forms from five students in each group was taken (n = 40). A five point Likert scale was used ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Our results show that 70% of the students opined that small group discussion were interactive, friendly, innovative, built interaction between teacher and student. Small group discussion increased their thought process and helped them in better communication. The small group discussion was interactive, friendly, and bridged the gap between the teacher and student. The student's communication skills are also improved. In conclusion, small group discussion is more effective than the traditional teaching methods.

  11. Comparison of Elementary School Children's Interaction in Teacher-Led and Student-Led Small Groups. Abstract.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilcox, Mary Anastole

    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…

  12. Evaluating effectiveness of small group information literacy instruction for Undergraduate Medical Education students using a pre- and post-survey study design.

    PubMed

    McClurg, Caitlin; Powelson, Susan; Lang, Eddy; Aghajafari, Fariba; Edworthy, Steven

    2015-06-01

    The Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) programme at the University of Calgary is a three-year programme with a strong emphasis on small group learning. The purpose of our study was to determine whether librarian led small group information literacy instruction, closely integrated with course content and faculty participation, but without a hands on component, was an effective means to convey EBM literacy skills. Five 15-minute EBM information literacy sessions were delivered by three librarians to 12 practicing physician led small groups of 15 students. Students were asked to complete an online survey before and after the sessions. Data analysis was performed through simple descriptive statistics. A total of 144 of 160 students responded to the pre-survey, and 112 students answered the post-survey. Instruction in a small group environment without a mandatory hands on component had a positive impact on student's evidence-based information literacy skills. Students were more likely to consult a librarian and had increased confidence in their abilities to search and find relevant information. Our study demonstrates that student engagement and faculty involvement are effective tools for delivering information literacy skills when working with students in a small group setting outside of a computer classroom. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

  13. Differential impact of student behaviours on group interaction and collaborative learning: medical students' and tutors' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Iqbal, Maha; Velan, Gary M; O'Sullivan, Anthony J; Balasooriya, Chinthaka

    2016-08-22

    Collaboration is of increasing importance in medical education and medical practice. Students' and tutors' perceptions about small group learning are valuable to inform the development of strategies to promote group dynamics and collaborative learning. This study investigated medical students' and tutors' views on competencies and behaviours which promote effective learning and interaction in small group settings. This study was conducted at UNSW Australia. Five focus group discussions were conducted with first and second year medical students and eight small group tutors were interviewed. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. Students and tutors identified a range of behaviours that influenced collaborative learning. The main themes that emerged included: respectfulness; dominance, strong opinions and openness; constructiveness of feedback; active listening and contribution; goal orientation; acceptance of roles and responsibilities; engagement and enthusiasm; preparedness; self- awareness and positive personal attributes. An important finding was that some of these student behaviours were found to have a differential impact on group interaction compared with collaborative learning. This information could be used to promote higher quality learning in small groups. This study has identified medical students' and tutors' perceptions regarding interactional behaviours in small groups, as well as behaviours which lead to more effective learning in those settings. This information could be used to promote learning in small groups.

  14. Effect of Different Types of Small-Group Activities on Students' Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Krista K.; Talanquer, Vicente

    2013-01-01

    Teaching reform efforts in chemistry education often involve engaging students in small-group activities of different types. This study focused on the analysis of how activity type affected the nature of group conversations. In particular, we analyzed the small-group conversations of students enrolled in a chemistry course for nonscience majors.…

  15. College 411: Get the Scoop. A Small Group Plan to Promote College Success for First-Generation College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Land, Christy W.; Ziomek-Daigle, Jolie

    2013-01-01

    First generation college students have more difficulty preparing for and succeeding in post-secondary institutions. Informed by the literature review and relevant research the school counselor presents a small group design for high school students in their junior year. This small group plan for first generation college students addresses issues of…

  16. Student leadership in small group science inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Boz, Umit; Broadwell, George A.; Sadler, Troy D.

    2014-09-01

    Background: Science educators have sought to structure collaborative inquiry learning through the assignment of static group roles. This structural approach to student grouping oversimplifies the complexities of peer collaboration and overlooks the highly dynamic nature of group activity. Purpose: This study addresses this issue of oversimplification of group dynamics by examining the social leadership structures that emerge in small student groups during science inquiry. Sample: Two small student groups investigating the burning of a candle under a jar participated in this study. Design and method: We used a mixed-method research approach that combined computational discourse analysis (computational quantification of social aspects of small group discussions) with microethnography (qualitative, in-depth examination of group discussions). Results: While in one group social leadership was decentralized (i.e., students shared control over topics and tasks), the second group was dominated by a male student (centralized social leadership). Further, decentralized social leadership was found to be paralleled by higher levels of student cognitive engagement. Conclusions: It is argued that computational discourse analysis can provide science educators with a powerful means of developing pedagogical models of collaborative science learning that take into account the emergent nature of group structures and highly fluid nature of student collaboration.

  17. Small-Group Learning in Undergraduate STEM Disciplines: Effect of Group Type on Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Micari, Marina; Pazos, Pilar; Streitwieser, Bernhard; Light, Gregory

    2010-01-01

    Small-group learning in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has been widely studied, and it is clear that this method offers many benefits to students. Less attention has been paid to the ways in which small learning groups differ from one another, and how these differences may affect student learning and…

  18. Involving postgraduate's students in undergraduate small group teaching promotes active learning in both

    PubMed Central

    Kalra, Ruchi; Modi, Jyoti Nath; Vyas, Rashmi

    2015-01-01

    Background: Lecture is a common traditional method for teaching, but it may not stimulate higher order thinking and students may also be hesitant to express and interact. The postgraduate (PG) students are less involved with undergraduate (UG) teaching. Team based small group active learning method can contribute to better learning experience. Aim: To-promote active learning skills among the UG students using small group teaching methods involving PG students as facilitators to impart hands-on supervised training in teaching and managerial skills. Methodology: After Institutional approval under faculty supervision 92 UGs and 8 PGs participated in 6 small group sessions utilizing the jigsaw technique. Feedback was collected from both. Observations: Undergraduate Feedback (Percentage of Students Agreed): Learning in small groups was a good experience as it helped in better understanding of the subject (72%), students explored multiple reading resources (79%), they were actively involved in self-learning (88%), students reported initial apprehension of performance (71%), identified their learning gaps (86%), team enhanced their learning process (71%), informal learning in place of lecture was a welcome change (86%), it improved their communication skills (82%), small group learning can be useful for future self-learning (75%). Postgraduate Feedback: Majority performed facilitation for first time, perceived their performance as good (75%), it was helpful in self-learning (100%), felt confident of managing students in small groups (100%), as facilitator they improved their teaching skills, found it more useful and better identified own learning gaps (87.5%). Conclusions: Learning in small groups adopting team based approach involving both UGs and PGs promoted active learning in both and enhanced the teaching skills of the PGs. PMID:26380201

  19. Evaluation of electronic discussion groups as a teaching/learning strategy in an evidence-based medicine course: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Kamin, C; Glicken, A; Hall, M; Quarantillo, B; Merenstein, G

    2001-01-01

    As course directors, we wished to incorporate small group learning into our Evidence-based Medicine course for students to get feedback on the development of a well constructed, researchable clinical question. Scheduling of these groups was problematic. We sought to evaluate computer-mediated communication as an alternative to face-to-face small groups. Students were randomly assigned to either face-to-face small groups or asynchronous, electronic, small groups. Final examination scores were analyzed with an analysis of variance to determine if there were differences in student performance based on group type. Student survey items were analyzed using Fisher's Exact test to determine if there were differences in student attitudes based on group type. There were no significant differences found in overall student performance. Significant differences in student attitudes were found to exist with respect to: (1) participation in discussions, with face-to-face groups reporting greater participation; (2) putting more thought into comments, with electronic groups reporting more thought put into comments; and (3) difficulty relating to other students in the class, with electronic groups reporting more difficulty. We found electronic discussion groups (computer-mediated communication) to be a viable teaching/learning strategy with no adverse effects on student performance or attitudes.

  20. Small group activities within academic communities improve the connectedness of students and faculty.

    PubMed

    Brandl, Katharina; Schneid, Stephen D; Smith, Sunny; Winegarden, Babbi; Mandel, Jess; Kelly, Carolyn J

    2017-08-01

    The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine implemented a curriculum change that included reduction of lectures, incorporation of problem-based learning and other small group activities. Six academic communities were introduced for teaching longitudinal curricular content and organizing extracurricular activities. Surveys were collected from 904 first- and second-year medical students over 6 years. Student satisfaction data with their sense of connectedness and community support were collected before and after the implementation of the new curriculum. In a follow-up survey, medical students rated factors that contributed to their sense of connectedness with faculty and students (n = 134). Students' perception of connectedness to faculty significantly increased following implementation of a curriculum change that included academic communities. Students ranked small group clinical skills activities within academic communities significantly higher than other activities concerning their sense of connectedness with faculty. Students' perception of connectedness among each other was high at baseline and did not significantly change. Small group activities scored higher than extracurricular activities regarding students' connectedness among themselves. The implementation of a new curriculum with more small group educational activities including academic communities enhanced connectedness between students and faculty and resulted in an increased sense of community.

  1. Student satisfaction and self-assessment after small group discussion in a medical ethics education program.

    PubMed

    Joh, Hee-Kyung; Shin, Jwa-Seop

    2009-09-01

    Small group discussions are useful tools in medical ethics education. We aimed to assess student satisfaction with specific components of a small group discussion and to evaluate student self-assessment of the objectives of education. A structured questionnaire was developed after a literature review and a focus group interview. Components of the small group discussion were categorized by discussion case (self, other), individual activities (self-study, making materials, presentation experience), and group activities (preclass/in-class/postclass/plenary discussion, instructor's comments). The items for student self-assessment were: "To specify ethical issue in actual practice", "To get new knowledge", "To consider doctor's entity", "Empathy to others", "To get multidimensional viewpoint", "Viewpoint change", "To deliver my thought clearly", and "Ability to confront the medical ethics dilemma in the future". After the survey, an in-depth interview was performed to determine the reason behind the students' answers. A total of 121 students responded, for whom overall satisfaction and self-assessment were high. Students reported greater satisfaction with self-case, presentation experience, in-class discussion, and instructor's comments but less satisfaction with self-study before class and postclass discussion. Student self-assessment was highest in the ability to specify an ethical issue and lowest for viewpoint change and self-confidence. After multivariate analysis, higher student self-assessment was associated with greater satisfaction with the small group discussion. To improve the quality of medical ethics education, close investigation and monitoring of each component of the small group discussion and student achievement are essential, as is continuous feedback.

  2. Tutorial dynamics and participation in small groups: a student perspective in a multicultural setting.

    PubMed

    Gill, Emily; Tuck, Ailsa; Lee, Don Wai Gin; Beckert, Lutz

    2004-11-05

    This study investigated the language and cultural backgrounds of medical students, and explored their perspectives of the influences on student participation in small-group tutorial settings. A task group of students and staff from a variety of cultural backgrounds designed a cross-sectional survey using an anonymous questionnaire. The survey was conducted at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences (a campus of the University of Otago). Students attending a 4th-year and a 5th-year lecture were invited to participate. Seventy-five percent of students enrolled in the medical course responded to the survey. Half of the sample self-identified as New Zealand European or Maori. Sixty-four percent of students identified English as their first language. Ninety-one percent of students stated a preference for small-group tutorials rather than lectures. Most students reported that there was a 'lack of prior preparation' by students in these tutorials (no statistically significant difference between students with English as first or second language). Two thirds of students (66%) students felt there was a lack of full participation in small-group teaching. Personality, cultural, and language differences were perceived as contributing factors to the lack of participation. Lack of participation should not be assumed to be due to language difficulties. Barriers to participation are perceived differently by students from a variety of language and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, interactions between students who dominate and under-participate may influence student participation. Further research is needed to determine whether language and cultural backgrounds affect students' participation in small group teaching.

  3. A Life of Its Own. Adult Literacy Work in a Small Group.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ennis, Rex; Davison, Deborah

    This publication provides materials on the Small Group Learning Methodology Project in Victoria, Australia. The first chapter concerns the purpose of small groups in adult literacy learning. Chapter 2 deals with types of adult literacy programs, interviews, student needs, student placement, and forming groups. Chapter 3 discusses group processes,…

  4. Comparison of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Text Previewing and Preteaching Keywords as Small-Group Reading Comprehension Strategies with Middle-School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Matthew K.; Hodgson, Jennifer; Parker, David C.; Fremont, Kathryn

    2011-01-01

    Reading instruction for middle- and high-school students is focused on vocabulary and comprehension, yet research suggests that comprehension skills among these students are alarmingly low. Small-group reading interventions are becoming more prevalent in schools, but there are few studies regarding small-group reading comprehension interventions.…

  5. Effects of Group Size on Students Mathematics Achievement in Small Group Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Enu, Justice; Danso, Paul Amoah; Awortwe, Peter K.

    2015-01-01

    An ideal group size is hard to obtain in small group settings; hence there are groups with more members than others. The purpose of the study was to find out whether group size has any effects on students' mathematics achievement in small group settings. Two third year classes of the 2011/2012 academic year were selected from two schools in the…

  6. Framing Negotiation: Dynamics of Epistemological and Positional Framing in Small Groups during Scientific Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shim, Soo-Yean; Kim, Heui-Baik

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we examined students' epistemological and positional framing during small group scientific modeling to explore their context-dependent perceptions about knowledge, themselves, and others. We focused on two small groups of Korean eighth-grade students who participated in six modeling activities about excretion. The two groups were…

  7. Top 10 Reasons Students Dislike Working in Small Groups... and Why I Do It Anyway

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Ann

    2011-01-01

    Last semester, the author had a particularly vocal class that made it clear that they disliked small group exercises. In an attempt to understand their discomfort, she had this class generate a list of the top 10 reasons they disliked small group exercises. Some of the reasons listed by the students are exactly why the author uses small group work…

  8. Teaching Small Group Communication: The Do Good Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minei, Elizabeth M.

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on the parameters of a semester-long project called the "Do Good" project, geared towards developing small group communication skills in undergraduate students. This project highlights participation in a social engagement project that allows students to bridge concepts learned in small group communication lectures…

  9. The American Cowboy: Developing Small Group Social Studies Interaction Experiences in the Elementary Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Edward, Jr.

    Appropriate for elementary school students, this resource unit on the American cowboy provides four activities for small group work. The unit also lists objectives and discusses the organization and dynamics of small groups. The general objective is for the student to learn how to work within groups and how to resolve group conflict. The…

  10. Increasing Student Interaction in Technical Writing Courses in Online Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Virtue, Drew

    2017-01-01

    This article examines how the levels of student interaction change through the use of small groups and moderators in online writing courses. The study examines three technical and professional online writing courses: one course that employs small groups and group moderators and two courses that have no small groups or moderators. The results of…

  11. Gestures: Silent Scaffolding within Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Glenda; Wiebe, Eric N.; Reid-Griffin, Angela

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes how gestures are used to enhance scaffolding that occurs in small group settings. Sixth and eighth grade students participated in an elective science course focused on earth science concepts with a substantial spatial visualization component. Gestures that students used in small group discussions were analyzed and four…

  12. Gunn and Heid: Teaching Small Group Development with Reality TV

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kopaczewski, Shana

    2017-01-01

    Courses: Small group communication or any courses with units on group/team work. Objective: In this single-class activity, students will use reality TV to identify Tuckman's five phases of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Students analyze how phases of group development manifest through group interaction…

  13. An Interactive Online Approach to Small-Group Student Presentations and Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thor, Der; Xiao, Nan; Zheng, Meixun; Ma, Ruidan; Yu, Xiao Xi

    2017-01-01

    Student presentations had been widely implemented across content areas, including health sciences education. However, due to various limitations, small-group student presentations in the classroom may not reach their full potential for student learning. To address challenges with presentations in the classroom, we redesigned the assignment by…

  14. Comprehension Questioning Small Group Reading Instruction for Urban Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Valerie

    2012-01-01

    It is evident from reading research that students with learning disabilities (LD) greatly benefit from teacher-student interactions during small group comprehension instruction (e.g., Berkeley, Scruggs, & Mastropieri, 2010). Given that questioning takes up the vast majority of instructional interactions between teachers and students (Chin,…

  15. Gender differences in leadership amongst first-year medical students in the small-group setting.

    PubMed

    Wayne, Nancy L; Vermillion, Michelle; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian

    2010-08-01

    To investigate the extent of gender bias in the volunteerism of small-group leaders amongst first-year medical students, and whether bias could be eliminated with special instructions to the students. The gender of leaders in small-group sessions in a real academic setting was monitored under two conditions: control conditions, in which basic instructions were provided to participants, and intervention conditions, in which the same basic instructions were provided plus a brief "pep talk" on the importance of experiencing a leadership role in a safe environment. During the small-group sessions, an observer noted the gender and names of group leaders for later analysis. After a class debriefing, a subset of leaders and nonleaders from both the control and intervention groups were invited to be interviewed about their perceptions of the small-group experience. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed for analysis. In 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, disproportionately fewer women than men volunteered to become small-group leaders under control conditions. This gender bias was eliminated under intervention conditions. The interviews illustrated how a subtle change in instructions helped some female students take on a leadership role. Gender bias in leadership in the small-group setting amongst medical students-even when women make up half of the class-may persist without targeted intervention. The authors suggest that frequent and consistent intervention during medical school could be an important factor in encouraging women to identify themselves as leaders, promoting confidence to consider leadership roles in medicine.

  16. Small group effectiveness during pharmacology learning sessions in a Nepalese medical school.

    PubMed

    Shankar, Pr; Gurung, Sb; Jha, N; Bajracharya, O; Karki, Bms; Thapa, Tp

    2011-01-01

    Small group learning sessions are used in pharmacology at the KIST Medical College, Lalitpur, Nepal. Feedback about student behaviours that enhance and hinder small group effectiveness was obtained. This will help us improve the small group sessions and will also be useful to educators using small groups in other medical schools. The small groups were self-managing with a group leader, time-keeper, recorder and presenter. Small group effectiveness was measured using the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI) developed by Singaram and co-authors. The instrument was administered in June 2010 and key findings obtained were shared with students and facilitators. The instrument was administered again in August. The mean cognitive, motivational, demotivational and overall scores were compared among different categories of respondents in June and August. Scores were also compared between June and August 2010. A total of 89 students participated in the study in June and 88 in August 2010. In June, females rated overall group productivity higher compared to males. The cognitive and motivational scores were higher in August 2010 while the demotivational score was lower. The small group effectiveness was higher in August after the educational intervention which utilised feedback about problems observed, theoretical considerations of effective small groups and how this information can be applied in practice.

  17. Among friends: the role of academic-preparedness diversity in individual performance within a small-group STEM learning environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Micari, Marina; Van Winkle, Zachary; Pazos, Pilar

    2016-08-01

    In this study, we investigate the relationship between academic-preparedness diversity within small learning groups and individual academic performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) university courses. We further examine whether academic-preparedness diversity impacts academically more- and less-prepared students differently. We use data from 5367 university students nested within 1141 science, engineering, and mathematics learning groups and use a regression analysis to estimate the effect of group diversity, measured in two ways, on course performance. Our results indicate that academic-preparedness diversity is generally associated with positive learning outcomes, that academically less-prepared students derive greater benefit, and that less-prepared students fare best when they are not alone in a group of highly prepared students. Implications for teaching and small-group facilitation are addressed.

  18. Effectiveness of various innovative learning methods in health science classrooms: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Kalaian, Sema A; Kasim, Rafa M

    2017-12-01

    This study reports the results of a meta-analysis of the available literature on the effectiveness of various forms of innovative small-group learning methods on student achievement in undergraduate college health science classrooms. The results of the analysis revealed that most of the primary studies supported the effectiveness of the small-group learning methods in improving students' academic achievement with an overall weighted average effect-size of 0.59 in standard deviation units favoring small-group learning methods. The subgroup analysis showed that the various forms of innovative and reform-based small-group learning interventions appeared to be significantly more effective for students in higher levels of college classes (sophomore, junior, and senior levels), students in other countries (non-U.S.) worldwide, students in groups of four or less, and students who choose their own group. The random-effects meta-regression results revealed that the effect sizes were influenced significantly by the instructional duration of the primary studies. This means that studies with longer hours of instruction yielded higher effect sizes and on average every 1 h increase in instruction, the predicted increase in effect size was 0.009 standard deviation units, which is considered as a small effect. These results may help health science and nursing educators by providing guidance in identifying the conditions under which various forms of innovative small-group learning pedagogies are collectively more effective than the traditional lecture-based teaching instruction.

  19. The Effect of Student- and Teacher-Centered Small-Group Learning in Medical School on Knowledge Acquisition, Retention and Application.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolars, Joseph C.; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Compares the effects of two types of small-group instruction on retention and application of gastroenterology knowledge during a gastroenterology pathophysiology course taught to 198 second-year medical students. Concludes that the specific format of small-group instruction appears to have little impact on retention or application of…

  20. LARGE AND SMALL GROUP TYPEWRITING PROJECT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    JEFFS, GEORGE A.; AND OTHERS

    AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF GROUPS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NUMERICALLY IN EXCESS OF 50 COULD BE AS EFFECTIVELY INSTRUCTED IN TYPEWRITING SKILLS AS GROUPS OF LESS THAN 30. STUDENTS ENROLLED IN 1ST-YEAR TYPEWRITING WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO LARGE GROUPS AND THREE SMALL GROUPS TAUGHT BY THE SAME INSTRUCTOR. TEACHER-MADE,…

  1. Small group learning: graduate health students' views of challenges and benefits.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Debra; Hickman, Louise D; Power, Tamara; Disler, Rebecca; Potgieter, Ingrid; Deek, Hiba; Davidson, Patricia M

    2014-07-19

    Abstract Background: For health care professionals, particularly nurses, the need to work productively and efficiently in small groups is a crucial skill required to meet the challenges of the contemporary health-care environment. Small group work is an educational technique that is used extensively in nurse education. The advantage of group work includes facilitation of deep, active and collaborative learning. However, small group work can be problematic and present challenges for students. Many of the challenges occur because group work necessitates the coming together of collections of individuals, each with their own personalities and sets of experiences. Aim: This study aimed to identify challenges and benefits associated with small group work and to explore options for retaining the positive aspects of group work while reducing or eliminating the aspects the students experienced as negative. Method: Online survey; thematic analysis. Results: Over all, students experienced a range of challenges that necessitated the development of problem-solving strategies. However, they were able to elucidate some enjoyable and positive aspects of group work. Implications for teaching and learning are drawn from this study. Conclusion: The ability to work effectively in small groups and teams is essential for all health care workers in the contemporary health environment. Findings of this study highlight the need for educators to explore novel and effective ways in which to engage nurses in group work.

  2. Small group learning: Graduate health students' views of challenges and benefits.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Debra; Hickman, Louise D; Power, Tamara; Disler, Rebecca; Potgieter, Ingrid; Deek, Hiba; Davidson, Patricia M

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Background: For health-care professionals, particularly nurses, the need to work productively and efficiently in small groups is a crucial skill required to meet the challenges of the contemporary health-care environment. Small group work is an educational technique that is used extensively in nurse education. The advantage of group work includes facilitation of deep, active and collaborative learning. However, small group work can be problematic and present challenges for students. Many of the challenges occur because group work necessitates the coming together of collections of individuals, each with their own personalities and sets of experiences. This study aimed to identify challenges and benefits associated with small group work and to explore options for retaining the positive aspects of group work while reducing or eliminating the aspects the students experienced as negative. Online survey; thematic analysis. Over all, students experienced a range of challenges that necessitated the development of problem-solving strategies. However, they were able to elucidate some enjoyable and positive aspects of group work. Implications for teaching and learning are drawn from this study. The ability to work effectively in small groups and teams is essential for all health-care workers in the contemporary health environment. Findings of this study highlight the need for educators to explore novel and effective ways in which to engage nurses in group work.

  3. How Introverts versus Extroverts Approach Small-Group Argumentative Discussions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nussbaum, E. Michael

    2002-01-01

    Explored in two studies disparities between how students with different degrees of extroversion and introversion engaged in small-group discussions requiring construction and critique of arguments. Found that extroverted students exhibited a greater tendency to use conflictual discourse, whereas introverted students worked with one another…

  4. Who Is the Competent Physics Student? A Study of Students' Positions and Social Interaction in Small-Group Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Due, Karin

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a study which explored the social interaction and the reproduction and challenge of gendered discourses in small group discussions in physics. Data for the study consisted of video recordings of eight upper secondary school groups solving physics problems and 15 audiotaped individual interviews with participating students.…

  5. Constructing Maps Collaboratively.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leinhardt, Gaea; Stainton, Catherine; Bausmith, Jennifer Merriman

    1998-01-01

    Summarizes a study that maintains that students who work together in small groups had a better understanding of map concepts. Discusses why making maps in groups can enhance students' conceptual geographic understanding and offers suggestions for improving geography instructions using small group configurations. Includes statistical and graphic…

  6. Small-Group Standardized Patient Encounter Improves Athletic Training Students' Psychosocial Intervention and Referral Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Stacy E.; Weidner, Thomas G.; Thrasher, Ashley B.

    2016-01-01

    Context: Athletic trainers provide psychological support, counseling, intervention, and referral to patients during clinical practice. However, students are rarely exposed to real-life opportunities to develop these skills. Objective: To determine if a small-group standardized patient (SP) encounter improved athletic training students'…

  7. Using Word Clouds to Develop Proactive Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miley, Frances; Read, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    This article examines student responses to a technique for summarizing electronically available information based on word frequency. Students used this technique to create word clouds, using those word clouds to enhance personal and small group study. This is a qualitative study. Small focus groups were used to obtain student feedback. Feedback…

  8. A Comparison of Web-based and Small-Group Palliative and End-of-Life Care Curricula: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Study at One Institution

    PubMed Central

    Day, Frank C.; Srinivasan, Malathi; Der-Martirosian, Claudia; Griffin, Erin; Hoffman, Jerome R.; Wilkes, Michael S.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Few studies have compared the effect of web-based eLearning versus small-group learning on medical student outcomes. Palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) education is ideal for this comparison, given uneven access to PEOL experts and content nationally. Method In 2010, the authors enrolled all third-year medical students at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine into a quasi-randomized controlled trial of web-based interactive education (eDoctoring) compared to small-group education (Doctoring) on PEOL clinical content over two months. All students participated in three 3-hour PEOL sessions with similar content. Outcomes included a 24-item PEOL-specific self-efficacy scale with three domains (diagnosis/treatment [Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92, CI: 0.91–0.93], communication/prognosis [alpha = 0.95; CI: 0.93–0.96], and social impact/self-care [alpha = 0.91; CI: 0.88–0.92]); eight knowledge items; ten curricular advantage/disadvantages, and curricular satisfaction (both students and faculty). Results Students were randomly assigned to web-based eDoctoring (n = 48) or small-group Doctoring (n = 71) curricula. Self-efficacy and knowledge improved equivalently between groups: e.g., prognosis self-efficacy, 19%; knowledge, 10–42%. Student and faculty ratings of the web-based eDoctoring curriculum and the small group Doctoring curriculum were equivalent for most goals, and overall satisfaction was equivalent for each, with a trend towards decreased eDoctoring student satisfaction. Conclusions Findings showed equivalent gains in self-efficacy and knowledge between students participating in a web-based PEOL curriculum, in comparison to students learning similar content in a small-group format. Web-based curricula can standardize content presentation when local teaching expertise is limited, but may lead to decreased user satisfaction. PMID:25539518

  9. The Impact of Transcription Writing Interventions for First-Grade Students

    PubMed Central

    Wanzek, Jeanne; Gatlin, Brandy; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Kim, Young-Suk Grace

    2016-01-01

    We examined the effects of transcription instruction for students in first grade. Students in the lowest 70% of the participating schools were selected for the study. These 81 students were randomly assigned to: (a) spelling instruction, (b) handwriting instruction, (c) combination spelling and handwriting instruction, or (d) no intervention. Intervention was provided in small groups of 4 students, 25 min a day, 4 days a week for 8 weeks. Students in the spelling condition outperformed the control group on spelling measures with moderate effect sizes noted on curriculum-based writing measures (e.g., correct word sequence; g range = 0.34 to 0.68). Students in the handwriting condition outperformed the control group on correct word sequences with small to moderate effects on other handwriting and writing measures (g range = 0.31 to 0.71). Students in the combined condition outperformed the control group on correct word sequences with a small effect on total words written (g range = 0.39 to 0.84). PMID:28989267

  10. Do medical students generate sound arguments during small group discussions in problem-based learning?: an analysis of preclinical medical students' argumentation according to a framework of hypothetico-deductive reasoning.

    PubMed

    Ju, Hyunjung; Choi, Ikseon; Yoon, Bo Young

    2017-06-01

    Hypothetico-deductive reasoning (HDR) is an essential learning activity and a learning outcome in problem-based learning (PBL). It is important for medical students to engage in the HDR process through argumentation during their small group discussions in PBL. This study aimed to analyze the quality of preclinical medical students' argumentation according to each phase of HDR in PBL. Participants were 15 first-year preclinical students divided into two small groups. A set of three 2-hour discussion sessions from each of the two groups during a 1-week-long PBL unit on the cardiovascular system was audio-recorded. The arguments constructed by the students were analyzed using a coding scheme, which included four types of argumentation (Type 0: incomplete, Type 1: claim only, Type 2: claim with data, and Type 3: claim with data and warrant). The mean frequency of each type of argumentation according to each HDR phase across the two small groups was calculated. During small group discussions, Type 1 arguments were generated most often (frequency=120.5, 43%), whereas the least common were Type 3 arguments (frequency=24.5, 8.7%) among the four types of arguments. The results of this study revealed that the students predominantly made claims without proper justifications; they often omitted data for supporting their claims or did not provide warrants to connect the claims and data. The findings suggest instructional interventions to enhance the quality of medical students' arguments in PBL, including promoting students' comprehension of the structure of argumentation for HDR processes and questioning.

  11. Talking through the Problems: A Study of Discourse in Peer-Led Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Repice, Michelle D.; Sawyer, R. Keith; Hogrebe, Mark C.; Brown, Patrick L.; Luesse, Sarah B.; Gealy, Daniel J.; Frey, Regina F.

    2016-01-01

    Increasingly, studies are investigating the factors that influence student discourse in science courses, and specifically the mechanisms and discourse processes within small groups, to better understand the learning that takes place as students work together. This paper contributes to a growing body of research by analyzing how students engage in…

  12. Setting the question for inquiry: The effects of whole class vs small group on student achievement in elementary science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavagnetto, Andy Roy

    This study was conducted to determine the effects of two different student-centered approaches to setting the question for inquiry. The first approach (whole class) consisted of students setting a single question for inquiry after which students worked in small groups during an investigation phase of the activity with all groups exploring the same question. The second approach (small group) consisted of each group of students setting a question resulting in numerous questions being explored per class. A mixed method quasi-experimental design was utilized. Two grade five teachers from a small rural school district in the Midwestern United States participated, each teaching two sections of science (approximately 25 students per section). Results indicate three major findings. Instructional approach (whole class vs. small group) did not effect student achievement in science or language arts. Observational data indicated the actions and skills teachers utilized to implement the approaches were similar. Specifically, the pedagogical skills of dialogical interaction (which was found to be influenced by teacher level of control of learning and teacher content knowledge) and effective rather than efficient use of time were identified as key factors in teachers' progression toward a student-centered, teacher-managed instructional approach. Unit exams along with qualitative and quantitative teacher observation data indicated that these factors do have an impact on student achievement. Specifically increased dialogical interaction in the forms of greater student voice, and increased cognitive demands placed on students by embedding and emphasizing science argument within the student inquiry corresponded to positive gains in student achievement. Additionally, teacher's perception of student abilities was also found to influence professional growth. Finally, allowing students to set the questions for inquiry and design the experiments impact the classroom environment as teacher talk changed from giving directions toward scaffolding student thought. These results have implications for professional development and teacher education as they suggest that more time should be spent on challenging teachers to align their pedagogy with how students learn rather than simply providing strategies and lesson plans for teachers to use in the classrooms.

  13. Redesign of a large lecture course into a small-group learning course.

    PubMed

    Ferreri, Stefanie P; O'Connor, Shanna K

    2013-02-12

    Objective. To describe the redesign of a large self-care course previously delivered in a traditional lecture format to a small-group case-based course.Design. Prereadings and study guides were used to facilitate students' independent learning prior to class. Large lecture classes were replaced with smaller group-based learning classes. This change in delivery format allowed students to spend the majority of class time conducting small-group learning activities, such as case studies to promote communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills.Assessment. Changes in course delivery were assessed over a 2-year period by comparing students' grades and satisfaction ratings on course evaluations. A comparison of course evaluations between the class formats revealed that students were provided more opportunities to develop verbal communication skills and tackle and resolve unfamiliar problems in the revised course. The activities resulted in better overall course grades.Conclusions. Redesigning to a small-group discussion format for a self-care course can be accomplished by increasing student accountability for acquiring factual content outside the classroom. Compared with student experiences in the previous large lecture-based class, students in the smaller-class format reported a preference for working in teams and achieved significantly better academic grades with the new course format.

  14. Basic steps in establishing effective small group teaching sessions in medical schools.

    PubMed

    Meo, Sultan Ayoub

    2013-07-01

    Small-group teaching and learning has achieved an admirable position in medical education and has become more popular as a means of encouraging the students in their studies and enhance the process of deep learning. The main characteristics of small group teaching are active involvement of the learners in entire learning cycle and well defined task orientation with achievable specific aims and objectives in a given time period. The essential components in the development of an ideal small group teaching and learning sessions are preliminary considerations at departmental and institutional level including educational strategies, group composition, physical environment, existing resources, diagnosis of the needs, formulation of the objectives and suitable teaching outline. Small group teaching increases the student interest, teamwork ability, retention of knowledge and skills, enhance transfer of concepts to innovative issues, and improve the self-directed learning. It develops self-motivation, investigating the issues, allows the student to test their thinking and higher-order activities. It also facilitates an adult style of learning, acceptance of personal responsibility for own progress. Moreover, it enhances student-faculty and peer-peer interaction, improves communication skills and provides opportunity to share the responsibility and clarify the points of bafflement.

  15. Evaluation of Small Student-Led Discussion Groups as an Adjunct to a Course in Abnormal Psychology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Geoffry D.

    1978-01-01

    Presents data related to student involvement in biweekly student-led discussion groups in an undergraduate abnormal psychology course. Evaluates the degree to which students felt they benefited from discussion groups composed of similar and dissimilar students. (Author/AV)

  16. Student Perceptions of Independent versus Facilitated Small Group Learning Approaches to Compressed Medical Anatomy Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whelan, Alexander; Leddy, John J.; Mindra, Sean; Matthew Hughes, J. D.; El-Bialy, Safaa; Ramnanan, Christopher J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare student perceptions regarding two, small group learning approaches to compressed (46.5 prosection-based laboratory hours), integrated anatomy education at the University of Ottawa medical program. In the facilitated active learning (FAL) approach, tutors engage students and are expected to enable and…

  17. Promoting Pre-Service Elementary Students' Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium through Discussions in Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bilgin, Ibrahim

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of small group discussion on students' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students' understanding of chemical equilibrium concepts was measured using the Misconception Identification Test. The test consisted of 30 items and administered as pre-posttests to a total of 81…

  18. The Role of Teacher Instructional Discourse in Scaffolding Adolescent Students' Argumentation Strategy Use in Small Group Text-Based Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Alyssa T. G.

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study is to investigate the role of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers' verbal discourse moves in scaffolding adolescent students' argumentative thinking in small group interpretive discussions about literature. Demands related to argumentation may present particular challenges for adolescent students (Biancarosa & Snow,…

  19. Comparing Two Cooperative Small Group Formats Used with Physical Therapy and Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    D'Eon, Marcel; Proctor, Peggy; Reeder, Bruce

    2007-01-01

    This study compared "Structured Controversy" (a semi-formal debate like small group activity) with a traditional open discussion format for medical and physical therapy students. We found that those students who had participated in Structured Controversy changed their personal opinion on the topic more than those who were in the Open Discussion…

  20. What Makes a Team? The Composition of Small Groups for C.A.I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellows, B. P.

    This study examined the task performance and social interaction of young children who used a computer to learn map skills. Specifically, ability and sex were examined in relation to students' achievement on a social studies task and in relation to student interaction in small groups. Subjects were 66 second grade students in 3 different…

  1. Forming a Professional Identity: Conversations between English Method Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doecke, Brenton; McKnight, Lucinda

    This paper aims to show how its author/researchers were brought to reconsider some of the assumptions behind a small arc project that was being conducted on the professional development of student teachers in Australia. A small group of English Method students were invited to participate in three focus group interviews: before their first teaching…

  2. Prescription Writing in Small Groups as a Clinical Pharmacology Educational Intervention: Perceptions of Preclerkship Medical Students.

    PubMed

    James, Henry; Tayem, Yasin I Y; Al Khaja, K A J; Veeramuthu, Sindhan; Sequeira, Reginald P

    2016-08-01

    Medical students do not perform well in writing prescriptions, and the 3 variables-learner, teacher, and instructional method-are held responsible to various degrees. The objective of this clinical pharmacology educational intervention was to improve medical students' perceptions, motivation, and participation in prescription-writing sessions. The study participants were second-year medical students of the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences of the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. Two prescription-writing sessions were conducted using clinical case scenarios based on problems the students had studied as part of the problem-based learning curriculum. At the end of the respiratory system subunit, the training was conducted in small groups, each facilitated by a tutor. At the end of the cardiovascular system subunit, the training was conducted in a traditional large-group classroom setting. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire at the end of each session and a focus group discussion. A majority of the students (95.3% ± 2.4%) perceived the small-group method better for teaching and learning of all aspects of prescription writing: analyzing the clinical case scenario, applying clinical pharmacology knowledge for therapeutic reasoning, using a formulary for searching relevant prescribing information, and in writing a complete prescription. Students also endorsed the small-group method for better interaction among themselves and with the tutor and for the ease of asking questions and clarifying doubts. In view of the principles of adult learning, where motivation and interaction are important, teaching and learning prescription writing in small groups deserve a serious consideration in medical curricula. © 2015, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

  3. Support groups: an empowering, experiential strategy.

    PubMed

    Heinrich, K T; Robinson, C M; Scales, M E

    1998-01-01

    The authors describe a student-facilitated support group experience initiated at student request and designed for RN-BSN students. Students report they emerged enlightened about group theory, empowered to share their knowledge of groups, and energized to initiate groups in their work settings. If educators make the learning experience safe, practice letting go and being vigilant, and celebrate group successes, students learn how to initiate, facilitate, and terminate small groups.

  4. The eSGID Process: How to Improve Teaching and Learning in Online Graduate Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neal-Hixson, Kelly; Long, Jenny; Bock, Marjorie

    2017-01-01

    Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) is a feedback process to collect midterm feedback from students. The process uses small focus group student interviews to identify strengths of the course, areas of concern, and suggestions to address concerns. The purpose of this paper is to shares experiences using on online format of Small Group…

  5. An Exploratory Framework for Handling the Complexity of Mathematical Problem Posing in Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kontorovich, Igor; Koichu, Boris; Leikin, Roza; Berman, Avi

    2012-01-01

    The paper introduces an exploratory framework for handling the complexity of students' mathematical problem posing in small groups. The framework integrates four facets known from past research: task organization, students' knowledge base, problem-posing heuristics and schemes, and group dynamics and interactions. In addition, it contains a new…

  6. "I Hate Group Work!": Addressing Students' Concerns about Small-Group Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allan, Elizabeth G.

    2016-01-01

    This article identifies the strategies used by architecture professors and their undergraduate students to mitigate common issues that students raise about group work. Based on participant-observation, interviews with students and faculty, and analysis of instructional materials and student work, this IRB-approved ethnographic case study…

  7. Identification of mistakes and their correction by a small group discussion as a revision exercise at the end of a teaching module in biochemistry.

    PubMed

    Bobby, Zachariah; Nandeesha, H; Sridhar, M G; Soundravally, R; Setiya, Sajita; Babu, M Sathish; Niranjan, G

    2014-01-01

    Graduate medical students often get less opportunity for clarifying their doubts and to reinforce their concepts after lecture classes. The Medical Council of India (MCI) encourages group discussions among students. We evaluated the effect of identifying mistakes in a given set of wrong statements and their correction by a small group discussion by graduate medical students as a revision exercise. At the end of a module, a pre-test consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) was conducted. Later, a set of incorrect statements related to the topic was given to the students and they were asked to identify the mistakes and correct them in a small group discussion. The effects on low, medium and high achievers were evaluated by a post-test and delayed post-tests with the same set of MCQs. The mean post-test marks were significantly higher among all the three groups compared to the pre-test marks. The gain from the small group discussion was equal among low, medium and high achievers. The gain from the exercise was retained among low, medium and high achievers after 15 days. Identification of mistakes in statements and their correction by a small group discussion is an effective, but unconventional revision exercise in biochemistry. Copyright 2014, NMJI.

  8. Conceptual development and retention within the learning cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McWhirter, Lisa Jo

    1998-12-01

    This research was designed to achieve two goals: (1) examine concept development and retention within the learning cycle and (2) examine how students' concept development is mediated by classroom discussions and the students' small cooperative learning group. Forty-eight sixth-grade students and one teacher at an urban middle school participated in the study. The research utilized both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative assessments included a concept mapping technique as well as teacher generated multiple choice tests. Preliminary quantitative analysis found that students' reading levels had an effect on students' pretest scores in both the concept mapping and the multiple-choice assessment. Therefore, a covariant design was implemented for the quantitative analyses. Quantitative analysis techniques were used to examine concept development and retention, it was discovered that the students' concept knowledge increased significantly from the time of the conclusion of the term introduction phase to the conclusion of the expansion phase. These findings would indicate that all three phases of the learning cycle are necessary for conceptual development. However, quantitative analyses of concept maps indicated that this is not true for all students. Individual students showed evidence of concept development and integration at each phase. Therefore, concept development is individualized and all phases of the learning cycle are not necessary for all students. As a result, individual's assimilation, disequilibration, accommodation and organization may not correlate with the phases of the learning cycle. Quantitative analysis also indicated a significant decrease in the retention of concepts over time. Qualitative analyses were used to examine how students' concept development is mediated by classroom discussions and the students' small cooperative learning group. It was discovered that there was a correlation between teacher-student interaction and small-group interaction and concept mediation. Therefore, students who had a high level of teacher-student dialogue which utilized teacher led discussions with integrated scaffolding techniques where the same students who mediated the ideas within the small group discussions. Those students whose teacher-student interactions consisted of dialogue with little positive teacher feedback made no contributions within the small group regardless of their level of concept development.

  9. The Efficacy of Residents as Teachers in an Ophthalmology Module.

    PubMed

    Ryg, Peter A; Hafler, Janet P; Forster, Susan H

    2016-01-01

    Resident physicians have reported spending upward of 25% of their time teaching fellow residents and medical students. Until relatively recently, there have not been formal requirements in residency programs to learn teaching skills. The first goal of this study was to develop a novel residents-as-teachers training program to educate Ophthalmology residents on facilitating group learning and emphasizing critical-thinking skills. The second goal was to educate residents on how to teach clinical reasoning skills. We designed a longitudinal residents-as-teachers program that consisted of a 2-hour workshop, voluntary observation of their teaching in the small group, and student feedback on their teaching. The focus of the workshop was to educate the residents on how to facilitate critical thinking and clinical reasoning in a small group format. Voluntary video recording of residents' teaching was offered, and feedback on their teaching was provided. Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. In total, ten second-year medical student groups consisting of approximately 7 to 11 students in each group were organized in this course and each group had one teacher: 4 senior Ophthalmology residents and 6 community faculty. This study found that the resident teachers who completed the residents-as-teachers program were equally as effective as community faculty teachers in building medical students' comprehension of ophthalmic principles during small group seminars according to the students' evaluation of teaching performance. We also found that all of the medical students' responses were overwhelmingly positive toward having residents as teachers. The medical students particularly noted residents' preparedness and effectiveness in facilitating a discussion during the small group seminars. Our novel program was effective at teaching residents how to teach critical-thinking skills and the resident teachers were well received by medical students in the classroom. Given the requirement that residents learn teaching skills during residency and our preliminary success, we plan to continue inviting residents to teach small group seminars in Ophthalmology, and we will continue to provide them with the residents-as-teachers program. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Going "Meta": Using a Metadiscoursal Approach to Develop Secondary Students' Dialogic Talk in Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutherland, Julia

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports on a year-long research study: four teachers of English, their Year 8 (13-14 year old) classes (110 students) in urban, secondary schools and a university teacher educator investigated the contexts for students to develop dialogic, exploratory talk in small groups. Assuming a Vygotskyan perspective, the study adapted a pedagogic…

  11. The Effect of Group Composition on Individual Student Performance in an Introductory Economics Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Robert L.

    2011-01-01

    What is the best way to allocate students to small teams in those economics courses that rely on small group work to enhance individual student learning? While experts in collaborative learning provide many suggestions, little empirical work has been done. This article begins to fill the gap. It examines whether a variety of characteristics of the…

  12. Students' Knowledge Construction in Small Groups in the Seventh Grade Biology Laboratory: Verbal Communication and Physical Engagement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    She, Hsiao-Ching

    1999-01-01

    Reports on a study of seventh-grade students' interactions in small groups during a biology laboratory activity. Finds that girls have the potential to perform equally as well as do boys in the science laboratory and that both individual and gender differences contribute to students' differential verbal communication and laboratory engagement.…

  13. Student Collaboration in Group Work: Inclusion as Participation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forslund Frykedal, Karin; Hammar Chiriac, Eva

    2018-01-01

    Group work is an educational mode that promotes learning and socialisation among students. In this study, we focused on the inclusive processes when students work in small groups. The aim was to investigate and describe students' inclusive and collaborative processes in group work and how the teacher supported or impeded these transactions. Social…

  14. Effects of Expert and Non-expert Facilitators on the Small-Group Process and on Student Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Wayne K.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Comparison of 21 faculty facilitators at the University of Michigan Medical School, with or without content expertise, during small-group teaching sessions in a medical school microbiology course found that students in groups led by content experts had higher levels of satisfaction and higher examination scores. Significant differences in…

  15. Implementing an Audience-Specific Small-Group Gatekeeper Training Program to Respond to Suicide Risk among College Students: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cimini, M. Dolores; Rivero, Estela M.; Bernier, Joseph E.; Stanley, Judith A.; Murray, Andrea D.; Anderson, Drew A.; Wright, Heidi R.; Bapat, Mona

    2014-01-01

    Objective: This case study evaluated the effectiveness of an audience-specific, single-session, small-group interactive gatekeeper training program conducted at a large northeastern public university. Participants: Participants were 335 faculty, staff, and students completing gatekeeper training programs tailored to their group needs. Methods:…

  16. Teacher Interventions in Small Group Work in Secondary Mathematics and Science Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hofmann, R.; Mercer, N.

    2016-01-01

    Collaborative problem solving, when students work in pairs or small groups on a curriculum-related task, has become an increasingly common feature of classroom education. This paper reports a study of a topic which has received relatively little attention: how teachers can most usefully intervene when students are working in a group, but have…

  17. SAIL: A Framework for Promoting Next-Generation Word Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ganske, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces SAIL, an instructional framework designed to help teachers optimize students' learning during small-group word study instruction. Small-group word study interactions afford opportunities for teachers to engage students in thinking, talking, advancing vocabulary knowledge (including general academic vocabulary), and making…

  18. Facilitating small groups: how to encourage student learning.

    PubMed

    Kitchen, Mark

    2012-02-01

    Many clinicians are involved in medical education, with small group teaching (SGT) forming a significant part of their work. Most facilitate these sessions by experience and common sense: less than one-third of them have received formal training in SGT. Evidence suggests small group productivity depends on good facilitation rather than on topic knowledge. Applying the fundamental concepts of SGT will lead to improvements in the quality of clinicians' teaching and in student learning. Good SGT creates the perfect environment for learning and discussion, without the need for didactic teaching. SGT emphasises the role of students in sharing and discussing their ideas in a safe learning environment, without domination by the tutor. This article provides clinicians with basic requirements for effective session design and planning, explains how to encourage student participation, how to manage students as a group, how to manage student learning, and how to recognise and deal with problems. Active facilitation and group management is the key to success in SGT, and consequently better learning outcomes. Improving the facilitation skills of clinical teachers makes teaching more effective, stimulating, and enjoyable for both tutors and students. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  19. Student Talk and Opportunities for Mathematical Learning in Small Group Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Marcy B.; Kalinec, Crystal A.

    2012-01-01

    Small group interactions are an important tool for mathematical learning and yet researchers have neither examined small group talk across entire lessons nor have they focused on moments of mathematical learning in small groups. We examined such talk and identified kinds of interactions and connections between interactions and mathematical…

  20. The Effect of the Student Success Skills Small Group Counseling Intervention on Factors Associated with Dropout Potential in High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weinstein, Jodie

    2013-01-01

    The focus of this study is to add to the outcome research on effective school counseling interventions and to specifically evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention with students identified as having drop out potential in the 9th grade. This study analyzed two years of pre-existing, non-identifiable…

  1. Reducing the Grade Disparities between American Indians and Euro-American Students in Introduction to Psychology through Small-Group, Peer-Mentored, Supplemental Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okun, Morris Alan; Berlin, Anna; Hanrahan, Jeanne; Lewis, James; Johnson, Kathryn

    2015-01-01

    Supplemental instruction (SI) is a small-group, peer-mentored programme which is compatible with the learning preferences of American Indian students. We tested the hypothesis that SI is a compensatory strategy that reduces the differences in the grades earned in introduction to psychology by Euro-American and American Indian students. The sample…

  2. The Use of Magnets for Introducing Primary School Students to Some Properties of Forces through Small-Group Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carruthers, Rebecca; de Berg, Kevin

    2010-01-01

    Seventeen Grade Six students were divided into small groups to study the concept of forces in the context of magnets and their properties. The researcher, a pre-service primary school teacher, encouraged the students into conversation about magnets and it was found that, without hesitation, they talked about their prior experience of magnets. The…

  3. Performance of Distance Learning Students in a Small Business Management Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kotey, Bernice; Anderson, Phil

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to compare the performance of distance-learning students in a Small Business Management (SBM) course with that of internal (on-campus) students, and to examine students' demographics and information processing systems for their moderating effects on performance of each student group.…

  4. Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn: One Student's Experience of Small Group Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Remedios, Louisa; Clarke, David; Hawthorne, Lesleyanne

    2012-01-01

    The dialogic nature of small group collaborative learning requires verbal contributions from students to progress individual and group learning. Speaking can become privileged over listening as a collaborative act, and an imbalance in these values can become embedded in the classroom culture to the degree that the core value of listening can be…

  5. A qualitative assessment of faculty perspectives of small group teaching experience in Iraq.

    PubMed

    Saleh, Abubakir M; Shabila, Nazar P; Dabbagh, Ali A; Al-Tawil, Namir G; Al-Hadithi, Tariq S

    2015-02-15

    Although medical colleges in Iraq started recently to increasingly use small group teaching approach, there is limited research on the challenges, opportunities and needs of small group teaching in Iraq particularly in Kurdistan Region. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the small group teaching experience in the 4(th) and 5(th) year of study in Hawler College of Medicine with a focus on characterizing the impressions of faculty members about how small group teaching is proceeding in the college. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected faculty members was conducted. An interview guide was used for data collection that was around different issues related to small group teaching in medical education including planning, preparation, positive aspects, problems facing its implementation, factors related to it and recommendations for improvement. Qualitative data analysis comprised identifying themes that emerged from the review of transcribed interviews. Participants reported some positive experience and a number of positive outcomes related to this experience including better controlling the class, enhancing students' understanding of the subject, increasing interaction in the class, increasing the students' confidence, enhancing more contact between teachers and students, improving the presentation skills of the students and improving the teacher performance. The participants emphasized poor preparation and planning for application of this system and highlighted a number of problems and challenges facing this experience particularly in terms of poor infrastructure and teaching facilities, poor orientation of students and teachers, inadequate course time for some subjects and shortage of faculty members in a number of departments. The main suggestions to improve this experience included improving the infrastructure and teaching facilities, using more interactive teaching methods and better organization and management of the system. Despite what the faculty perceived as the college's failure to provide physical settings or training for small group learning to the faculty and the students, the faculty members were able to articulate positive experiences and outcomes associated with their college's efforts to introduce teaching in smaller group sessions.

  6. Organizing Schools into Small Units: Alternatives to Homogeneous Grouping.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oxley, Diana

    1994-01-01

    Large school size adversely affects attendance, school climate, student involvement. Dividing large schools into small units creates a learning and teaching context that is more stable, intimate, supportive, interdisciplinary. Kohn-Holweide, a comprehensive German secondary school, groups all students at a given grade level with the same teachers…

  7. An Innovative and Successful Simulation Day.

    PubMed

    Bowling, Ann M; Eismann, Michelle

    This article discusses the development of a creative and innovative plan to incorporate independent activities, including skill reviews and scenarios, into a single eight-hour day, using small student groups to enhance the learning process for pediatric nursing students. The simulation day consists of skills activities and pediatric simulation scenarios using the human patient simulator. Using small student groups in simulation captures the students' attention and enhances motivation to learn. The simulation day is a work in progress; appropriate changes are continually being made to improve the simulation experience for students.

  8. Second teaching: An exploration of cognitive factors in small group physics learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novemsky, Lisa Forman

    This inquiry was focused on an exploration of introductory physics teaching. Alan Van Heuvelen's Overview Case Study (OCS) physics was the pedagogical approach involving guided small group problem solving and stressing concepts first, before mathematics. Second teaching is a new pedagogical construct based on Vygotsky's ideas. Structured small group activity follows traditional instruction facilitating learning for non-traditional students. It is a model of structured small group activity designed to follow traditional instruction to facilitate the learning process for students who find a physics optic (way of seeing) and physics language foreign. In informal small group settins students describe, explain, elaborate, test, and defend ideas in their own familiar vernacular as they collaborate in solving problems. Collective wisdom of a collaborative group, somewhat beyond the level for each individual member, is created then recreated through self-correction. Students improved significantly in physics knowledge. In a classroom setting, small groups of non-traditional physics students engaged in second teaching were observed. Written explanations to conceptual physics questions were analyzed. Development of language usage in relationship to introductory physics concept learning was studied. Overall physics learning correlated positively with gains in language clarity thus confirming the hypothesis that language development can be linked with gains in physics knowledge. Males and females were found to be significantly different in this respect. Male gains in language clarity were closely coupled with physics learning whereas female gains in the two measures were not coupled. Physics discourse, particularly in relationship to force and motion, seems to resonate with natural developmentally acquired sex-typical male but not female discourse. Thus, for males but not for females, physics learning proceeds in a seamless fashion wherein knowledge gains are coupled with language development. Average frequency in use of the indeterminate pronoun it per person decreased. Reificiation of qualifying terms appeared in the form of a word-form problem. In the process of reifying adjectival properties students may be recapitulating the language-bound history of natural science.

  9. Medical school 2.0: How we developed a student-generated question bank using small group learning.

    PubMed

    Gooi, Adrian C C; Sommerfeld, Connor S

    2015-01-01

    The multiple-choice question (MCQ) is one of the most common methods for formative and summative assessment in medical school. Common challenges with this format include (1) creating vetted questions and (2) involving students in higher-order learning activities. Involving medical students in the creation of MCQs may ameliorate both of these challenges. What we did: We used a small group learning structure to develop a student-generated question bank. Students created their own MCQ based on self-study materials, and then reviewed each other's questions within small groups. Selected questions were reviewed with the class as a whole. All questions were later vetted by the instructor and incorporated into a question bank that students could access for formative learning. Post-session survey indicated that 91% of the students felt that the class-created MCQ question bank was a valuable resource, and 86% of students would be interested in collaborating with the class for creating practice questions in future sessions. Developing a student-generated question bank can improve the depth and interactivity of student learning, increase session enjoyment and provide a potential resource for student assessment.

  10. What Factors Influence Well-being of Students on Performing Small Group Discussion?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wulanyani, N. M. S.; Vembriati, N.

    2018-01-01

    Generally, Faculty of Medicine of Udayana University applied Small Group Discussion (SGD) in its learning process. If group problem solving succeeds, each individual of the group will individually succeed. However, the success is also determined by each individual’s level of psychological well-being. When the students are in the high level of wellbeing, they will feel comfortable in small group discussion, and teamwork will be effective. Therefore, it is needed to conduct a research which investigates how psychological factors, such as traits, needs, cognitive, and social intelligence, influence students’ wellbeing in performing SGD. This research is also initiated by several cases of students who prefer individual learning and take SGD merely to fulfill attendance requirement. If the students have good wellbeing, they will take the SGD process optimally. The subject of this research was 100 students of Faculty of Medicine of Udayana University. This survey research used psychological test assessment, Psychological well-being scale, and Social Intelligence scale to gain data analyzed quantitatively. The results showed that all aspects of traits together with aspects ‘need for rules and supervision’ affect social intelligence. Furthermore, social intelligence factor with cognitive factors influence wellbeing of the students in the process of SGD.

  11. Examining the Effects of Text Genre and Structure on Fourth-and Fifth-Grade Students' High-Level Comprehension as Evidenced in Small-Group Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Mengyi; Murphy, P. Karen; Firetto, Carla M.

    2014-01-01

    Although there is a rich literature on the role of text genre and structure on students' literal comprehension, more research is needed regarding the role of these text features on students' high-level comprehension as evidenced in their small-group discussions. As such, the present study examined the effects of text genre (i.e., narrative and…

  12. Educational Outcomes of Small-Group Discussion Versus Traditional Lecture Format in Dental Students' Learning and Skills Acquisition.

    PubMed

    Arias, Ana; Scott, Raymond; Peters, Ove A; McClain, Elizabeth; Gluskin, Alan H

    2016-04-01

    The aim of this prospective quantitative study was to compare the effect of different instructional formats on dental students' skills and knowledge acquisition for access cavity preparation. All first-year dental students were invited to participate in this study conducted during the four consecutive two-week endodontic rotation courses at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in spring semester 2015. Four alphabetically distributed intact groups of students were randomly allocated to two groups (n=70 each) that participated in either small-group discussion or a traditional lecture on access preparation. The first outcome measure was skill acquisition, measured by the quality of access cavities prepared in extracted teeth at the conclusion of the session. Two blinded raters scored direct observations on a continuous scale. Knowledge, the second outcome measure, was scored with a multiple-choice and open-ended question test at the end of each two-week session. Data were obtained for 134 of the 140 students, for a 96% response rate. The results showed that students in the small-group discussion groups scored significantly higher than those in the lecture groups when skill performance was tested (p=8.9 × 10(-7)). However, no significant differences were found in the acquisition of knowledge between the two groups on the written test. Active student participation was significantly related to improved manual skill acquisition, but the format of the session does not seem to have had a direct influence on acquired knowledge.

  13. Teaching neurology to medical students with a simplified version of team-based learning.

    PubMed

    Brich, Jochen; Jost, Meike; Brüstle, Peter; Giesler, Marianne; Rijntjes, Michel

    2017-08-08

    To compare the effect of a simplified version of team-based learning (sTBL), an active learning/small group instructional strategy, with that of the traditionally used small group interactive seminars on the acquisition of knowledge and clinical reasoning (CR) skills. Third- and fourth-year medical students (n = 122) were randomly distributed into 2 groups. A crossover design was used in which 2 neurologic topics were taught by sTBL and 2 by small group interactive seminars. Knowledge was assessed with a multiple-choice question examination (MCQE), CR skills with a key feature problem examination (KFPE). Questionnaires were used for further methodologic evaluation. No group differences were found in the MCQE results. sTBL instruction of the topic "acute altered mental status" was associated with a significantly better student performance in the KFPE ( p = 0.008), with no differences in the other 3 topics covered. Although both teaching methods were highly rated by the students, a clear majority voted for sTBL as their preferred future teaching method. sTBL served as an equivalent alternative to small group interactive seminars for imparting knowledge and teaching CR skills, and was particularly advantageous for teaching CR in the setting of a complex neurologic topic. Furthermore, students reported a strong preference for the sTBL approach, making it a promising tool for effectively teaching neurology. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

  14. A team-based interprofessional education course for first-year health professions students.

    PubMed

    Peeters, Michael J; Sexton, Martha; Metz, Alexia E; Hasbrouck, Carol S

    2017-11-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) is required within pharmacy education, and should include classroom-based education along with experiential interprofessional collaboration. For classroom-based education, small-group learning environments may create a better platform for engaging students in the essential domain of interprofessional collaboration towards meaningful learning within IPE sub-domains (interprofessional communication, teams and teamwork, roles and responsibilities, and values and ethics). Faculty envisioned creating a small-group learning environment that was inviting, interactive, and flexible using situated learning theory. This report describes an introductory, team-based, IPE course for first-year health-professions students; it used small-group methods for health-professions students' learning of interprofessional collaboration. The University of Toledo implemented a 14-week required course involving 554 first-year health-sciences students from eight professions. The course focused on the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's (IPEC) Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaboration. Students were placed within interprofessional teams of 11-12 students each and engaged in simulations, standardized-patient interviews, case-based communications exercises, vital signs training, and patient safety rotations. Outcomes measured were students' self-ratings of attaining learning objectives, perceptions of other professions (from word cloud), and satisfaction through end-of-course evaluations. This introductory, team-based IPE course with 554 students improved students' self-assessed competency in learning objectives (p < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.9), changed students' perceptions of other professions (via word clouds), and met students' satisfaction through course evaluations. Through triangulation of our various assessment methods, we considered this course offering a success. This interprofessional, team-based, small-group strategy to teaching and learning IPE appeared helpful within this interactive, classroom-based course. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The Effect of Extra Small Group Session during PBL Implementation on Student's Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khalil, Mahmoud Salah; Al Rukban, Mohammad Othman

    2010-01-01

    Problem based learning (PBL) started to spread in health professions in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of this century. There are several challenges facing its implementation such as defects on interpersonal communications and self-directed learning. These challenges would affect students' performance in small group discussions and their…

  16. A Comparison of Computer-Assisted Instruction and Tutorials in Hematology and Oncology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garrett, T. J.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    A study comparing the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and small group instruction found no significant difference in medical student achievement in oncology but higher achievement through small-group instruction in hematology. Students did not view CAI as more effective, but saw it as a supplement to traditional methods. (MSE)

  17. Exploring Differences in Students' Engagement in Literature Discussions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godinho, Sally; Shrimpton, Bradley

    This paper discusses research in progress which is examining differences in the ways that boys and girls engage in small-group literature discussions, and the enabling strategies teachers use to support student talk. The paper uses case studies which draw on videotaped data from small-group literature discussions, interviews with teachers, and…

  18. Impact of Student vs Faculty Facilitators on Motivational Interviewing Student Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Widder-Prewett, Rebecca; Draime, Juanita A; Cameron, Ginger; Anderson, Douglas; Pinkerton, Mark; Chen, Aleda M H

    2017-08-01

    Objective. To determine the impact of student or faculty facilitation on student self-assessed attitudes, confidence, and competence in motivational interviewing (MI) skills; actual competence; and evaluation of facilitator performance. Methods. Second-year pharmacy (P2) students were randomly assigned to a student or faculty facilitator for a four-hour, small-group practice of MI skills. MI skills were assessed in a simulated patient encounter with the mMITI (modified Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity) tool. Students completed a pre-post, 6-point, Likert-type assessment addressing the research objectives. Differences were assessed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Student (N=44) post-test attitudes, confidence, perceived or actual competence, and evaluations of facilitator performance were not different for faculty- and student-facilitated groups. Conclusion. Using pharmacy students as small-group facilitators did not affect student performance and were viewed as equally favorable. Using pharmacy students as facilitators can lessen faculty workload and provide an outlet for students to develop communication and facilitation skills that will be needed in future practice.

  19. Whole-Group Response Strategies to Promote Student Engagement in Inclusive Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagro, Sarah A.; Hooks, Sara D.; Fraser, Dawn W.; Cornelius, Kyena E.

    2016-01-01

    Students with learning disabilities are often educated in inclusive classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. Although differentiated small-group instruction is ideal for students with learning disabilities, whole-group instruction continues to be the predominant instructional model in inclusive classrooms. This can create major…

  20. The Use of Group versus Individual Settings for Assessing Student Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atkins-Burnett, Sally; Rowan, Brian; Correnti, Richard

    This paper reports on an experiment examining the consequences of assessing kindergarten and first-grade students' academic achievement in group versus individualized assessment settings. Students (n=442) blocked by classroom and grade level were randomly assigned to one of two assessment modes: a small group setting with 8 other students from…

  1. Small Group Multitasking in Literature Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baurain, Bradley

    2007-01-01

    Faced with the challenge of teaching American literature to large, multilevel classes in Vietnam, the writer developed a flexible small group framework called "multitasking". "Multitasking" sets up stable task categories which rotate among small groups from lesson to lesson. This framework enabled students to work cooperatively…

  2. Learning styles and strategies preferences of Iranian medical students in gross anatomy courses and their correlations with gender.

    PubMed

    Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Moravveji, Alireza; Nikzad, Hossein; Mehrabadi, Vahid; Naderian, Homayoun

    2017-12-01

    The learning approaches can help anatomy teachers design a suitable curriculum in harmony with their students' learning styles. The research objective is to evaluate gross anatomy learning styles and strategies preferences of Iranian medical students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences (KAUMS). This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out on 237 Iranian medical students. The students answered questions on approaches to learning anatomy and expressed opinions about learning anatomy in medical curriculum. The data were analyzed to disclose statistically significant differences between male and female students. Iranian male and female students were interested in learning anatomy using notes, plastic models, pictures and diagrams, clinical context, dissection and prosection of cadavers; however, they rarely used cross-sectional images and web-based resources. Both groups of medical students used region and system in learning anatomy. However, there existed some striking differences, particularly in having difficulty in studying anatomy using cadaveric specimens, using books alone, and learning it in small groups. Male students were less interested in learning with cadavers than female counterparts. However, female students were more interested in learning anatomy in small groups. This study suggests that instructors should design gross anatomy curriculum based on limitations of using dissection of cadaver in Iranian universities, emphasis on the applied anatomy, and learning of gross anatomy in small groups.

  3. Who is the competent physics student? A study of students' positions and social interaction in small-group discussions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Due, Karin

    2014-06-01

    This article describes a study which explored the social interaction and the reproduction and challenge of gendered discourses in small group discussions in physics. Data for the study consisted of video recordings of eight upper secondary school groups solving physics problems and 15 audiotaped individual interviews with participating students. The analysis was based on gender theory viewing gender both as a process and a discourse. Specifically discursive psychology analysis was used to examine how students position themselves and their peers within discourses of physics and gender. The results of the study reveal how images of physics and of "skilled physics student" were constructed in the context of the interviews. These discourses were reconstructed in the students' discussions and their social interactions within groups. Traditional gendered positions were reconstructed, for example with boys positioned as more competent in physics than girls. These positions were however also resisted and challenged.

  4. Perceptions of problem-based learning (PBL) group effectiveness in a socially-culturally diverse medical student population.

    PubMed

    Singaram, V S; Dolmans, D H J M; Lachman, N; van der Vleuten, C P M

    2008-07-01

    A key aspect of the success of a PBL curriculum is the effective implementation of its small group tutorials. Diversity among students participating in tutorials may affect the effectiveness of the tutorials and may require different implementation strategies. To determine how students from diverse backgrounds perceive the effectiveness of the processes and content of the PBL tutorials. This study also aims to explore the relationship between students' perceptions of their PBL tutorials and their gender, age, language, prior educational training, and secondary schooling. Data were survey results from 244 first-year student-respondents at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to verify scale constructs in the questionnaire. Relationships between independent and dependent variables were investigated in an analysis of variance. The average scores for the items measured varied between 3.3 and 3.8 (scale value 1 indicated negative regard and 5 indicated positive regard). Among process measures, approximately two-thirds of students felt that learning in a group was neither frustrating nor stressful and that they enjoyed learning how to work with students from different social and cultural backgrounds. Among content measures, 80% of the students felt that they learned to work successfully with students from different social and cultural groups and 77% felt that they benefited from the input of other group members. Mean ratings on these measures did not vary with students' gender, age, first language, prior educational training, and the types of schools they had previously attended. Medical students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, regardless of their backgrounds, generally have positive perceptions of small group learning. These findings support previous studies in highlighting the role that small group tutorials can play in overcoming cultural barriers and promoting unity and collaborative learning within diverse student groups.

  5. Increasing Social Presence in Online Learning through Small Group Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akcaoglu, Mete; Lee, Eunbae

    2016-01-01

    Social presence is difficult to achieve, but an imperative component of online learning. In this study, we investigated the effect of group size on students' perceptions of social presence in two graduate-level online courses, comparing small group versus whole class discussions. Our results indicated that when in small group discussions, students…

  6. Facilitating Active Engagement of the University Student in a Large-Group Setting Using Group Work Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinsella, Gemma K.; Mahon, Catherine; Lillis, Seamus

    2017-01-01

    It is envisaged that small-group exercises as part of a large-group session would facilitate not only group work exercises (a valuable employability skill), but also peer learning. In this article, such a strategy to facilitate the active engagement of the student in a large-group setting was explored. The production of student-led resources was…

  7. The Effects of Social Skills Instruction on the Social Behaviors of Students at Risk for Emotional or Behavioral Disorders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lo, Ya-yu; Loe, Scott A.; Cartledge, Gwendolyn

    2002-01-01

    A study examined the effects of pullout small-group and teacher-directed classroom-based social skills instruction on antisocial behaviors of five third- and fourth-grade students at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders. Results indicated moderate reduction in antisocial behaviors during small-group social skills instruction. (Contains…

  8. Quantum Talk: How Small-Group Discussions May Enhance Students' Understanding in Quantum Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bungum, Berit; Bøe, Maria Vetleseter; Henriksen, Ellen Karoline

    2018-01-01

    Quantum physics challenges our views of the physical world and describes phenomena that cannot be directly observed. The use of language is hence essential in the teaching of quantum physics. With a sociocultural view of learning, we investigate characteristics of preuniversity students' small-group discussions and their potential for enhancing…

  9. Examination of Students' Small Groups Discussion in Argumentation Process: Scientific and Socio-Scientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Memis, Esra Kabatas; Cevik, Ebru Ezberci

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine processes experienced by students of different achievement levels in small group discussions in argumentation applications conducted in scientific and socio-scientific issues. Case study which is a qualitative research design was used for the study. In this line, a success test including mechanical subjects…

  10. Do Residential-Only Learning Communities Affect Measures of First-Year Student Success and Faculty Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Andrew Robert

    2013-01-01

    The history of higher education presents us with many examples of small groups of students living, working, and even eating together in mutually beneficial ways. In recent years, institutions have employed a variety of learning community (LC) models, including residential, academic, and mixed models, to recreate these small groups and encourage…

  11. Teaching Macroeconomics to the Visually Impaired: New Tactile Methods, Verbal Precision, and Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naples, Michele I.

    2017-01-01

    Visually-impaired students require tailored pedagogies to ensure their instruction is as high quality as for sighted students. They follow board work during class by referring to typed class notes provided ahead of time via a Braille reader, and in-class small groups solving problems create an inclusive "esprit de corps" and promote…

  12. Enactment of Teacher Identity in Resolving Student Disagreements in Small Group Peer Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Bal Krishna

    2013-01-01

    This study presents a sequential analysis of the enactment of teacher identity in closing disagreements among students in small group peer interactions in an advanced academic writing class. In doing so, it discusses: (a) the micro-details of how oppositional stances and opinions are constructed, challenged and/or defended; (b) the sequential…

  13. Small Groups in a Social Learning MOOC (sIMOOC): Strategies for Fostering Learning and Knowledge Creation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krasny, Marianne E.; DuBois, Bryce; Adameit, Mechthild; Atiogbe, Ronnie; Alfakihuddin, Muhammad Lukman Baihaqi; Bold-erdene, Tergel; Golshani, Zahra; González-González, Rodrigo; Kimirei, Ishmael; Leung, Yamme; Shian-Yun, Lo; Yao, Yue

    2018-01-01

    Social support and face-to-face learning may enhance outcomes for students who face barriers in accessing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This study investigated how self-identified volunteer leaders guide and foster interactions among small groups of students who face technical and conceptual barriers in accessing MOOC content. Several…

  14. Testing the Efficacy of a Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention by Small Group Size

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T.; Kosty, Derek; Kurtz Nelson, Evangeline; Smolkowski, Keith; Fien, Hank; Turtura, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    This study used a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the ROOTS curriculum, a 50-lesson kindergarten mathematics intervention. Ten ROOTS-eligible students per classroom (n = 60) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a ROOTS five-student group, a ROOTS two-student group, and a no-treatment control group. Two primary…

  15. Impact of librarians in first-year medical and dental student problem-based learning (PBL) groups: a controlled study.

    PubMed

    Koufogiannakis, Denise; Buckingham, Jeanette; Alibhai, Arif; Rayner, David

    2005-09-01

    Librarians at the University of Alberta have been involved with teaching undergraduate medical and dental education for several years. After 1 year of increased librarian involvement at the problem-based learning (PBL), small-group level, informal feedback from faculty and students suggested that librarians' participation in PBL groups was beneficial. There was, however, no real evidence to support this claim or justify the high demand on librarians' time. The study aimed to determine whether having a librarian present in the small-group, problem-based learning modules for first-year medical and dental students results in an improved understanding of evidence-based medicine concepts, the nature of medical literature, and information access skills. One hundred and sixty-four first-year medical and dental students participated in the study. There were a total of 18 PBL groups, each with approximately nine students and one faculty tutor. Six librarians participated and were assigned randomly to the six intervention groups. Students were given pre- and post-tests at the outset and upon completion of the 6-week course. Post-test scores showed that there was a small positive librarian impact, but final exam scores showed no impact. There was also no difference in attitudes or comfort levels between students who had a librarian in their group and those who did not. Impact was not sufficient to warrant continued participation of librarians in PBL. In future instruction, librarians at the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library will continue to teach at the larger group level.

  16. Math Exchanges: Guiding Young Mathematicians in Small-Group Meetings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wedekind, Kassia Omohundro

    2011-01-01

    Traditionally, small-group math instruction has been used as a format for reaching children who struggle to understand. Math coach Kassia Omohundro Wedekind uses small-group instruction as the centerpiece of her math workshop approach, engaging all students in rigorous "math exchanges." The key characteristics of these mathematical conversations…

  17. Small-Group Interview-Based Discussions about Diffused Shadow.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eshach, Haim

    2003-01-01

    Investigates students' changes in conception about diffused shadows during Nussbaum and Novick's suggested sequence of teaching. Reports that (a) students'"entering" ideas were unstable, (b) language and materialistic views of light influenced students' ideas, (c) students' ideas were influenced by group concepts of the nature of light,…

  18. Computer-assisted instruction versus traditional lecture for medical student teaching of dermatology morphology: a randomized control trial.

    PubMed

    Jenkins, Sasha; Goel, Ruchika; Morrell, Dean S

    2008-08-01

    The effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction is unproven. To evaluate the effectiveness of an online computerized dermatology module compared to traditional lecture-based teaching to medical students. Medical students were randomized to two groups. Group 1 of 37 students had access to a computer-based dermatology tutorial. Group 2 of 36 students attended a lecture on skin morphology, identical to the tutorial, given by a dermatology faculty member. The main outcome was the total number of correct answers on a multiple-choice morphologic terminology final examination. The mean number of questions answered correctly was 16.14 and 14.89 for group 1 and group 2, respectively. Unpaired statistical t tests showed the difference in mean scores between the two groups to be 1.25 (95% confidence interval: -0.70 to 3.20, p value = .20). The study was small, with a small amount of material, and was brief in duration. Within the limits of our study, computer-assisted instruction is at least as effective as traditional lecture teaching of dermatology morphology to medical students.

  19. Using social media to support small group learning.

    PubMed

    Cole, Duncan; Rengasamy, Emma; Batchelor, Shafqat; Pope, Charles; Riley, Stephen; Cunningham, Anne Marie

    2017-11-10

    Medical curricula are increasingly using small group learning and less didactic lecture-based teaching. This creates new challenges and opportunities in how students are best supported with information technology. We explored how university-supported and external social media could support collaborative small group working on our new undergraduate medical curriculum. We made available a curation platform (Scoop.it) and a wiki within our virtual learning environment as part of year 1 Case-Based Learning, and did not discourage the use of other tools such as Facebook. We undertook student surveys to capture perceptions of the tools and information on how they were used, and employed software user metrics to explore the extent to which they were used during the year. Student groups developed a preferred way of working early in the course. Most groups used Facebook to facilitate communication within the group, and to host documents and notes. There were more barriers to using the wiki and curation platform, although some groups did make extensive use of them. Staff engagement was variable, with some tutors reviewing the content posted on the wiki and curation platform in face-to-face sessions, but not outside these times. A small number of staff posted resources and reviewed student posts on the curation platform. Optimum use of these tools depends on sufficient training of both staff and students, and an opportunity to practice using them, with ongoing support. The platforms can all support collaborative learning, and may help develop digital literacy, critical appraisal skills, and awareness of wider health issues in society.

  20. Evaluation of Teaching Clinical Pharmacology of Antiarrhythmic Drugs to First-Year MBBS Students Through Worksheet-Based Small-Group Discussion.

    PubMed

    Hasamnis, Ameya A; Arya, Aditya

    2017-01-01

    Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world. Learning the science behind the use of antiarrhythmic drugs is essential for all medical graduates. However, many antiarrhythmic drugs are available, and most of them have complex pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles. We tried to improvise our teaching by conducting interactive, worksheet-based, small-group discussion on antiarrhythmic drugs with preclinical students of School of Medicine, Taylor's University, Malaysia. This survey was conducted to analyze the outcomes of worksheet-based, small-group discussion.

  1. Students as Teachers: Effectiveness of a Peer-Led STEM Learning Programme over 10 Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drane, Denise; Micari, Marina; Light, Gregory

    2014-01-01

    Peer-led small-group learning has been used quite extensively in the US to enhance performance and retention of undergraduate students in science, math, and engineering classes. This study presents the results from an evaluation of a peer-led small-group programme at a research university in the US over a 10-year period across five disciplines…

  2. Worrying about What Others Think: A Social-Comparison Concern Intervention in Small Learning Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Micari, Marina; Pazos, Pilar

    2014-01-01

    Small-group learning has become commonplace in education at all levels. While it has been shown to have many benefits, previous research has demonstrated that it may not always work to the advantage of every student. One potential problem is that less-prepared students may feel anxious about participating, for fear of looking "dumb" in…

  3. The Development of a Small-World Network of Higher Education Students, Using a Large-Group Problem-Solving Method

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sousa, Fernando Cardoso; Monteiro, Ileana Pardal; Pellissier, René

    2014-01-01

    This article presents the development of a small-world network using an adapted version of the large-group problem-solving method "Future Search." Two management classes in a higher education setting were selected and required to plan a project. The students completed a survey focused on the frequency of communications before and after…

  4. Pre-Service Teachers: An Analysis of Reading Instruction in High Needs Districts Dual Language Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitacre, Michael; Diaz, Zulmaris; Esquierdo, Joy

    2013-01-01

    Pre-service teachers need opportunities to apply theory and connect to best practices as they teach in classroom settings be it, whole or small group. For many pre-service teachers often times their experience is limited to simply watching instruction or working with small groups of students (Pryor & Kuhn, 2004). The student teaching…

  5. Using Small-Group Instruction to Improve Students' Reading Fluency: An Evaluation of the Existing Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Begeny, John C.; Levy, Rebecca A.; Field, Stacey A.

    2018-01-01

    Reading fluency is necessary for reading comprehension, but approximately 40% of U.S. fourth-grade students have inadequate reading fluency skills. Because small-group (SG) instruction is often used as a first line of intervention for struggling readers, SG instruction targeting deficiencies in text reading fluency ought to be part of every…

  6. The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on the Reading Comprehension Skills in Turkish as a Foreign Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bolukbas, Fatma; Keskin, Funda; Polat, Mustafa

    2011-01-01

    Cooperative learning is a process through which students with various abilities, gender, nationalities and different level of social skills carry out their learning process by working in small groups and helping each other. Cooperative learning is a pedagogical use of small groups which enable students to maximize both their own and others'…

  7. Impact of Student vs Faculty Facilitators on Motivational Interviewing Student Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Widder-Prewett, Rebecca; Cameron, Ginger; Anderson, Douglas; Pinkerton, Mark; Chen, Aleda M. H.

    2017-01-01

    Objective. To determine the impact of student or faculty facilitation on student self-assessed attitudes, confidence, and competence in motivational interviewing (MI) skills; actual competence; and evaluation of facilitator performance. Methods. Second-year pharmacy (P2) students were randomly assigned to a student or faculty facilitator for a four-hour, small-group practice of MI skills. MI skills were assessed in a simulated patient encounter with the mMITI (modified Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity) tool. Students completed a pre-post, 6-point, Likert-type assessment addressing the research objectives. Differences were assessed using a Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Student (N=44) post-test attitudes, confidence, perceived or actual competence, and evaluations of facilitator performance were not different for faculty- and student-facilitated groups. Conclusion. Using pharmacy students as small-group facilitators did not affect student performance and were viewed as equally favorable. Using pharmacy students as facilitators can lessen faculty workload and provide an outlet for students to develop communication and facilitation skills that will be needed in future practice. PMID:28970608

  8. Effectiveness of Small-Group Tutoring Interventions for Improving the Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance of Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties: A Randomized Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jitendra, Asha K.; Dupuis, Danielle N.; Rodriguez, Michael C.

    2012-01-01

    The present research assessed the efficacy of two tutoring protocols for improving the mathematics outcomes of at-risk third-grade students. Results indicated that students in the schema-based instruction (SBI) group outperformed students in the control group on word problem solving performance after 30 hours of problem-solving experience, but the…

  9. Permanent Base Groups in Broadcast Journalism Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boldoc, William J.

    An instructor increases student performance, participation, and motivation in broadcast journalism and other media courses through the base group cooperative learning model. Base groups are a specific form of cooperative learning which enables students to become actively involved in small-group discussions and learning with a permanent group of…

  10. Student Leadership in Small Group Science Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Boz, Umit; Broadwell, George A.; Sadler, Troy D.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Science educators have sought to structure collaborative inquiry learning through the assignment of static group roles. This structural approach to student grouping oversimplifies the complexities of peer collaboration and overlooks the highly dynamic nature of group activity. Purpose: This study addresses this issue of…

  11. Using Small Group Debates to Actively Engage Students in an Introductory Microbiology Course†

    PubMed Central

    Shaw, Joyce A.

    2012-01-01

    Debates stimulate critical thinking and can be a highly effective way to actively engage students in the classroom. This paper describes a small group debate format in which groups of four to six students debated preassigned topics in microbiology in front of the rest of the class. Rapid advancements in science, especially in microbiology, provide the scaffolding for students to locate and share evidence-based information from a plethora of complex and often conflicting sources. Student-generated debate presentations can be a welcome respite from the lecture format. Debates were scheduled throughout the course to coincide with topics being covered. Questionnaires distributed immediately after each debate revealed that the debates were well received by students and were effective in changing student attitudes and misconceptions. Debate preparation provided students the opportunity to gain proficiency in accessing information from electronic databases, to use resources from professional organizations, and to synthesize and analyze information. In addition, the debate process gave students experience in developing oral communication skills. PMID:23653803

  12. Volunteer patients and small groups contribute to abdominal examination’s success

    PubMed Central

    Shields, Helen M; Fernandez-Becker, Nielsen Q; Flier, Sarah N; Vaughn, Byron P; Tukey, Melissa H; Pelletier, Stephen R; Horst, Douglas A

    2017-01-01

    Background Prior to 2007, we taught the abdominal examination in a hospital based group to 40 students, at one hospital. We used volunteer patients, small groups, repetition, and required faculty development sessions. In 2007, our medical school changed its “Introduction to Physical Examination” session so that the entire class was to be taught in a geographically central session. Our hospital was selected to lead the abdominal examination portion of the session. Aim Our aim was to answer three questions. First, could we quadruple the recruitment of volunteer patients, and faculty? Second, was it volunteer patients, small groups, repetition, or faculty training that was most valued by the students? Third, would volunteer patients and/or faculty agree to participate a second time? Methods A total of 43–46 patients and 43–46 faculty were recruited and 43–46 examining rooms were obtained for each of the 5 years of this study. Teachers were required to attend a 1-hour faculty development session. The class of about 170 students was divided into 43–46 groups each year. The teacher demonstrated the abdominal examination and each student practiced the examination on another student. Each student then repeated the full abdominal examination on a volunteer patient. Results Over the 5-year time period (2008–2012), the abdominal examination ranked first among all organ systems’ “Introductory Sessions”. The abdominal examination ratings had the best mean score (1.35) on a Likert scale where 1 is excellent and 5 is poor. The students gave the most positive spontaneous comments to having volunteer patients, with small groups coming in as the second most appreciated educational element. Conclusion We successfully quadrupled the number of faculty, patients, and examining rooms and created a highly rated educational program as measured by anonymous student evaluations, patient and faculty participation, and the medical school’s selecting the abdominal examination methods as an “Advanced Examination” for the Pathways Curriculum. PMID:29138611

  13. Volunteer patients and small groups contribute to abdominal examination's success.

    PubMed

    Shields, Helen M; Fernandez-Becker, Nielsen Q; Flier, Sarah N; Vaughn, Byron P; Tukey, Melissa H; Pelletier, Stephen R; Horst, Douglas A

    2017-01-01

    Prior to 2007, we taught the abdominal examination in a hospital based group to 40 students, at one hospital. We used volunteer patients, small groups, repetition, and required faculty development sessions. In 2007, our medical school changed its "Introduction to Physical Examination" session so that the entire class was to be taught in a geographically central session. Our hospital was selected to lead the abdominal examination portion of the session. Our aim was to answer three questions. First, could we quadruple the recruitment of volunteer patients, and faculty? Second, was it volunteer patients, small groups, repetition, or faculty training that was most valued by the students? Third, would volunteer patients and/or faculty agree to participate a second time? A total of 43-46 patients and 43-46 faculty were recruited and 43-46 examining rooms were obtained for each of the 5 years of this study. Teachers were required to attend a 1-hour faculty development session. The class of about 170 students was divided into 43-46 groups each year. The teacher demonstrated the abdominal examination and each student practiced the examination on another student. Each student then repeated the full abdominal examination on a volunteer patient. Over the 5-year time period (2008-2012), the abdominal examination ranked first among all organ systems' "Introductory Sessions". The abdominal examination ratings had the best mean score (1.35) on a Likert scale where 1 is excellent and 5 is poor. The students gave the most positive spontaneous comments to having volunteer patients, with small groups coming in as the second most appreciated educational element. We successfully quadrupled the number of faculty, patients, and examining rooms and created a highly rated educational program as measured by anonymous student evaluations, patient and faculty participation, and the medical school's selecting the abdominal examination methods as an "Advanced Examination" for the Pathways Curriculum.

  14. Effects of Small-Group Learning on Transfer: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pai, Hui-Hua; Sears, David A.; Maeda, Yukiko

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the potential benefit of small-group learning on transfer performance using the method of meta-analysis. Results showed positive support for the hypothesis that small-group learning can increase students' transfer performance (average effect size of 0.30). Unlike reviews of effects of cooperation on learning, this…

  15. Interactive large-group teaching in a dermatology course.

    PubMed

    Ochsendorf, F R; Boehncke, W-H; Sommerlad, M; Kaufmann, R

    2006-12-01

    This is a prospective study to find out whether an interactive large-group case-based teaching approach combined with small-group bedside teaching improves student satisfaction and learning outcome in a practical dermatology course. During two consecutive terms a rotating system of large-group interactive case-study-method teaching with two tutors (one content expert, one process facilitator) and bedside teaching with randomly appointed tutors was evaluated with a nine-item questionnaire and multiple-choice test performed at the beginning and the end of the course (n = 204/231 students evaluable). The results of three different didactic approaches utilized over the prior year served as a control. The interactive course was rated significantly better (p < 0.0001) than the standard course with regard to all items. The aggregate mark given by the students for the whole course was 1.58-0.61 (mean +/- SD, range 1 (good)-5 (poor)). This was significantly better than the standard course (p < 0.0001) and not different from small-group teaching approaches. The mean test results in the final examination improved significantly (p < 0.01). The combination of large-group interactive teaching and small-group bedside teaching was well accepted, improved the learning outcome, was rated as good as a small-group didactic approach and needed fewer resources in terms of personnel.

  16. Using the Competent Small Group Communicator Instrument to Assess Group Performance in the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albert, Lawrence S.

    If being a competent small group problem solver is difficult, it is even more difficult to impart those competencies to others. Unlike athletic coaches who are near their players during the real game, teachers of small group communication are not typically present for on-the-spot coaching when their students are doing their problem solving. That…

  17. Ethnography as a Tool for Research in Student Activities at Small Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sullivan, James V.

    During the 1979-80 academic year, a study was conducted to determine the beliefs and attitudes held by individuals in four groups (students, parents, teachers, and administrators) directly associated with the student activity program in a small Mississippi high school using ethnographic techniques. Ethnographic techniques involve the direct…

  18. "Explain to Your Partner": Teachers' Instructional Practices and Students' Dialogue in Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Noreen M.; Franke, Megan L.; De, Tondra; Chan, Angela G.; Freund, Deanna; Shein, Pat; Melkonian, Doris K.

    2009-01-01

    Collaborative group work has great potential to promote student learning, and increasing evidence exists about the kinds of interaction among students that are necessary to achieve this potential. Less often studied is the role of the teacher in promoting effective group collaboration. This article investigates the extent to which teachers'…

  19. Promoting University Students' Engagement in Learning through Instructor-Initiated EFL Writing Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutwarasibo, Faustin

    2014-01-01

    This article examines how to promote university students' engagement in learning by means of instructor-initiated English as a foreign language (EFL) writing groups. The research took place in Rwanda and was undertaken as a case study involving 34 second-year undergraduate students, divided into 12 small working groups, and one instructor. The…

  20. Promoting University Students' Collaborative Learning through Instructor-Guided Writing Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutwarasibo, Faustin

    2013-01-01

    This paper aims to examine how to promote university students' engagement in learning by means of instructor-initiated EFL writing groups. The research took place in Rwanda and was undertaken as a case study involving 34 second year undergraduate students, divided into 12 small working groups and one instructor. The data were collected by means of…

  1. Ethnic and Gender Diversity, Process and Performance in Groups of Business Students in Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Umans, Timurs; Collin, Sven-Olof; Tagesson, Torbjorn

    2008-01-01

    This article investigates the complex interrelation between ethnic and gender diversity, process and performance among groups of business students. The article is based on an empirical survey of business students working on a complex assignment in groups of two to five in a small Swedish university. The results indicate that gender diversity leads…

  2. Saudi Students' Reactions to Peer Response Groups in EFL Composition Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alqurashi, Fahad

    2009-01-01

    The aim of the present research was to investigate how Saudi college students would respond to peer response techniques introduced in composition classrooms. The study was conducted over two consecutive semesters, namely the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006. Throughout the two semesters students were grouped in small groups of three, required to look at…

  3. Connectedness and Self-Regulation as Constructs of the Student Success Skills Program in Inner-City African American Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemberger, Matthew E.; Clemens, Elysia V.

    2012-01-01

    The authors evaluated a small-group counseling intervention, Student Success Skills, provided to 53 inner-city, 4th- and 5th-grade African American students. Compared with the control group, students who received the treatment reported significant changes in metacognitive skill and feelings of connectedness to school. Furthermore, treatment-group…

  4. Student perceptions of independent versus facilitated small group learning approaches to compressed medical anatomy education.

    PubMed

    Whelan, Alexander; Leddy, John J; Mindra, Sean; Matthew Hughes, J D; El-Bialy, Safaa; Ramnanan, Christopher J

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare student perceptions regarding two, small group learning approaches to compressed (46.5 prosection-based laboratory hours), integrated anatomy education at the University of Ottawa medical program. In the facilitated active learning (FAL) approach, tutors engage students and are expected to enable and balance both active learning and progression through laboratory objectives. In contrast, the emphasized independent learning (EIL) approach stresses elements from the "flipped classroom" educational model: prelaboratory preparation, independent laboratory learning, and limited tutor involvement. Quantitative (Likert-style questions) and qualitative data (independent thematic analysis of open-ended commentary) from a survey of students who had completed the preclerkship curriculum identified strengths from the EIL (promoting student collaboration and communication) and FAL (successful progression through objectives) approaches. However, EIL led to student frustration related to a lack of direction and impaired completion of objectives, whereas active learning opportunities in FAL were highly variable and dependent on tutor teaching style. A "hidden curriculum" was also identified, where students (particularly EIL and clerkship students) commonly compared their compressed anatomy education or their anatomy learning environment with other approaches. Finally, while both groups highly regarded the efficiency of prosection-based learning and expressed value for cadaveric-based learning, student commentary noted that the lack of grade value dedicated to anatomy assessment limited student accountability. This study revealed critical insights into small group learning in compressed anatomy education, including the need to balance student active learning opportunities with appropriate direction and feedback (including assessment). © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

  5. Developing Productive Dispositions during Small-Group Work in Two Sixth-Grade Mathematics Classrooms: Teachers' Facilitation Efforts and Students' Self-Reported Benefits

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jansen, Amanda

    2012-01-01

    Through this exploratory study, I developed conjectures about classroom conditions that had the potential to support (or not) the development of productive dispositions toward mathematics. To do so, I listened to sixth-grade students' voices about their experiences with small-group work in 2 mathematics classrooms and contrasted their teachers'…

  6. Prediction and prevention of failure: an early intervention to assist at-risk medical students.

    PubMed

    Winston, Kalman A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Scherpbier, Albert J J A

    2014-01-01

    Consistent identification and prevention of failure for at-risk medical students is challenging, failing courses is costly to all stakeholders, and there is need for further research into duration, timing and structure of interventions to help students in difficulty. To verify the value of a new exam two weeks into medical school as a predictor of failure, and explore the requirements for a preventative intervention. Students who failed the two-week exam were invited to a series of large-group workshops and small-group follow-up meetings. Participants' subsequent exam performance was compared with non-participants. About 71% of students who performed poorly in the new exam subsequently failed a course. Attendance at the workshops made no difference to short- or long-term pass rates. Attendance at more than three follow-up small group sessions significantly improved pass rates two semesters later, and was influenced by teacher experience. Close similarity between predictor task and target task is important for accurate prediction of failure. Consideration should be given to dose effect and class size in the prevention of failure of at-risk students, and we recommend a systemic approach to intervention/remediation programmes, involving a whole semester of mandatory, weekly small group meetings with experienced teachers.

  7. The use of tools for learning science in small groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valdes, Rosa Maria

    2000-10-01

    "Hands-on" learning through the use of tools or manipulatives representative of science concepts has long been an important component of the middle school science curriculum. However, scarce research exists on the impact of tool use on learning of science concepts, particularly on the processes involved in such learning. This study investigated how the use of tools by students engaged in small group discussion about the concept of electrical resistance and the explanations that accompany such use leads to improved understandings of the concept. Specifically, the main hypothesis of the study was that students who observe explanations by their high-ability peers accompanied by accurate tool use and who are highly engaged in these explanations would show learning gains. Videotaped interactions of students working in small groups to solve tasks on electricity were coded using scales that measured the accuracy of the tool use, the accuracy of the explanations presented, and the level of engagement of target students. The data of 48 students whose knowledge of the concept of resistance was initially low and who also were determined to be low achievers as shown by their scores on a set of pretest, was analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that students who observed their peers give explanations using tools and who were engaged at least moderately made gains in their understandings of resistance. Specifically, the results of regression analyses showed that both the level of accuracy of a high-ability peer's explanation and the target student's level of engagement in the explanation significantly predicted target students' outcome scores. The number of presentations offered by a high-ability peer also significantly predicted outcome scores. Case study analyses of six students found that students who improved their scores the most from pretest to posttest had high-ability peers who tended to be verbal and who gave numerous explanations, whereas students who improved the least had high-ability peers who gave no explanations at all. Important implications of this study for teaching are that (1) teachers should group students heterogeneously and should monitor students' small groups to insure that students are producing content-oriented discussion, and (2) students should be allowed to manipulate tools that allow experimentation as students build understandings and promote communication of abstract ideas.

  8. Emotions in Group Work: Insights from an Appraisal-Oriented Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zschocke, Karen; Wosnitza, Marold; Bürger, Kathrin

    2016-01-01

    Small group work is common practice in higher education. However, empirical research on students' emotions related to group work is still relatively scarce. Particularly, little is known about students' appraisals of a group task as antecedents of emotions arising in the context of group work. This paper provides a first attempt to systematically…

  9. A Multi-Modal Active Learning Experience for Teaching Social Categorization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwarzmueller, April

    2011-01-01

    This article details a multi-modal active learning experience to help students understand elements of social categorization. Each student in a group dynamics course observed two groups in conflict and identified examples of in-group bias, double-standard thinking, out-group homogeneity bias, law of small numbers, group attribution error, ultimate…

  10. Assessing the Internal Dynamics of Mathematical Problem Solving in Small Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Artzt, Alice F.; Armour-Thomas, Eleanor

    The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the problem-solving behaviors and perceptions of (n=27) seventh-grade students as they worked on solving a mathematical problem within a small-group setting. An assessment system was developed that allowed for this analysis. To assess problem-solving behaviors within a small group a Group…

  11. The Use of Small Group Tutorials as an Educational Strategy in Medical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferris, Helena

    2015-01-01

    Small group tutorials are an educational strategy that is growing in popularity in medical education. This is indicative of the movement from a traditional teacher centred approach to more student-centred learning, which is characterised by active participation and autonomous learning (Hedge et al, 2011). However, small group teaching is one of…

  12. Where Are the Foundation Phase Teachers for Our Children? Black Students' Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steyn, M. G.; Harris, T.; Hartell, C. G.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this research project was to explore how Black students perceive the reasons for the low enrolment of Black students in the Foundation Phase teacher education and training programmes at universities. Focus groups and follow up small group interviews were conducted to explore the reasons why Black students choose Foundation Phase and…

  13. The Social Foundation of Team-Based Learning: Students Accountable to Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sweet, Michael; Pelton-Sweet, Laura M.

    2008-01-01

    As one form of small group learning, team-based learning's (TBL's) unique sequence of individual and group work with immediate feedback enables and encourages students to engage course content and each other in remarkable ways. Specifically, TBL creates an environment where students can fulfill their human need to belong in the process of…

  14. Measuring Student Interactions Using Networks: Insights into the Learning Community of a Large Active Learning Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchenroth-Martin, Cynthia; DiMartino, Trevor; Martin, Andrew P.

    2017-01-01

    Collaborative learning in small groups is commonly implemented as a part of student-centered curricula. In large-enrollment courses, details of the interactions among students as a consequence of working in collaborative groups are often unknown but are important because how students interact influences the effectiveness of peer learning. We…

  15. Establishing CAD/CAM in Preclinical Dental Education: Evaluation of a Hands-On Module.

    PubMed

    Schwindling, Franz Sebastian; Deisenhofer, Ulrich Karl; Porsche, Monika; Rammelsberg, Peter; Kappel, Stefanie; Stober, Thomas

    2015-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate a hands-on computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) module in a preclinical dental course in restorative dentistry. A controlled trial was conducted by dividing a class of 56 third-year dental students in Germany into study and control groups; allocation to the two groups depended on student schedules. Prior information about CAD/CAM-based restorations was provided for all students by means of lectures, preparation exercises, and production of gypsum casts of prepared resin teeth. The study group (32 students) then participated in a hands-on CAD/CAM module in small groups, digitizing their casts and designing zirconia frameworks for single crowns. The digitization process was introduced to the control group (24 students) solely by means of a video-supported lecture. To assess the knowledge gained, a 20-question written examination was administered; 48 students took the exam. The results were analyzed with Student's t-tests at a significance level of 0.05. The results on the examination showed a significant difference between the two groups: the mean scores were 16.8 (SD 1.7, range 13-19) for the study group and 12.5 (SD 3, range 4-18) for the control group. After the control group had also experienced the hands-on module, a total of 48 students from both groups completed a questionnaire with 13 rating-scale and three open-ended questions evaluating the module. Those results showed that the module was highly regarded by the students. This study supports the idea that small-group hands-on courses are helpful for instruction in digital restoration design. These students' knowledge gained and satisfaction seemed to justify the time, effort, and equipment needed.

  16. Palliative medicine Death Rounds: small group learning on a vital subject.

    PubMed

    Kitzes, Judith A; Kalishman, Summers; Kingsley, Darra D; Mines, Jan; Lawrence, Elizabeth

    The medical student's experience with patients' dying and death has profound impact on personal and professional development. Death Rounds at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine is a small group educational model that promotes student self-reflection, metacognition, professional growth, and collegial support. To describe the implementation and evaluation activities of a third year clerkship Death Rounds which are a structured, institutionally supported resource for helping students to understand the clinical, ethical, legal, professional, cultural, and spiritual aspects of death. Medical students attend 2 to 3 small group palliative medicine Death Rounds sessions, facilitated by the attending clerkship director, chief residents, and a palliative care physician. The students' assessment of their palliative medicine knowledge and skills in 5 categories before and after participation in Death Rounds rated their skills after Death Rounds higher with effect sizes ranging from 0.9 to 1.9. Evidence from both the Death Rounds Questionnaire and Facilitators' Logs demonstrates that multiple issues and topics were addressed and all associated with the School of Medicine's 6 core competencies. Death Rounds minimally affect on clerkship time and faculty resources.

  17. Teaching with the Case Study Method to Promote Active Learning in a Small Molecule Crystallography Course for Chemistry Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Michael G.; Powers, Tamara M.; Zheng, Shao-Liang

    2016-01-01

    Implementing the case study method in a practical X-ray crystallography course designed for graduate or upper-level undergraduate chemistry students is described. Compared with a traditional lecture format, assigning small groups of students to examine literature case studies encourages more active engagement with the course material and…

  18. Student Athletes at Small Private Colleges: Why Do They Persist to the Second Year?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    D'Anna, Debora L.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contributed to the persistence of first-time full-time student athletes at a small private college affiliated with National Association Intercollegiate Athletics. The study used focus groups to determine the factors related to the persistence of student athletes. The participants in the…

  19. LAN Configuration and Analysis: Projects for the Data Communications and Networking Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Fang; Brabston, Mary

    2011-01-01

    We implemented two local area network (LAN) projects in our introductory data communications and networking course. The first project required students to develop a LAN from scratch for a small imaginary organization. The second project required student groups to analyze a LAN for a real world small organization. By allowing students to apply what…

  20. The implementation of problem-based learning in collaborative groups in a chiropractic program in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Win, Ni Ni; Nadarajah, Vishna Devi V; Win, Daw Khin

    2015-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is usually conducted in small-group learning sessions with approximately eight students per facilitator. In this study, we implemented a modified version of PBL involving collaborative groups in an undergraduate chiropractic program and assessed its pedagogical effectiveness. This study was conducted at the International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and involved the 2012 chiropractic student cohort. Six PBL cases were provided to chiropractic students, consisting of three PBL cases for which learning resources were provided and another three PBL cases for which learning resources were not provided. Group discussions were not continuously supervised, since only one facilitator was present. The students' perceptions of PBL in collaborative groups were assessed with a questionnaire that was divided into three domains: motivation, cognitive skills, and perceived pressure to work. Thirty of the 31 students (97%) participated in the study. PBL in collaborative groups was significantly associated with positive responses regarding students' motivation, cognitive skills, and perceived pressure to work (P<0.05). The students felt that PBL with learning resources increased motivation and cognitive skills (P<0.001). The new PBL implementation described in this study does not require additional instructors or any additional funding. When implemented in a classroom setting, it has pedagogical benefits equivalent to those of small-group sessions. Our findings also suggest that students rely significantly on available learning resources.

  1. Small, Task-Oriented Groups: Conflict, Conflict Management, Satisfaction, and Decision Quality.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wall, Victor D., Jr.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    Examined relationship among amount of conflict experienced, the style of its management, individual satisfaction, and decision quality of small, task-oriented groups using 129 college student subjects in 24 groups. Data suggest a curvilinear relationship between the number of conflict episodes experienced by group members and the subsequent…

  2. Antecedents and Consequences of Verbal Disagreements during Small-Group Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindow, Janet A.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Controversy, an aspect of small-group interactions, was investigated in 10 mixed-ability, mixed-sex, elementary math groups through analysis of dissension episodes. Results showed that boys and higher-ability students had significantly more prevailing answers and demonstrations. (Author/LMO)

  3. Individual and group meaning-making in an urban third grade classroom: Red fog, cold cans, and seeping vapor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Southerland, Sherry; Kittleson, Julie; Settlage, John; Lanier, Kimberly

    2005-11-01

    We examined third graders' understandings of condensation using an expanded notion of the Emergent Perspective, a reflexive consideration of individual and group meaning-making situated in the culture of the classroom. Data were collected from two small groups of students in an inquiry-based, urban classroom during a unit on the water cycle. Measures included conceptual pre-/posttests, interviews, written work, and discourse analyses of a science lesson. Although we identified the supportive role of the teacher's explicit assessments of children's ideas, within the small groups, the force that most potently shaped meaning-making was students' persuasive power, which was in part influenced by the rhetorical moves employed. Specifically, students' evaluative comments (a type of rhetorical move) about contributions of other group members seemed to be particularly persuasive in these groups. Evaluative comments, apart from students' academic status, were shown to be an important influence in not only social knowledge production but also in individual internalization. Our explanation focuses on the particular discursive practices as intellectual resources of urban students, but we are also mindful of the cognitive complexity of the material and the developmental abilities of the students.

  4. Student Success Skills: A Structured Group Intervention for School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Linda; Brigman, Greg A.

    2007-01-01

    This article describes the Student Success Skills (SSS) small group intervention developed for school counselors targeting academic outcomes. The SSS program is based on extensive reviews of research about the skills students need to be successful. Studies supporting program effectiveness are briefly reviewed and show consistent patterns of…

  5. Small Groups' Ecological Reasoning While Making an Environmental Management Decision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogan, Kathleen

    2002-01-01

    Explores the ideas and reasoning students use to make a collaborative environmental management decision. Compares students' discussions with scientists' guidelines for making environmental management decisions. Finds that whereas across groups students touched on all of the themes that scientists consider to be important for making environmental…

  6. Comparison of Student Learning about Diffusion and Osmosis in Constructivist and Traditional Classrooms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christianson, Roger G.; Fisher, Kathleen M.

    1999-01-01

    Reports on the effects of constructivist versus traditional teaching approaches on university students' learning about osmosis and diffusion. Students understood diffusion and osmosis more deeply in the constructivist-informed classroom, which used small discussion groups rather than traditional large lecture groups. Suggests ways to improve…

  7. An Exploration of Design Students' Inspiration Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dazkir, Sibel S.; Mower, Jennifer M.; Reddy-Best, Kelly L.; Pedersen, Elaine L.

    2013-01-01

    Our purpose was to explore how different sources of inspiration influenced two groups of students' inspiration process and their attitudes toward their design projects. Assigned sources of inspiration and instructor's assistance in the search for inspiration varied for two groups of students completing a small culture inspired product design…

  8. Facility Focus: Residence Halls.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    College Planning & Management, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Describes residence halls seeking to meet needs beyond traditional mass housing for the 18- to 22-year-old students: Whittemore Hall at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (for older students); Small Group Housing at Washington University (grouping students with common interests); and the renovation of the residence hall at Boston's…

  9. Can near-peer medical students effectively teach a new curriculum in physical examination?

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Students in German medical schools frequently complain that the subject ‘clinical examination’ is not taught in a satisfying manner due to time constraints and lack of personnel resources. While the effectiveness and efficiency of practice-oriented teaching in small groups using near-peer teaching has been shown, it is rarely used in German medical schools. We investigated whether adding a new near-peer teaching course developed with student input plus patient examination under supervision in small groups improves basic clinical examination skills in third year medical students compared to a traditional clinical examination course alone. Methods Third year medical students registered for the mandatory curricular clinical examination course at the medical faculty of the Technische Universität München were invited to participate in a randomised trial with blinded outcome assessment. Students were randomised to the control group participating in the established curricular physical examination course or to the intervention group, which received additional near-peer teaching for the same content. The learning success was verified by a voluntary objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Results A total of 84 students were randomised and 53 (63%) participated in the final OSCE. Students in the control group scored a median of 57% (25th percentile 47%, 75th percentile 61%) of the maximum possible total points of the OSCE compared to 77% (73%, 80%; p < 0.001) for students in the intervention group. Only two students in the intervention group received a lower score than the best student in the control group. Conclusion Adding a near-peer teaching course to the routine course significantly improved the clinical examination skills of medical students in an efficient manner in the context of a resource-constrained setting. PMID:24325639

  10. Investigating interactional competence using video recordings in ESL classrooms to enhance communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krishnasamy, Hariharan N.

    2016-08-01

    Interactional competence, or knowing and using the appropriate skills for interaction in various communication situations within a given speech community and culture is important in the field of business and professional communication [1], [2]. Similar to many developing countries in the world, Malaysia is a growing economy and undergraduates will have to acquire appropriate communication skills. In this study, two aspects of the interactional communicative competence were investigated, that is the linguistic and paralinguistic behaviors in small group communication as well as conflict management in small group communication. Two groups of student participants were given a problem-solving task based on a letter of complaint. The two groups of students were video recorded during class hours for 40 minutes. The videos and transcription of the group discussions were analyzed to examine the use of language and interaction in small groups. The analysis, findings and interpretations were verified with three lecturers in the field of communication. The results showed that students were able to accomplish the given task using verbal and nonverbal communication. However, participation was unevenly distributed with two students talking for less than a minute. Negotiation was based more on alternative views and consensus was easily achieved. In concluding, suggestions are given on ways to improve English language communication.

  11. Small-Group Learning in an Upper-Level University Biology Class Enhances Academic Performance and Student Attitudes Toward Group Work

    PubMed Central

    Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J.; Ramer, Matt S.

    2010-01-01

    To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students – even term high achievers –could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom. PMID:21209910

  12. Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work.

    PubMed

    Gaudet, Andrew D; Ramer, Leanne M; Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J; Ramer, Matt S

    2010-12-29

    To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students--even term high achievers--could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom.

  13. Focus Group Meets Nominal Group Technique: An Effective Combination for Student Evaluation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Varga-Atkins, Tünde; McIsaac, Jaye; Willis, Ian

    2017-01-01

    In Higher Education Focus Groups and Nominal Group Technique are two well-established methods for obtaining student feedback about their learning experience. These methods are regularly used for the enhancement and quality assurance. Based on small-scale research of educational developers' practice in curriculum development, this study presents…

  14. Evaluation of a Local Anesthesia Simulation Model with Dental Students as Novice Clinicians.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jessica S; Graham, Roseanna; Bassiur, Jennifer P; Lichtenthal, Richard M

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a local anesthesia (LA) simulation model in a facilitated small group setting before dental students administered an inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) for the first time. For this pilot study, 60 dental students transitioning from preclinical to clinical education were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (N=30) that participated in a small group session using the simulation model or a control group (N=30). After administering local anesthesia for the first time, students in both groups were given questionnaires regarding levels of preparedness and confidence when administering an IANB and level of anesthesia effectiveness and pain when receiving an IANB. Students in the experimental group exhibited a positive difference on all six questions regarding preparedness and confidence when administering LA to another student. One of these six questions ("I was prepared in administering local anesthesia for the first time") showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Students who received LA from students who practiced on the simulation model also experienced fewer post-injection complications one day after receiving the IANB, including a statistically significant reduction in trismus. No statistically significant difference was found in level of effectiveness of the IANB or perceived levels of pain between the two groups. The results of this pilot study suggest that using a local anesthesia simulation model may be beneficial in increasing a dental student's level of comfort prior to administering local anesthesia for the first time.

  15. Practical Educational Prescriptions for Students in the Mainstream.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choate, Joyce S., Ed.; Young, Larry S., Ed.

    Activity suggestions developed by experienced teachers are presented for mainstreamed students with difficulties in specific instructional areas of reading, mathematics, spelling, writing, and behavior. Activity descriptions are grouped according to instructional area, and are classified as large group, small group, or one to one exercises.…

  16. Relevant Prior Knowledge Moderates the Effect of Elaboration during Small Group Discussion on Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Blankenstein, Floris M.; Dolmans, Diana H. J. M.; Van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.; Schmidt, Henk G.

    2013-01-01

    This study set out to test whether relevant prior knowledge would moderate a positive effect on academic achievement of elaboration during small-group discussion. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, 66 undergraduate students observed a video showing a small-group problem-based discussion about thunder and lightning. In the video, a teacher asked…

  17. Comparing Pair and Small Group Interactions on Oral Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lasito,; Storch, Neomy

    2013-01-01

    Although pair and small group activities are commonly used in second language (L2) classrooms, there are very few studies which can inform teachers about whether it is best to have students work in pairs or in small groups. In this study, conducted in a junior high school in Indonesia with learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), we…

  18. Increasing Higher Level Thinking Skills in Science of Gifted Students in Grades 1-4 through "Hands-On" Activities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dindial, Myrna J.

    This practicum was designed to increase higher level thinking skills of gifted students in primary school. The project sought to retrain students from recalling science information from the textbook to a more challenging and active form of learning through individual projects and small group and large group activities. Students were given…

  19. Supporting Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at Secondary School: A Parent and Student Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tobias, Adele

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes a small-scale research project undertaken in July 2007, which focused on a group of students with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) currently attending a mainstream secondary school. Three focus groups were held with students in Years 9 and 11 and with their parents in order to explore current practice on…

  20. Preserving third year medical students' empathy and enhancing self-reflection using small group "virtual hangout" technology.

    PubMed

    Duke, Pamela; Grosseman, Suely; Novack, Dennis H; Rosenzweig, Steven

    2015-01-01

    Medical student professionalism education is challenging in scope, purpose, and delivery, particularly in the clinical years when students in large universities are dispersed across multiple clinical sites. We initiated a faculty-facilitated, peer small group course for our third year students, creating virtual classrooms using social networking and online learning management system technologies. The course emphasized narrative self-reflection, group inquiry, and peer support. We conducted this study to analyze the effects of a professionalism course on third year medical students' empathy and self-reflection (two elements of professionalism) and their perceptions about the course. Students completed the Groningen Reflection Ability Scale (GRAS) and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) before and after the course and provided anonymous online feedback. The results of the JSE before and after the course demonstrated preservation of empathy rather than its decline. In addition, there was a statistically significant increase in GRAS scores (p < 0.001), suggesting that the sharing of personal narratives may foster reflective ability and reflective practice among third year students. This study supports previous findings showing that students benefit from peer groups and discussion in a safe environment, which may include the use of a virtual group video platform.

  1. When Scientific Knowledge, Daily Life Experience, Epistemological and Social Considerations Intersect: Students' Argumentation in Group Discussions on a Socio-Scientific Issue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albe, Virginie

    2008-01-01

    Socio-scientific issues in class have been proposed in an effort to democratise science in society. A micro-ethnographic approach has been used to explore how students elaborate arguments on a socio-scientific controversy in the context of small group discussions. Several processes of group argumentation have been identified. Students' arguments…

  2. An interactive online approach to small-group student presentations and discussions.

    PubMed

    Thor, Der; Xiao, Nan; Zheng, Meixun; Ma, Ruidan; Yu, Xiao Xi

    2017-12-01

    Student presentations had been widely implemented across content areas, including health sciences education. However, due to various limitations, small-group student presentations in the classroom may not reach their full potential for student learning. To address challenges with presentations in the classroom, we redesigned the assignment by having students present and discuss online using VoiceThread, a cloud-based presentation and discussion tool. First-year students pursuing a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree were assigned into small groups to present physiology content and to discuss that content online. This assignment was similar to traditional student classroom presentations, with the exception that the entire assignment was conducted online. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the impact of the online format on the discussion quality. Another purpose of the study was to examine students' perceptions of using VoiceThread for presenting and learning, as well as the online interactions between the presenter and audience. Students posted a higher number of questions and comments than required by the assignment. The questions from students were also higher level questions, and the answers to these questions were more thorough compared with what we had previously observed in classroom presentations. The survey results showed that students preferred using VoiceThread for presenting, learning from other presentations, and discussing presentation content over performing this process in the classroom. Preliminary findings suggested that having dental students make presentations and hold discussions online might help address the challenges of student presentations in the classroom. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  3. Small Group Teaching: A Trouble-Shooting Guide, Monograph Series/22.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tiberius, Richard G.

    This guidebook focuses on the problems facing teachers in small group teaching. It is organized in three parts, each dealing with a specific common problem. Part One deals with clarifying instructional goals for the group. Part Two concerns interaction within the group and between the students and the teacher. Part Three encompasses the…

  4. Extrapolating a Dyadic Model to Small Group Methodology: Validation of the Spitzberg and Cupach Model of Communication Competence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keyton, Joann

    A study assessed the validity of applying the Spitzberg and Cupach dyadic model of communication competence to small group interaction. Twenty-four students, in five task-oriented work groups, completed questionnaires concerning self-competence, alter competence, interaction effectiveness, and other group members' interaction appropriateness. They…

  5. A STUDY OF SMALL GROUP DYNAMICS AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE BSCS LABORATORY BLOCK PROGRAM.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HURD, PAUL DEHART; ROWE, MARY BUDD

    THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMALL GROUP COMPATIBILITY AND ACHIEVEMENT IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM STUDY LABORATORY BLOCK PROGRAM WAS TESTED. STUDENTS IN 14 CLASSES FROM FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS WERE ASSIGNED TO FOUR-MEMBER LABORATORY GROUPS CLASSIFIED AS COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE. GROUP CLASSIFICATION WAS VALIDATED BY OBSERVERS WHO WERE NOT AWARE…

  6. Backtrack Programming: A Computer-Based Approach to Group Problem Solving.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Michael D.; Bodaken, Edward M.

    Backtrack problem-solving appears to be a viable alternative to current problem-solving methodologies. It appears to have considerable heuristic potential as a conceptual and operational framework for small group communication research, as well as functional utility for the student group in the small group class or the management team in the…

  7. Power and status within small groups: An analysis of students' verbal and nonverbal behavior and responses to one another

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morris, Lynnae Carol

    The purpose of this research has been to determine the influence of verbal and nonverbal behavior on power and status within small groups. The interactions which took place within five small groups of students in a middle school spatial reasoning elective were analyzed. Verbal responses to requests for help were analyzed using sequential analysis techniques. Results indicated that the identity of the student asking a question or requesting help in some form or another is a better predictor of whether he/she will receive help than the type of questions he/she asks. Nonverbal behavior was analyzed for social gestures, body language, and shifts in possession of tools. Each nonverbal act was coded as either "positive" (encouraging participation) or "negative" (discouraging participation); and, the researchers found that in groups in which there was unequal participation and less "help" provided among peers (according to the verbal analysis results) there tended to be more "negative" nonverbal behavior demonstrated than in groups in which "shared talk time" and "helping behavior" were common characteristics of the norm. The combined results from the analyses of the verbal and nonverbal behavior of students within small groups were then reviewed through the conflict, power, status perspective of small group interactions in order to determine some common characteristics of high functioning (collaborative) and low functioning (non-collaborative) groups. Some common characteristics of the higher functioning groups include: few instances of conflict, shared "talk time" and decision making, inclusive leadership, frequent use of encouraging social gestures and body language, and more sharing of tools than seizing. Some shared traits among the lower functioning groups include: frequent occurrences of interpersonal conflict, a focus on process (rather than content), persuasive or alienating leadership, unequal participation and power, frequent use of discouraging social gestures and body language, and more seizing of tools than sharing. While "functionality" was easily defined, labeling groups according to this characteristic proved to be a more difficult task. Although there was clearly a "highest functioning" and a "lowest functioning" group among the five, the other three groups fell somewhere in between these two, along a continuum of group functioning.

  8. Qualitative Differences Between Learning Environments Using Videos in Small Groups and Whole Class Discussions: A Preliminary Study in Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayo, Ashleigh; Sharma, Manjula D.; Muller, Derek A.

    2009-08-01

    Interactivity, group learning and student engagement are accepted as key features of social constructivist learning theories. The challenge is to understand the interplay between such features in different learning environments. This study focused on the qualitative differences between two interventions—small-groups and whole-class discussions. In both interventions, three short video slices on the abstract topic ‘the physics of superconductivity’ were interspersed with the different discussion styles. The video slices are based on the Bruner stages. Twenty-nine first year university physics students completed a pre-test, underwent the intervention and completed a post-test. The remainder of the data were collected from student drawings, video recordings, observer notes and facilitator feedback. Results indicate that the use of the video slices in both interventions were successful in changing students’ understandings of superconductivity. However, the small groups treatment tended to facilitate questioning, meaning-making and subsequent changes of ideas more so than the whole class discussions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

  9. Supporting the Development of Students' Academic Writing through Collaborative Process Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutwarasibo, Faustin

    2013-01-01

    The study examines how undergraduate university students in Rwanda experience collaborative process writing as an instruction method capable of helping them improve their academic writing abilities in English. It involved 34 second-year students, divided into 12 small working groups. The data were collected by means of group interviews carried out…

  10. Crossing the Communication Barrier: Facilitating Communication in Mixed Groups of Deaf and Hearing Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marchetti, Carol; Foster, Susan; Long, Gary; Stinson, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Teachers of introductory technical courses such as statistics face numerous challenges in the classroom, including student motivation and mathematical background, and difficulties in interpreting numerical results in context. Cooperative learning through small groups addresses many such challenges, but students for whom spoken English is not their…

  11. Reciprocal Peer Tutoring and Repeated Reading: Increasing Practicality Using Student Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oddo, Maria; Barnett, David W.; Hawkins, Renee O.; Musti-Rao, Shobana

    2010-01-01

    Previous research has investigated the efficacy of peer-mediated repeated reading (RR) interventions carried out by student dyads. This research extends the existing research by investigating the impact of RR on oral reading fluency and comprehension when carried out by a teacher in small groups of fourth-grade students. Outcomes were analyzed…

  12. Talking Science: The research evidence on the use of small group discussions in science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, Judith; Hogarth, Sylvia; Lubben, Fred; Campbell, Bob; Robinson, Alison

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of two systematic reviews of the use and effects of small group discussions in high school science teaching. Ninety-four studies were included in an overview (systematic map) of work in the area, and 24 studies formed the basis of the in-depth reviews. The reviews indicate that there is considerable diversity in the topics used to promote small group discussions. They also demonstrate that students often struggle to formulate and express coherent arguments, and demonstrate a low level of engagement with tasks. The reviews suggest that groups function more purposefully, and understanding improves most, when specifically constituted such that differing views are represented, when some form of training is provided for students on effective group work, and when help in structuring discussions is provided in the form of "cues". Single-sex groups function more purposefully than mixed-sex groups, though improvements in understanding are independent of gender composition of groups. Finally, the reviews demonstrate very clearly that, for small group discussions to be effective, teachers and students need to be given explicit teaching in the skills associated with the development of arguments and the characteristics associated with effective group discussions. In addition to the substantive findings, the paper also reports on key features of the methods employed to gather and analyse data. Of particular note are the two contrasting approaches to data analysis, one adopting a grounded theory approach and the other drawing on established methods of discourse analysis.

  13. The Physics Learning Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nossal, S. M.; Watson, L.; Huesmann, A.; Jacob, A.; Fretz, J.; Clarke, M.

    2006-05-01

    The Physics Learning Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a supportive learning environment for students studying physics. We pair staff and upper level physics and secondary science education majors in small study groups with students studying introductory physics. Approximately 33-50% of our students are from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the sciences. In addition, students participating in our program include others who may be feeling isolated such as first-generation college students, returning adults, students with disabilities, international students, and students from small rural schools; as well as students with weak math and physics preparation and/or who are struggling with the course. The Physics Learning Program is run in conjunction with similar programs for chemistry and biochemistry. During the past year with a move to a new building we obtained a dedicated space for the Physics Learning Program, facilitating students to form their own study groups. We also began a pilot program for students in the calculus-based physics sequence. We will discuss these additions, as well as recruitment, pedagogy, teacher training, and mentoring practices that we use with the aim of creating an inclusive learning environment.

  14. Collaborative Processes in Species Identification Using an Internet-Based Taxonomic Resource

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kontkanen, Jani; Kärkkäinen, Sirpa; Dillon, Patrick; Hartikainen-Ahia, Anu; Åhlberg, Mauri

    2016-01-01

    Visual databases are increasingly important resources through which individuals and groups can undertake species identification. This paper reports research on the collaborative processes undertaken by pre-service teacher students when working in small groups to identify birds using an Internet-based taxonomic resource. The student groups are…

  15. Reshaping the Social Order: The Case of Gender Segregation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lockheed, Marlaine E.

    1986-01-01

    Describes an experimental study of gender segregation in 38 fourth and fifth grade classrooms. Students working in small, experimental, mixed-sex, instructional groups engaged in more cross-sex interactions than students in control groups. Boys in experimental classrooms showed greater preference for working in cross-sex groups. (SA)

  16. Quiet or Questioning? Students' Discussion Behaviors in Student-Centered Education across Cultures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frambach, Janneke M.; Driessen, Erik W.; Beh, Philip; van der Vleuten, Cees P. M.

    2014-01-01

    A tool used in student-centered education is discussion among students in small learning groups. The Western origin of student-centered education, coupled with cross-cultural differences in communication styles, may detract from its cross-cultural applicability. This study investigates how in student-centered education, students' cultural…

  17. Programming a randomized dependent group contingency and common stimuli to promote durable behavior change.

    PubMed

    Cariveau, Tom; Kodak, Tiffany

    2017-01-01

    Low levels of academic engagement may impede students' acquisition of skills. Intervening on student behavior using group contingencies may be a feasible way to increase academic engagement during group instruction. The current study examined the effect of a randomized dependent group contingency on levels of academic engagement for second-grade participants receiving small-group reading and writing instruction. The results showed that a randomized dependent group contingency increased the academic engagement of primary participants and several of the other participants during small-group instruction. The findings also showed that high levels of academic engagement were maintained when common stimuli were present and the dependent group contingency was withdrawn. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  18. Teachers' and students' verbal behaviours during cooperative and small-group learning.

    PubMed

    Gillies, Robyn M

    2006-06-01

    Teachers play a critical role in promoting interactions between students and engaging them in the learning process. This study builds on a study by Hertz-Lazarowitz and Shachar (1990) who found that during cooperative learning teachers' verbal behaviours were more helpful to and encouraging of their students' efforts while during whole-class instruction, their verbal behaviours tended to be more authoritarian, rigid, and impersonal. This study seeks to determine if teachers who implement cooperative learning engage in more facilitative learning interactions with their students than teachers who implement group work only. The study also seeks to determine if students in the cooperative groups model their teachers' behaviours and engage in more positive helping interactions with each other than their peers in the group work groups. The study involved 26 teachers and 303 students in Grades 8 to 10 from 4 large high schools in Brisbane, Australia. All teachers agreed to establish cooperative, small-group activities in their classrooms for a unit of work (4 to 6 weeks) once a term for 3 school terms. The teachers were audiotaped twice during these lessons and samples of the students' language, as they worked in their groups, were also collected at the same time. The results show that teachers who implement cooperative learning in their classrooms engage in more mediated-learning interactions and make fewer disciplinary comments than teachers who implement group work only. Furthermore, the students model many of these interactions in their groups. The study shows that when teachers implement cooperative learning, their verbal behaviour is affected by the organizational structure of the classroom.

  19. An Analysis of Small Group Interactions of Vietnamese Students under the Bourdieusian Theoretical Lens

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pham, Thanh; Pham, Lam

    2018-01-01

    Group work has been increasingly encouraged and applied in Vietnamese universities. However, very little has been known about how Vietnamese university students work in a group and what the conditions are that help establish an effective group. This study attempted to redress this gap. The research applied Bourdieu's social field theory to examine…

  20. Helping Students Understand Their Learning Styles: Effects on Study Self-Efficacy, Preference for Group Work, and Group Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendry, Graham D.; Heinrich, Paul; Lyon, Patricia M.; Barratt, Alexandra L.; Simpson, Judy M.; Hyde, Sarah J.; Gonsalkorale, Shalinie; Hyde, Michelle; Mgaieth, Sara

    2005-01-01

    Small tutorial groups in higher education are often composed without regard to students' gender or broad knowledge background, for example, yet research indicates that composing groups on the basis of gender and prior qualifications may have significant effects on assessment outcomes. Previous studies have also investigated the effects of…

  1. Cultural Differences and Students' Spontaneous Models of the Water Cycle: A Case Study of Jewish and Bedouin Children in Israel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Eshach, Haim; Orion, Nir; Alamour, Yousif

    2012-01-01

    The present research aims at pinpointing differences in spontaneous and non-spontaneous mental models of water cycle conceptions of two 4th grade student groups: the Jewish residents of a small provincial town and a group of students from an indigenous Bedouin community. Students' conceptions were elicited using the Repertory Grid technique as…

  2. Observational Learning of Academic and Social Behaviors during Small-Group Direct Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ledford, Jennifer R.; Wolery, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Many studies have shown that small-group direct instruction is effective and efficient for teaching students with and without disabilities, although relatively few studies have been conducted with heterogeneous groups of preschool participants. In addition, previous studies have primarily assessed whether observational learning occurred for…

  3. TLC II. Talking, Listening, Communicating II. A Curriculum Guide for Small Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Treat, Carol Lou; Bormaster, Jeff

    This workbook provides affective education activities in building human relations skills in elementary and secondary school students in small discussion groups. Goals of the talking-listening-communicating (TLC) groups are: to develop positive regard for individual differences; to build a sense of belonging; to foster horizontal, nonauthoritative…

  4. "The Greatest Game Ever": Swatball

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swartz, Daniel R.; Rauschenbach, Jim

    2013-01-01

    The guidance document "Teaching Large Class Sizes in Physical Education" (NASPE, 2006) suggests incorporating small group work by putting students into small groups to work on a concept, skill, and/or task and using small-sided games that utilize a smaller number of players and a smaller playing area than those of a regulation game. It…

  5. The Value of Clinical Jazz: Teaching Critical Reflection on, in, and Toward Action.

    PubMed

    Casapulla, Sharon; Longenecker, Randall; Beverly, Elizabeth A

    2016-05-01

    Clinical Jazz is a small-group strategy in medical education designed to develop interpersonal skills and improve doctor-patient and interprofessional relationships. The purpose of this study was to explore medical students' and faculty facilitators' perceived value of Clinical Jazz. We conducted a modified Nominal Group Process with participating medical students (n=21), faculty facilitators (n=5), and research team members (n=3). Students and faculty facilitators independently answered the question, "What do you value about Clinical Jazz?" We then conducted content and thematic analyses on the resulting data. Three themes emerged during analysis: (1) students and faculty appreciated the opportunity to learn and practice a thoughtful and structured process for problem solving, (2) students and faculty valued the safety of the group process in sharing a diversity of perspectives on topics in medicine, and (3) students and faculty acknowledged the importance of addressing real and challenging problems that are rarely addressed in formal lectures and other planned small-group settings. Clinical Jazz provides students and faculty with the opportunity to address the hidden and/or informal curriculum in medical education, while providing a safe space and time to solve important clinical and interprofessional problems.

  6. Comparison of Task Performance by Students with Autism and Moderate Intellectual Disabilities when Presenting Video Models on Large and Small Screen Sizes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mechling, Linda C.; Youhouse, Iva R.

    2012-01-01

    This investigation compared the ability of students with disabilities to complete fine motor tasks when presented with video models on a small personal digital assistant (PDA) screen and a traditional computer laptop screen. Two groups of elementary age students participated in the study: four with moderate intellectual disabilities (Moderate ID),…

  7. Teaching Chained Tasks to Students with Intellectual Disabilities by Using Video Prompting in Small Group Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aykut, Çigil; Dagseven Emecen, Deniz; Dayi, Eylem; Karasu, Necdet

    2014-01-01

    Teaching students with intellectual disabilities in groups presents several difficulties. Use of technology can reduce some of these difficulties. The literature cites several examples of skill acquisition. The purpose of this study is to teach skills to students with intellectual disabilities by using video prompting. A multiple-probe design of…

  8. Pitching Environmental Science to Business Majors: Engaging Students in Renewable Energy Choices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodgers, Vikki L.

    2014-01-01

    This article describes an active learning strategy for engaging undergraduate business students, a group often ignored in scientific pedagogy, in learning about renewable energy technology and associated trade-offs. I designed a small-group activity to appeal to and engage business students, but the exercise could easily be used for a variety of…

  9. Student-Authored Hypermedia in Veterinary Anatomy: Teaching and Learning Outcomes of Group Project Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garvin, Anthony; Carrington, Stephen

    1997-01-01

    Describes the Directed-Self Education program at the University of Bristol (England) for undergraduate small-group project work in veterinary science that was designed to support students in developing personal study and information technology skills. It also produced student-authored hypermedia tools which could be repurposed by staff as teaching…

  10. Toward the Development of an Observation Measure of Interest and Attention for Literacy Tasks in Kindergarten Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coughlan, Kelly A.

    2012-01-01

    Kindergarten students (N = 95) in three schools and seven classrooms were observed for on-task versus off-task behavior during three literacy instruction opportunities; small group instruction, whole group instruction and the less structured library setting over the 2011-2012 school year. Students' early literacy skills were assessed before and…

  11. Distribution of Feedback among Teacher and Students in Online Collaborative Learning in Small Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coll, Cesar; Rochera, Maria Jose; de Gispert, Ines; Diaz-Barriga, Frida

    2013-01-01

    This study explores the characteristics and distribution of the feedback provided by the participants (a teacher and her students) in an activity organized inside a collaborative online learning environment. We analyse 853 submissions made by two groups of graduate students and their teacher (N1 = 629 & N2 = 224) involved in the collaborative…

  12. Incorporating Active Learning Techniques into a Genetics Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, W. Theodore; Jabot, Michael E.

    2011-01-01

    We revised a sophomore-level genetics class to more actively engage the students in their learning. The students worked in groups on quizzes using the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique (IF-AT) and active-learning projects. The IF-AT quizzes allowed students to discuss key concepts in small groups and learn the correct answers in class. The…

  13. Jottings: An Approach to Guiding Reading in the Elementary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Jennifer A.; Justesen, Hilary A.

    2018-01-01

    Comprehension is the overall goal of reading. One approach to help students increase their comprehension is to discuss a text in small-group settings. Yet, many students struggle to fully engage in meaningful discussions within these groups. Students' ability to retain and share what they read is one reason for this lack of discussion. Teaching…

  14. The Features of Peer Argumentation in Middle School Students' Scientific Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Heekyong; Song, Jinwoong

    2006-01-01

    This study examined the features of peer argumentation in middle school students' scientific inquiry. Participants were two boys and six girls in grade 8 of a middle school in Seoul, Korea. Students engaged in open inquiry activities in small groups. Each group prepared the report for peer review and then, during the peer discussion, presented…

  15. Grouping Students at the Computer To Enhance the Study of British Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marr, Paula M.

    2000-01-01

    Describes a three-week project in an English classroom in which students in small, mixed-ability groups used PowerPoint to enhance a unit on British literature. Outlines the lesson itself and discusses its positive results, including peer-teaching and learning, improved student motivation to understand themes in poetry, positive socialization, and…

  16. What Do Students Do in a F2F CSCL Classroom? The Optimization of Multiple Communications Modes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Wenli; Looi, Chee-Kit; Tan, Sini

    2010-01-01

    This exploratory study analyzes how students use different communication modes to share information, negotiate meaning and construct knowledge in the process of doing a group learning activity in a Primary Grade 5 blended learning environment in Singapore. Small groups of students interacted face-to-face over a computer-mediated communication…

  17. Peer-Assisted Learning: Filling the Gaps in Basic Science Education for Preclinical Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sammaraiee, Yezen; Mistry, Ravi D.; Lim, Julian; Wittner, Liora; Deepak, Shantal; Lim, Gareth

    2016-01-01

    In contrast to peer-assisted learning (PAL) in clinical training, there is scant literature on the efficacy of PAL during basic medical sciences teaching for preclinical students. A group of senior medical students aimed to design and deliver clinically oriented small-group tutorials after every module in the preclinical curriculum at a United…

  18. Morphological awareness intervention with kindergartners and first and second grade students from low SES homes: a small efficacy study.

    PubMed

    Apel, Kenn; Diehm, Emily

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the efficacy of a morphological awareness intervention on the morphological awareness and reading skills of students from low-socioeconomic-status homes; we also examined whether the intervention was similarly effective for intervention students who differed in their initial morphological awareness abilities. The 8-week intervention was designed to increase awareness of affixes and the relations between base words and their inflected and derived forms for kindergarteners (n = 27) and first- (n = 22) and second-grade (n = 26) students. Students randomly assigned to the small group intervention were provided instruction four times a week, 25 min a day, whereas students assigned to the control group received "business as usual." Kindergarten and first- and second-grade students receiving the intervention showed statistically significant gains in morphological awareness with large effect sizes on most measures. Students in all three grades who received the intervention demonstrated nonsignificant gains in literacy abilities with null to small effect sizes. Further, students with low morphological awareness abilities at the onset of the study demonstrated similar gains from the intervention as their peers with typical morphological awareness abilities. Our results suggest that explicit morphological awareness instruction may produce gains of practical importance to young elementary students at risk for future literacy difficulties.

  19. Influence of Group Size on Students' Participation in Online Discussion Forums

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Jungjoo

    2013-01-01

    This study attempts to examine how students participate and interact in different discussion modules organized with different group size in an online environment. It adopts a case study methodology where full semester online course with two small-group and three class-wide discussion forums was examined. The researcher counted the number of…

  20. Utilizing the Peer Group Method with Case Studies to Teach Pharmacokinetics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sims, Pamela J.

    1994-01-01

    A pharmacy school large-group (110 students) course in pharmacokinetics was designed to incorporate small-group team-based problem solving. The method allows students to learn material through traditional lecture, research the topic further, discuss the information gained, and apply the learning to specific cases in a manner that promotes…

  1. Impact of near-peer teaching rounds on student satisfaction in the basic surgical clerkship.

    PubMed

    Lin, Joseph A; Farrow, Norma; Lindeman, Brenessa M; Lidor, Anne O

    2017-06-01

    Teaching rounds are rarely featured in the surgery clerkship. Senior students interested in surgery are suited to precept teaching rounds. Near-peer teaching can provide benefits to both learners and preceptors. Near-peer teaching rounds consisted of senior student-precetors leading groups of 3 clerkship students on teaching rounds once during the clerkship. We prospectively surveyed student satisfaction before and after instituting near-peer teaching rounds. We retrospectively gathered qualitative narratives from student-preceptors. The survey response rate was 93% before near-peer teaching rounds were instituted and 85% after. Satisfaction with the learning environment and the quality and amount of small-group teaching were significantly higher after the institution of near-peer teaching rounds (P ≤ .001 for all 3). Satisfaction with the overall clerkship and baseline interest in surgery were not significantly different. Student-preceptors reported gaining valuable experience for future roles in academia as residents and attending surgeons. Student satisfaction with small-group teaching and the learning environment increased after the institution of near-peer teaching rounds in the surgery clerkship. Student-preceptors gained early experience for careers in academic surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Integrating Ultrasound Teaching into Preclinical Problem-based Learning

    PubMed Central

    Tshibwabwa, Eli Tumba; Cannon, Jenifer; Rice, James; Kawooya, Michael G; Sanii, Reza; Mallin, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The aim is to provide students in the preclinical with ultrasound image interpretation skills. Research question: Are students in smaller groups with access to a combination of lectures and hands-on patient contact most likely to have better ultrasound image interpretation skills, than students in larger groups with only interactive didactic lectures? Methodology: First-year students at the preclinical Program of the College of Medicine, participated in two 2-h introductory interactive ultrasound sessions. The study comprised two cohorts: 2012/2013 students, who were offered large group teaching (LGT) sessions (control group), and 2013/2014 students, who received the intervention in small group learning problem-based learning (PBL) sessions (experimental group). The overall learning objectives were identical for both groups. The success of the module was evaluated using pre- and post-tests as well as students’ feedback. Results: The students in the experimental group showed significantly higher scores in interpretations of images than those in the control group. The experimental group showed achievement of learning outcomes along with higher levels of satisfaction with the module compared to the latter. Conclusion: Posttest knowledge of the basics of ultrasound improved significantly over the pretest in the experimental group. In addition, students’ overall satisfaction of the ultrasound module was shown to be higher for the PBL compared to the LGT groups. Small groups in an interactive and PBL setting along with opportunities for hands-on practice and simultaneous visualization of findings on a high definition screen should enhance preclinical student learning of the basics of ultrasound. Despite the potential of ultrasound as a clinical, teaching and learning tool for students in the preclinical years, standardized recommendations have yet to be created regarding its integration into the curricula within academic institutions and clinical medicine. The interactive and PBL is here to stay at the college of medicine. Further research would be carried out to see if this trend persists in the upcoming vertical system-based curriculum of the college of medicine. PMID:27833780

  3. Dynamics of Conceptual Change in Small Group Science Interactions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fellows, Nancy J.

    This paper documents the dynamics of the social interactions within two small groups of sixth grade students as they solved problems and attempted to understand the concepts related to the nature of matter and molecular theory. Similarities and differences of social interactions between the two groups are compared, and interpretations presented…

  4. SYMLOG in the Communication Classroom: Applications for Small Group Communication Behavior Awareness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hillmer, Barbara Hoehn; Blubaugh, Jon A.

    The development of skills for group evaluation and facilitation in today's team environment is an essential component of the learning process for the student of communication. Until recently there has been no integrated model for the consideration of small groups and teams that incorporated findings from psychology, social psychology, management…

  5. Searching for Intertextual Connections in Small Group Text Discussion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chi, Feng-ming

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports the sources for and intentions of intertextuality made by 10 groups of Taiwanese university students in the process of discussing two American stories. Two types of data, small group text discussions and oral interviews, were gathered. The results indicated that participants used diverse sources of intertextual links, and with…

  6. Increasing Students' Empathy and Counseling Self-Efficacy through a Mindfulness Experiential Small Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bohecker, Lynn; Doughty Horn, Elizabeth A.

    2016-01-01

    This study used the Solomon 4-group design to examine the relationship between a mindfulness experiential small group (MESG) and mindfulness skills, empathy, counseling self-efficacy, and perceived stress for counselors in training (CITs). Understanding how the MESG affects these characteristics provides essential information to inform the…

  7. Emergent Leadership in Children's Cooperative Problem Solving Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Jingjng; Anderson, Richard C.; Perry, Michelle; Lin, Tzu-Jung

    2017-01-01

    Social skills involved in leadership were examined in a problem-solving activity in which 252 Chinese 5th-graders worked in small groups on a spatial-reasoning puzzle. Results showed that students who engaged in peer-managed small-group discussions of stories prior to problem solving produced significantly better solutions and initiated…

  8. Anatomy and histology as socially networked learning environments: some preliminary findings.

    PubMed

    Hafferty, Frederic W; Castellani, Brian; Hafferty, Philip K; Pawlina, Wojciech

    2013-09-01

    An exploratory study to better understand the "networked" life of the medical school as a learning environment. In a recent academic year, the authors gathered data during two six-week blocks of a sequential histology and anatomy course at a U.S. medical college. An eight-item questionnaire captured different dimensions of student interactions. The student cohort/network was 48 first-year medical students. Using social network analysis (SNA), the authors focused on (1) the initial structure and the evolution of informal class networks over time, (2) how informal class networks compare to formal in-class small-group assignments in influencing student information gathering, and (3) how peer assignment of professionalism role model status is shaped more by informal than formal ties. In examining these latter two issues, the authors explored not only how formal group assignment persisted over time but also how it functioned to prevent the tendency for groupings based on gender or ethnicity. The study revealed an evolving dynamic between the formal small-group learning structure of the course blocks and the emergence of informal student networks. For example, whereas formal group membership did influence in-class questions and did prevent formation of groups of like gender and ethnicity, outside-class questions and professionalism were influenced more by informal group ties where gender and, to a much lesser extent, ethnicity influence student information gathering. The richness of these preliminary findings suggests that SNA may be a useful tool in examining an array of medical student learning encounters.

  9. Implementing Small-Group Instruction: Insights from Successful Practitioners.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, James L.; MacGregor, Jean; Smith, Karl A.; Robinson, Pamela

    2000-01-01

    College faculty who have successfully implemented small-group instruction address common concerns such as: reduced content coverage, reduced amount of learning, need for prerequisite learning, importance of solitary learning, colleagues' concerns, student resistance, logistics, evaluation, use of teaching assistants, and time requirements. (DB)

  10. The Nature of Elementary Student Science Discourse in the Context of the Science Writing Heuristic Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavagnetto, Andy; Hand, Brian M.; Norton-Meier, Lori

    2010-03-01

    This case study aimed to determine the nature of student interactions in small groups in an elementary classroom utilizing the Science Writing Heuristic approach. Fifth grade students were audio-recorded over four units of study while working in small groups to generate knowledge claims after conducting student-directed investigations. Analysis consisted of (1) identifying amount of on/off task talk, (2) categorizing on-task talk as generative (talk associated with generating an argument) or representational (talk associated with representing an argument in a final written form), (3) characterizing the generative components of argument, and (4) determining the functions of language used. Results indicate that students were on task 98% of the time. Students engaged in generative talk an average of 25% of the time and representational talk an average of 71% of the time. Students engaged in components of Toulmin's model of argument, but challenging of each other's ideas was not commonplace. Talk was dominated by the informative function (representing one's ideas) of language as it was found 78.3% of the time and to a lesser extent (11.7%) the heuristic function (inquiring through questions). These functions appear to be intimately tied to the task of generating knowledge claims in small groups. The results suggest that both talking and writing are critical to using science discourse as an embedded strategy to learning science. Further, nature and structure of the task are important pedagogical considerations when moving students toward participation in science discourse.

  11. Gender Meanings in Grade Eight Students: Talk about Classroom Writing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Shelley

    2002-01-01

    Explored ways in which gender influenced students' choices in classroom writing, using data from students' writing, small group conversations, classroom observations, and teacher interviews. Generally, students attempted to maintain a widely recognized gender order in their talk about girls' and boys' writing. Students' writing choices were…

  12. Micro-Experimental Analysis of the Small-Group Reading Lesson: Social and Cognitive Consequences of Silent Reading.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkinson, Ian A. G.; Anderson, Richard C.

    This study examined a social-organizational hypothesis that explains how silent reading in small-group lessons might influence students' learning. One hundred children in four third-grade classes, each divided into three ability groups, received two silent and two oral reading lessons. Group dynamics were measured from videotapes of the lessons.…

  13. Workshop Targets Graduate Students to Advance Careers in PV | News | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    for a select group of U.S. graduate students to spend an immersive week at NREL in a hands-on, small -group research setting. NREL will select 12-14 students to participate in HOPE, held on the NREL campus . Past participants have found this interactive, one-week experience to be packed with information that

  14. Studying the Effectiveness of Online Homework for Different Skill Levels in a College Algebra Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathai, Elizabeth; Olsen, Darlene

    2013-01-01

    A comparison of the performance on the final exam for subpopulations of students in College Algebra was used to assess the effectiveness of online homework. Data was collected for two small groups of students, one with traditional paper homework and the other with online homework. The groups of students were further classified by incoming skill…

  15. Revisando la Bateria (Checking the Battery). Vocational Branch, Automotive Services. Teacher's and Student's Booklets, First Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

    The materials in this program are written to individualize the teaching of Spanish to English speakers, and are designed to provide as much flexibility as possible for both the teacher and student. The materials can be used for large groups, small groups, and individual work, although direct teacher-student contact is considered beneficial. This…

  16. Implementing a Motivational Program Using Musical Skit Development as a Technique To Improve Performance Skills of Middle School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roi, Christine S.

    A pilot program was developed and implemented to improve the music performance of middle school choral students. A target group of 27 low performing students in grade seven and eight participated in the program. The program utilized four strategies for improving performance skills. Lectures were given by inspirational leaders. Small groups were…

  17. Characterizations of Social-Based and Self-Based Contexts Associated with Students' Awareness, Evaluation, and Regulation of Their Thinking during Small-Group Mathematical Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Magiera, Marta T.; Zawojewski, Judith S.

    2011-01-01

    This exploratory study focused on characterizing problem-solving situations associated with spontaneous metacognitive activity. The results came from connected case studies of a group of 3 purposefully selected 9th-grade students working collaboratively on a series of 5 modeling problems. Students' descriptions of their own thinking during…

  18. High School Economics, Cooperative Learning, and the End-of-Course-Test--A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beavers, Sharon

    2011-01-01

    The primary purpose of this twelve-week case study was to explore the use of a cooperative learning strategy with small groups of students in a 12th-grade economics class as diverse learners prepared for tests. The complete case study was based on observations of students, student surveys, focus group interviews, and interviews with educators at…

  19. Las Prendas de Vestir (The Articles of Clothing). Teacher's and Student's Booklets, First Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

    The materials of this program are written to individualize the teaching of Spanish to English speakers, and are designed to provide as much flexibility as possible for both the teacher and student. The materials can be used for large groups, small groups, and individual work, although direct teacher-student contact is considered to be beneficial.…

  20. Let's Write It Right! A Student-Oriented Approach for Teaching Letterwriting Skills.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Judie

    In the student-oriented approach to writing business letters, students work in small groups to write a series of letters. For the first letter, the groups take the role of consumers, writing letters to order merchandise. The letters are written on overhead transparencies and are then critiqued by the other teams, with an emphasis on constructive…

  1. Student Team Achievement Divisions: Its Effect on Electrical Motor Installation Knowledge Competence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanafi, Ahmad; Basuki, Ismet

    2018-04-01

    Student team achievement division (STAD) was an active learning strategy with the small group inside of the classroom members. The students would work in small heterogeneous groups (of five to six members) and help one another to comprehend the material given. To achieve the objectives of the study, this research aims to know the effect of STAD on competence of electrical motor installation. The objective of the student competence was knowledge competence. The data was collected from 30 students. the participants were the students of second class at electrical installation techniques, SMKN 1 Pungging Indonesia. The design of empirical test in this research was one shot case study. The result of knowledge test would be compared by criteria for minimum competence, which was 75. Knowledge competence was analyzed with one sample t test technique. From the analysis got average 84.93, which meant average of student competence had reached criteria for minimum competence. From that analyze, It could be concluded that STAD was effective on electrical motor installation knowledge competence. STAD could grow student motivation to learn better than other models. But, in the application of cooperative learning teacher should prepare carefully before the learning process to avoid problems that could arise during group learning such as students who were less active in the groups. The problem could be resolved by away the teachers took around to check each group. It was felt could minimize the problems.

  2. Efficacy of an internet-based learning module and small-group debriefing on trainees' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders: results of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Lanken, Paul N; Novack, Dennis H; Daetwyler, Christof; Gallop, Robert; Landis, J Richard; Lapin, Jennifer; Subramaniam, Geetha A; Schindler, Barbara A

    2015-03-01

    To examine whether an Internet-based learning module and small-group debriefing can improve medical trainees' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). In 2011-2012, 129 internal and family medicine residents and 370 medical students at two medical schools participated in a cluster randomized controlled trial, which assessed the effect of adding a two-part intervention to the SUDs curricula. The intervention included a self-directed, media-rich Internet-based learning module and a small-group, faculty-led debriefing. Primary study outcomes were changes in self-assessed attitudes in the intervention group (I-group) compared with those in the control group (C-group) (i.e., a difference of differences). For residents, the authors used real-time, Web-based interviews of standardized patients to assess changes in communication skills. Statistical analyses, conducted separately for residents and students, included hierarchical linear modeling, adjusted for site, participant type, cluster, and individual scores at baseline. The authors found no significant differences between the I- and C-groups in attitudes for residents or students at baseline. Compared with those in the C-group, residents, but not students, in the I-group had more positive attitudes toward treatment efficacy and self-efficacy at follow-up (P<.006). Likewise, compared with residents in the C-group, residents in the I-group received higher scores on screening and counseling skills during the standardized patient interview at follow-up (P=.0009). This intervention produced improved attitudes and communication skills toward patients with SUDs among residents. Enhanced attitudes and skills may result in improved care for these patients.

  3. Learning about Foodborne Pathogens: Evaluation of Student Perceptions of Group Project Work in a Food Microbiology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Mark S.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined the experiences of students in an active learning group work exercise in an introductory food microbiology course involving the study of foodborne pathogens. Small groups were required to access, analyze, and present information regarding a single food poisoning bacterium. The presentations contained features and…

  4. What medical students value in a population health tutor: characteristics for consideration in staff recruitment and development.

    PubMed

    Trevena, Lyndal

    2003-03-01

    Recent moves to integrate aspects of population health into medical curricula have created new staff development challenges for many institutions. Small group teaching in population health is a relatively new initiative, often requiring recruitment of additional staff and considerable training. This analysis identifies the tutor characteristics rated most positively by medical students in a small-group course in population health and discusses their implication for staff recruitment and development. Retrospective evaluation of tutors by students using a self-administered questionnaire. Overall tutor rating was analysed against various tutor characteristics, using univariate logistic regression methods. Optional qualitative comments were summarized by thematic methods and triangulated with findings from the quantitative analysis. Creating a supportive group climate was the tutor attribute most positively evaluated by students (OR=9.62, 95%CI 4.46-20.83). Perceived interest in teaching (OR=8.93, 95%CI 3.83-20.83) and the ability to give useful feedback (OR=8.40, 95%CI 4.07-17.54) were also highly rated by students as valuable qualities in their tutors. Qualitative analysis highlighted the importance of informed comment, good knowledge and expert input from tutors. Whilst a degree of content expertise in population health was desirable in a tutor, its value was secondary to good facilitation skills and an enthusiasm for teaching when student evaluation was considered. Faculties implementing small-group methods of teaching population health should consider facilitation skills and interest in teaching as priorities when recruiting and training staff. As is the case for self-directed student-led learning in basic and clinical sciences, these appear to be more influential than content expertise, from the students' perspective.

  5. Group processing in an undergraduate biology course for preservice teachers: Experiences and attitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schellenberger, Lauren Brownback

    Group processing is a key principle of cooperative learning in which small groups discuss their strengths and weaknesses and set group goals or norms. However, group processing has not been well-studied at the post-secondary level or from a qualitative or mixed methods perspective. This mixed methods study uses a phenomenological framework to examine the experience of group processing for students in an undergraduate biology course for preservice teachers. The effect of group processing on students' attitudes toward future group work and group processing is also examined. Additionally, this research investigated preservice teachers' plans for incorporating group processing into future lessons. Students primarily experienced group processing as a time to reflect on past performance. Also, students experienced group processing as a time to increase communication among group members and become motivated for future group assignments. Three factors directly influenced students' experiences with group processing: (1) previous experience with group work, (2) instructor interaction, and (3) gender. Survey data indicated that group processing had a slight positive effect on students' attitudes toward future group work and group processing. Participants who were interviewed felt that group processing was an important part of group work and that it had increased their group's effectiveness as well as their ability to work effectively with other people. Participants held positive views on group work prior to engaging in group processing, and group processing did not alter their atittude toward group work. Preservice teachers who were interviewed planned to use group work and a modified group processing protocol in their future classrooms. They also felt that group processing had prepared them for their future professions by modeling effective collaboration and group skills. Based on this research, a new model for group processing has been created which includes extensive instructor interaction and additional group processing sessions. This study offers a new perspective on the phenomenon of group processing and informs science educators and teacher educators on the effective implementation of this important component of small-group learning.

  6. Students' views of cooperative learning and group testing.

    PubMed

    Hicks, Jay

    2007-01-01

    Today's radiologic technology students must learn to collaborate and communicate to function as part of the health care team. Innovative educational techniques such as cooperative learning (working collectively in small groups) and group testing (collaborating on tests) can foster these skills. Assess students' familiarity with and opinions about cooperative learning and group testing before and after participation in a semester-long course incorporating these methods. Twenty-eight students enrolled in a baccalaureate-level radiologic technology program in Louisiana were surveyed at the beginning and end of the semester. Results showed that students were more knowledgeable about and more accepting of cooperative learning and group testing after participating in the course. However, some students continued to prefer independent learning. Students are open to new learning methods such as cooperative learning and group testing. These techniques can help them develop the skills they will need to function collaboratively in the workplace.

  7. "We've Got to Keep Meeting Like This": A Pilot Study Comparing Academic Performance in Shifting-Membership Cooperative Groups versus Stable-Membership Cooperative Groups in an Introductory-Level Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Alicia; Bush, Amy; Sanchagrin, Ken; Holland, Jonathon

    2017-01-01

    This study examined possible ways to increase student engagement in small sections of a large, introductory-level, required university course. Research shows that cooperative group learning boosts achievement through fostering better interpersonal relationships between students. Cooperative group learning is an evidence-based instructional…

  8. Getting the Most Out of Dual-Listed Courses: Involving Undergraduate Students in Discussion Through Active Learning Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tasich, C. M.; Duncan, L. L.; Duncan, B. R.; Burkhardt, B. L.; Benneyworth, L. M.

    2015-12-01

    Dual-listed courses will persist in higher education because of resource limitations. The pedagogical differences between undergraduate and graduate STEM student groups and the underlying distinction in intellectual development levels between the two student groups complicate the inclusion of undergraduates in these courses. Active learning techniques are a possible remedy to the hardships undergraduate students experience in graduate-level courses. Through an analysis of both undergraduate and graduate student experiences while enrolled in a dual-listed course, we implemented a variety of learning techniques used to complement the learning of both student groups and enhance deep discussion. Here, we provide details concerning the implementation of four active learning techniques - role play, game, debate, and small group - that were used to help undergraduate students critically discuss primary literature. Student perceptions were gauged through an anonymous, end-of-course evaluation that contained basic questions comparing the course to other courses at the university and other salient aspects of the course. These were given as a Likert scale on which students rated a variety of statements (1 = strongly disagree, 3 = no opinion, and 5 = strongly agree). Undergraduates found active learning techniques to be preferable to traditional techniques with small-group discussions being rated the highest in both enjoyment and enhanced learning. The graduate student discussion leaders also found active learning techniques to improve discussion. In hindsight, students of all cultures may be better able to take advantage of such approaches and to critically read and discuss primary literature when written assignments are used to guide their reading. Applications of active learning techniques can not only address the gap between differing levels of students, but also serve as a complement to student engagement in any science course design.

  9. Using concept mapping to evaluate knowledge structure in problem-based learning.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chia-Hui; Lin, Chen-Yung

    2015-11-27

    Many educational programs incorporate problem-based learning (PBL) to promote students' learning; however, the knowledge structure developed in PBL remains unclear. The aim of this study was to use concept mapping to generate an understanding of the use of PBL in the development of knowledge structures. Using a quasi-experimental study design, we employed concept mapping to illustrate the effects of PBL by examining the patterns of concepts and differences in the knowledge structures of students taught with and without a PBL approach. Fifty-two occupational therapy undergraduates were involved in the study and were randomly divided into PBL and control groups. The PBL group was given two case scenarios for small group discussion, while the control group continued with ordinary teaching and learning. Students were asked to make concept maps after being taught about knowledge structure. A descriptive analysis of the morphology of concept maps was conducted in order to compare the integration of the students' knowledge structures, and statistical analyses were done to understand the differences between groups. Three categories of concept maps were identified as follows: isolated, departmental, and integrated. The students in the control group constructed more isolated maps, while the students in the PBL group tended toward integrated mapping. Concept Relationships, Hierarchy Levels, and Cross Linkages in the concept maps were significantly greater in the PBL group; however, examples of concept maps did not differ significantly between the two groups. The data indicated that PBL had a strong effect on the acquisition and integration of knowledge. The important properties of PBL, including situational learning, problem spaces, and small group interactions, can help students to acquire more concepts, achieve an integrated knowledge structure, and enhance clinical reasoning.

  10. Students' development of models of magnetic materials, patterns of group activity, and social norms in a physics classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Andrew P.

    1999-11-01

    This dissertation is a study of students' model development processes in a physical science course for preservice elementary teachers. It details the models of magnetic materials developed and used by students during a unit on static electricity and magnetism. In this inquiry-based course, the class developed and formally accepted a model, in the form of diagrams and descriptions, that is very similar to the accepted magnetic domains model. They did this without textbooks or lectures on magnetism. Before adopting this model, however, most groups in the class temporarily used models involving opposite charges at the two ends of magnetized nails. How did the students do it? The explanation involves detailed study of the groups' interactions and use of structure in the classroom environment. This dissertation uses two theoretical frameworks to analyze interactions. It applies Yackel and Cobb's (1996) concepts of classroom social norms to characterize aspects of the classroom participation structure which affected groups' construction and declaration of models. It also applies distributed cognition ideas to analyze the sense-making conversations that small groups had when constructing group responses. This research found that conversations in one small group could be characterized into sixteen categories. Important categories included "extending ideas" which involved gradual deepening and elaboration of the group's understanding of their model(s), and "joint typing", an interactive process by which group members collaborated on typed statements or group diagrams and simultaneously developed common language for communicating their ideas to each other. Some of these categories of activity were closely connected to computer use. Also, four classroom norms are described. One small group social classroom norm involved group members developing a "common ground" consisting of agreed-upon group statements. Three sociophysics norms which characterize the whole class interactions as well as those of the small group involved a distinction between generalizations of phenomena and theoretical statements, class criteria for accepting evidence, and the obligation for each group to have a model of magnetic materials that they could support with acceptable evidence.

  11. Power Day: Addressing the Use and Abuse of Power in Medical Training.

    PubMed

    Angoff, Nancy R; Duncan, Laura; Roxas, Nichole; Hansen, Helena

    2016-06-01

    Medical student mistreatment, as well as patient and staff mistreatment by all levels of medical trainees and faculty, is still prevalent in U.S. clinical training. Largely missing in interventions to reduce mistreatment is acknowledgement of the abuse of power produced by the hierarchical structure in which medicine is practiced. Beginning in 2001, Yale School of Medicine has held annual "Power Day" workshops for third year medical students and advanced practice nursing students, to define and analyse power dynamics within the medical hierarchy and hidden curriculum using literature, guest speakers, and small groups. During rotations, medical students write narratives about the use of power witnessed in the wards. In response to student and small group leader feedback, workshop organizers have developed additional activities related to examining and changing the use of power in clinical teams. Emerging narrative themes included the potential impact of small acts and students feeling "mute" and "complicit" in morally distressing situations. Small groups provided safe spaces for advice, support, and professional identity formation. By 2005, students recognized residents that used power positively with Power Day awards and alumni served as keynote speakers on the use of power in medicine. By 2010, departments including OB/GYN, surgery, psychiatry, and paediatrics, had added weekly team Power Hour discussions. The authors highlight barriers, benefits, and lessons learned. Barriers include the notion of clinical irrelevance and resistance to the word "power" due to perceived accusation of abuse. Benefits include promoting open dialogue about power, fostering inter-professional collaboration, rewarding positive role modelling by residents and faculty, and creating a network of trainee empowerment and leadership. Furthermore, faculty have started to ask that issues of power be addressed in a more transparent way at their level of the hierarchy as well.

  12. Beyond Primary Prevention of Alcohol Use: A Culturally Specific Secondary Prevention Program for Mexican Heritage Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Ayers, Stephanie; Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie; Mettler, Kathleen; Booth, Jaime

    2012-01-01

    Classroom-based primary prevention programs with adolescents are effective in inhibiting the onset of drug use, but these programs are not designed to directly address the unique needs of adolescents at higher risk of use or already using alcohol and other drugs. This article describes the initial efficacy evaluation of a companion psychosocial small group program which aims at addressing the needs of Mexican heritage students identified by their teachers as being at higher risk for substance use or already experimenting with alcohol and other drugs. The adolescent (7th grade) small group curricula, REAL Groups, is a secondary prevention program which supplements the primary classroom-based substance use prevention program, keepin’ it REAL. Following a mutual aid approach, a total of 109 7th grade students were referred by their teachers and participated in the REAL Groups. The remaining 252 7th grade students who did not participate served as the control group. To account for biased selection into REAL Groups, propensity score matching (PSM) was employed. The estimated average treatment effect for participants’ use of alcohol was calculated at the end of the 8th grade. Results indicate that alcohol use decreased among students who participated in the REAL Groups relative to matched students who did not participate. These findings suggest that REAL Groups may be an effective secondary prevention program for higher-risk Mexican heritage adolescents. PMID:22193861

  13. Argumentation as a Lens to Examine Student Discourse in Peer-Led Guided Inquiry for College General Chemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulatunga, Ushiri Kumarihamy

    This dissertation work entails three related studies on the investigation of Peer-Led Guided Inquiry student discourse in a General Chemistry I course through argumentation. The first study, Argumentation and participation patterns in general chemistry peer-led sessions, is focused on examining arguments and participation patterns in small student groups without peer leader intervention. The findings of this study revealed that students were mostly engaged in co-constructed arguments, that a discrepancy in the participation of the group members existed, and students were able to correct most of the incorrect claims on their own via argumentation. The second study, Exploration of peer leader verbal behaviors as they intervene with small groups in college general chemistry, examines the interactive discourse of the peer leaders and the students during peer leader intervention. The relationship between the verbal behaviors of the peer leaders and the student argumentation is explored in this study. The findings of this study demonstrated that peer leaders used an array of verbal behaviors to guide students to construct chemistry concepts, and that a relationship existed between student argument components and peer leader verbal behaviors. The third study, Use of Tolumin's Argumentation Scheme for student discourse to gain insight about guided inquiry activities in college chemistry , is focused on investigating the relationship between student arguments without peer leader intervention and the structure of published guided inquiry ChemActivities. The relationship between argumentation and the structure of the activities is explored with respect to prompts, questions, and the segmented Learning Cycle structure of the ChemActivities. Findings of this study revealed that prompts were effective in eliciting arguments, that convergent questions produced more arguments than directed questions, and that the structure of the Learning Cycle successfully scaffolded arguments. A semester of video data from two different small student groups facilitated by two different peer leaders was used for these three related studies. An analytic framework based on Toulmin's argumentation scheme was used for the argumentation analysis of the studies. This dissertation work focused on the three central elements of the peer-led classroom, students, peer leader, and the ChemActivities, illuminates effective discourse important for group learning. Overall, this dissertation work contributes to science education by providing both an analytic framework useful for investigating group processes and crucial strategies for conducting effective cooperative learning and promoting student argumentation. The findings of this dissertation work have valuable implications in the professional development of teachers specifically for group interventions in the implementation of cooperative learning reforms.

  14. Evaluation of a Small-Group Technique as a Teacher Training Instrument. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whipple, Babette S.

    An exploratory study was designed to determine whether the use of a new, small group technique adds significantly to the level of training in early childhood education. Two groups of five student teachers learned the technique and were then evaluated. The evaluation procedure was designed to measure changes in their educational objectives, their…

  15. Evaluation of a communication skills seminar for students in a Japanese medical school: a non-randomized controlled study.

    PubMed

    Mukohara, Kei; Kitamura, Kazuya; Wakabayashi, Hideki; Abe, Keiko; Sato, Juichi; Ban, Nobutaro

    2004-11-18

    Little data exist for the effectiveness of communication skills teaching for medical students in non-English speaking countries. We conducted a non-randomized controlled study to examine if a short intensive seminar for Japanese medical students had any impact on communication skills with patients. Throughout the academic year 2001-2002, a total of 105 fifth-year students (18 groups of 5 to 7 students) participated, one group at a time, in a two-day, small group seminar on medical interviewing. Half way through the year, a five-station objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was conducted for all fifth-year students. We videotaped all the students' interaction with a standardized patient in one OSCE station that was focused on communication skills. Two independent observers rated the videotapes of 50 students who had attended the seminar and 47 who had not. Sixteen core communication skills were measured. Disagreements between raters were resolved by a third observer's rating. There was a statistically significant difference in proportions of students who were judged as 'acceptable' in one particular skill related to understanding patient's perspectives: asking how the illness or problems affected the patient's life, (53% in the experimental group and 30% in the control group, p = .02). No differences were observed in the other 15 core communication skills, although there was a trend for improvement in the skill for asking the patient's ideas about the illness or problems (60% vs. 40%, p = .054) and one of the relationship building skills; being attentive and empathic nonverbally (87% vs. 72%, p = .064). The results of this study suggest that a short, intensive small group seminar for Japanese medical students may have had a short-term impact on specific communication skills, pertaining to understanding patient's perspectives.

  16. Peer-Assisted History-Taking Groups: A Subjective Assessment of their Impact Upon Medical Students' Interview Skills.

    PubMed

    Keifenheim, Katharina Eva; Petzold, Ernst Richard; Junne, Florian; Erschens, Rebecca Sarah; Speiser, Natalie; Herrmann-Werner, Anne; Zipfel, Stephan; Teufel, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Among the clinical skills needed by all physicians, history taking is one of the most important. The teaching model for peer-assisted history-taking groups investigated in the present study consists of small-group courses in which students practice conducting medical interviews with real patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the expectations, experiences, and subjective learning progress of participants in peer-assisted history-taking groups. Methods: The 42 medical student participants completed a 4-month, peer-assisted, elective history-taking course, which both began and ended with a subjective assessment of their interview skills by way of a pseudonymized questionnaire. Measures comprised the students' self-assessment of their interview skills, their expectations of, and their experiences with the course and especially with the peer tutors. Results: Medical students' most important motivations in attending peer-assisted history-taking groups were becoming able to complete a structured medical interview, to mitigate difficult interviewing situations, and to address patients' emotional demands appropriately. By the end of the course, students' self-assessment of both their interview skills and management of emotional issues improved significantly. Students especially benefitted from individual feedback regarding interview style and relationship formation, as well as generally accepted and had their expectations met by peer tutors. Conclusions: To meet the important learning objectives of history-taking and management of emotional issues, as well as self-reflection and reflection of student-patient interactions, students in the field greatly appreciate practicing medical interviewing in small, peer-assisted groups with real patients. At the same time, peer tutors are experienced to be helpful and supportive and can help students to overcome inhibitions in making contact with patients.

  17. Bags and blogs: creating an ostomy experience for nursing students.

    PubMed

    Reed, Karen S

    2012-01-01

    There are well over three-quarters of a million people living in the United States with an ostomy. These individuals experience many physical and emotional challenges which nurses should address during the in-patient hospitalization experience. The purpose of this educational activity was to provide undergraduate nursing students with a simulated laboratory experience which allowed the student to discuss and experience some of the challenges of living with an ostomy. Small group work, an experiential learning activity, and blogging were used to foster the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective development of the nursing students. All 134 students participated in the small group work and blogging experience and over 100 students participated in the experiential learning activity of wearing an ostomy bag overnight with the bag containing a small amount of simulated fecal material. The impact of the simulated experience is evident in the depth of awareness and emotion expressed in the blogs. The students collectively acknowledged the value of the activity and the impact the gained awareness had on their careers as nurses. The use of social technology and the provision of learning activities, not available on the clinical unit, can have a significant impact on the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective development of nursing students. © 2012 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

  18. A Case-Based Learning Model in Orthodontics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engel, Francoise E.; Hendricson, William D.

    1994-01-01

    A case-based, student-centered instructional model designed to mimic orthodontic problem solving and decision making in dental general practice is described. Small groups of students analyze case data, then record and discuss their diagnoses and treatments. Students and instructors rated the seminars positively, and students reported improved…

  19. Cooperative Learning in the College Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barratt, Leslie B.

    1992-01-01

    A college teacher used cooperative learning in English as a Second Language and linguistics classrooms. She discovered international students enjoyed working and writing in small groups and getting to know other students. Linguistics students enjoyed whole-class cooperative projects and papers. All students gained experience in being colleagues.…

  20. A Simple Method for Encouraging Active Participation in Small-Group Discussion Sessions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Adrian

    1977-01-01

    A format for a small-group teaching session is described that could be modified for any subject in a medical curriculum. The technique discussed uses subgroups and a simple recording chart that have been successful in teaching microbiology to medical students. (LBH)

  1. The Study of Small Groups and Microevolution: A Project for Physical Anthropology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rice, Patricia C.

    1985-01-01

    Describes a hands-on project in which anthropology students play the role of professional physical anthropologist in collecting and analyzing data on a small group of contemporary humans. Use of simulated data to represent ancestral populations results in an analysis of microevolution. (KH)

  2. Comparing the Performance of Distance Learning and Traditional Students in a Business Simulation Exercise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kotey, Bernice; Anderson, Philip H.

    2005-01-01

    The performance of distant students in a simulation exercise for a Small Business Management (SBM) course was compared with that of internal students and the demographic and psychological variables associated with the performance of each student group were examined. Distant students matched or exceeded the performance of internal students in…

  3. The Pluto debate: Influence of emotions on belief, attitude, and knowledge change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broughton, Suzanne H.

    In line with the "warming trend" (Sinatra, 2005), this study examined the influence of emotions during controversial conceptual change. Issues in science may trigger highly emotional responses (e.g., evolutionary theory). However, it is unclear whether these emotions facilitate or inhibit change. I investigated the nature of emotions engendered when learning about a controversial science topic, Pluto's reclassification, including the valence (positive/negative) and activation (activating/deactivating) of emotions (Pekrun et al., 2002). I also investigated whether belief, attitude, and/or conceptual change could be facilitated through rereading a refutation text and/or rereading during small group discussions. Refutation texts directly state a common misconception, refute it, and provide the scientific explanation as a plausible alternative (Hynd, 2001). Participants were randomly assigned to a group (reread text; reread text plus small group discussions). Participants in both groups read the same refutational text regarding the recent change in the definition of planet and Pluto's reclassification. The findings show that students' experienced a range of emotions towards Pluto's reclassification. Students reported experiencing more negative than positive emotions. Both positive and negative emotions were shown to be predictive of student's attitudes and attitude change. Emotions were also predictive of students' knowledge of planets and conceptual change. This suggests that emotions may have promoted deep engagement and critical thinking. Negative emotions may also be linked with resistance to attitude and conceptual change. The refutation text was effective in promoting belief change, attitude change, and conceptual change across both conditions. Students in both conditions reported more constructivist nature of science beliefs after rereading the text. Students also reported a greater level of acceptance about Pluto's reclassification. Conceptual change was promoted through the text as students' initial misconceptions about why scientists rewrote the definition of planet. Students in the reread plus discussion group showed greater conceptual change regarding the reasons for rewriting the definition of planet than those in the reread group. This study supports the "warming trend" (Sinatra, 2005) in conceptual change research because it shows the interplay between emotions and the change process. The findings also suggest that belief, attitude, and conceptual change can be fostered through small group discussions.

  4. Illuminating and Improving National Curriculum Development: Students' Perceptions and Suggestions. A Pilot Study in a State Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wakefield, Peter; Pumfrey, D.

    2009-01-01

    In curriculum evaluation and development, the views of students are important--but often overlooked. We report findings from a small innovative project involving 60 male (M) and female (F) students in two successive age groups: UK National Curriculum Year Groups (NCYG) 8 and 9 (aged 12-13 years and 13-14 years, respectively). The project was…

  5. Multiculturalism, Stereotypes, and Critical Thinking: Breaking Down Barriers among Urban and Rural High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Robert T.; Towe, Princess

    Four teachers, two from a rural high school and two from an urban one, spent a year trying to get students to examine similarities and differences between the two schools. The exchange program involved students from Malcolm X Shabazz High School of Newark, New Jersey and a group from rural New Jersey's Hunterdon Central High. Small groups of…

  6. Classroom Groups in Theory and Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boydell, Deanne

    1979-01-01

    This article examines some British classroom studies and raises further research questions on small group instruction (SGI) as a teaching tool. Considered are teachers' use of SGI; its efficacy for cognitive, language, and social development; and student-to-student interaction patterns in relation to seating, sex, and ability mix. (SJL)

  7. Counseling Group Curriculum for Parents on Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamanna, John; Shillingford, M. Ann; Parrish, Mary-Frances; Sheffield, Rebecca

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses the impact of bullying on K-12 students and the importance of collaborative partnerships between home and school in decreasing the dramatic effects of student bullying behaviors. The authors present a six-week, research-based, small group curriculum specifically developed for professional school counselors to support parents…

  8. Extended Mnemonic Instruction with Learning Disabled Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolfa, Debra; And Others

    Sixty-four learning disabled sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were assigned to 24 small instructional groups which were in turn assigned at random to mnemonic and control conditions. Instructional groups were then given three daily lessons on dinosaurs in counterbalanced order. The lessons involved dinosaur vocabulary, attributes of…

  9. Examining the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Group Cohesion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Amanda; Mamiseishvili, Ketevan

    2012-01-01

    Collaborative learning experiences increase student learning, but what happens when students fail to collaborate? The authors investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and group cohesion by studying 44 undergraduate teams who were completing semester-long projects in their business classes at a small private university in the…

  10. Persistence and Small Group Interaction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hooper, Simon; And Others

    The effects of persistence on students' ability to interact and learn in cooperative learning groups was studied, and the effect of collaboration on students' attitudes toward their partners was assessed. Participants were 138 sixth graders in a midwestern public school. A computer-based lesson and posttest dealt with the advertising concepts of…

  11. Fresh Ideas. Instant Replay, Instant Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCutcheon, Susan

    1996-01-01

    Describes how to motivate students to learn by having them teach back to the class what they have just learned from the teacher. Students break into small groups and brainstorm how to teach what has just been presented, then the teacher picks one group to teach back to the class. (SM)

  12. The Supreme Court and Public Pressure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Scott

    1989-01-01

    Uses recent freedom of expression cases to explore the effect of public opinion and pressure on U.S. Supreme Court rulings, through a simulation for secondary students. Students are assigned a pressure group to represent, discuss the facts in small groups, and formulate their decisions and arguments for class discussion. (LS)

  13. Patterns of Computer-Mediated Interaction in Small Writing Groups Using Wikis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Mimi; Zhu, Wei

    2013-01-01

    Informed by sociocultural theory and guided especially by "collective scaffolding", this study investigated the nature of computer-mediated interaction of three groups of English as a Foreign Language students when they performed collaborative writing tasks using wikis. Nine college students from a Chinese university participated in the…

  14. A Career School-Within-a-School for Ethnically Diverse, At-Risk High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hon, Jeanne E.; Shorr, Abbe

    1997-01-01

    To counter low test scores, a rising dropout rate, and teacher apathy, a small group of teachers at Hollywood (California) High School developed a career academy, an interdisciplinary school-within-a-school stressing small classes and business speakers. The program recruited interested students and promoted a career theme with good employment…

  15. A Matter of Alignment: An Organizational Analysis of the Advisor Role in Three Small Urban High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillippo, Katherine L.

    2009-01-01

    Recent research literature suggests that students benefit from positive relationships with their teachers. Small high schools attempt to formalize expectations for such relationships through a variety of organizational structures, including the advisor role. As advisors, teachers work with a group of students in order to guide and support them.…

  16. Effective E-Learning? Multi-Tasking, Distractions and Boundary Management by Graduate Students in an Online Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winter, Jennie; Cotton, Debby; Gavin, Joan; Yorke, Jon D.

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of a small-scale study that documented the use of information technology for learning by a small group of postgraduate students. Our findings support current knowledge about characteristics displayed by effective e-learners, but also highlight a less researched but potentially important issue in developing…

  17. Using SMART Board Technology to Teach Young Students with Disabilities and Limited Group Learning Experience to Read Environmental Text

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepley, Collin; Lane, Justin D.; Gast, David L.

    2016-01-01

    A multiple probe design across behaviors was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a SMART Board used in conjunction with teacher delivered constant time delay (CTD) to teach environmental text to three young students with disabilities and minimal group learning experience during small group direct instruction. Observational learning, instructive…

  18. Differential Item Functioning for Accommodated Students with Disabilities: Effect of Differences in Proficiency Distributions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quesen, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    When studying differential item functioning (DIF) with students with disabilities (SWD) focal groups typically suffer from small sample size, whereas the reference group population is usually large. This makes it possible for a researcher to select a sample from the reference population to be similar to the focal group on the ability scale. Doing…

  19. Need for Cognition and Active Information Search in Small Student Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curseu, Petru Lucian

    2011-01-01

    In a sample of 213 students organized in 44 groups this study tests the impact of need for cognition on active information search by using a multilevel analysis. The results show that group members with high need for cognition seek more advice in task related issues than those with low need for cognition and this pattern of information exchange is…

  20. Exploring Secondary Students' Epistemological Features Depending on the Evaluation Levels of the Group Model on Blood Circulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Shinyoung; Kim, Heui-Baik

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to identify the epistemological features and model qualities depending on model evaluation levels and to explore the reasoning process behind high-level evaluation through small group interaction about blood circulation. Nine groups of three to four students in the eighth grade participated in the modeling practice.…

  1. Learning science in small multi-age groups: the role of age composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kallery, Maria; Loupidou, Thomais

    2016-06-01

    The present study examines how the overall cognitive achievements in science of the younger children in a class where the students work in small multi-age groups are influenced by the number of older children in the groups. The context of the study was early-years education. The study has two parts: The first part involved classes attended by pre-primary children aged 4-6. The second part included one primary class attended by students aged 6-8 in addition to the pre-primary classes. Students were involved in inquiry-based science activities. Two sources of data were used: Lesson recordings and children's assessments. The data from both sources were separately analyzed and the findings plotted. The resulting graphs indicate a linear relationship between the overall performance of the younger children in a class and the number of older ones participating in the groups in each class. It seems that the age composition of the groups can significantly affect the overall cognitive achievements of the younger children and preferentially determines the time within which this factor reaches its maximum value. The findings can be utilized in deciding the age composition of small groups in a class with the aim of facilitating the younger children's learning in science.

  2. Peer interactions and academic engagement of youth with developmental disabilities in inclusive middle and high school classrooms.

    PubMed

    Carter, Erik W; Sisco, Lynn G; Brown, Lissa; Brickham, Dana; Al-Khabbaz, Zainab A

    2008-11-01

    We examined the peer interactions and academic engagement of 23 middle and high school students with developmental disabilities within inclusive academic and elective classrooms. The extent to which students with and without disabilities interacted socially was highly variable and influenced by instructional format, the proximity of general and special educators, and curricular area. Peer interactions occurred more often within small group instructional formats, when students were not receiving direct support from a paraprofessional or special educator, and in elective courses. Academic engagement also varied, with higher levels evidenced during one-to-one or small group instruction and when in proximity of general or special educators. Implications for designing effective support strategies for students with autism and/or intellectual disability within general education classrooms are discussed.

  3. An active-learning assignment involving peer-to-peer presentations to improve pharmacy students' attitudes and knowledge of dietary supplements.

    PubMed

    Atayee, Rabia S; Singh, Renu F; Best, Brookie M; Freedman, Beverley A; Morello, Candis M

    2012-08-10

    To design and implement a small-group self-guided active-learning format for a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) curriculum, and assess changes in first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' attitudes and knowledge of CAM. Students received an overview CAM lecture from a faculty member, and brief presentations with defined parameters on natural products from their peers. Based on pre- and post-intervention survey responses, the percentage of students who strongly agreed about the importance of CAM in pharmacy practice increased from 28% to 55% and the percentage of students who agreed or strongly agreed about the harmful effects of dietary supplements increased from 60% to 96%. Overall, students' attitude toward and self-assessed knowledge of dietary supplements improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention survey. Small-group self-guided learning of CAM, followed by peer presentations on dietary supplements, was successful in significantly improving pharmacy students' attitude toward and knowledge of CAM.

  4. Do Sweat the Small Stuff: Stemming School Violence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willert, H. Jennette

    2002-01-01

    Reports high school students' views on school violence based on interviews with 11 students in a focus group. For example, schools fail to educate students about violence prevention. Offers four recommendations to improve school climate and safety. (Contains 16 references.) (PKP)

  5. Peer Teaching as a Motivating Factor in Developing Communicative Skills.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Celani, M. A. A.

    1979-01-01

    An English language program at Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil has sought to increase student motivation for learning communicative skills by having fourth-year students work with first year students either individually or in small groups. (SW)

  6. The First Pelvic Examination: Helping Students Cope with Their Emotional Reactions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchwald, Julius

    1979-01-01

    Seminars with small groups of medical students beginning their training on an obstetrics and gynecology service attempt to help the students cope with reactions that could impair their ability to perform competent gynecological examinations. Six characteristic responses of students performing their first pelvic examination are described.…

  7. Teaching the Process of Obtaining Informed Consent to Medical Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Shirley M.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    A unit on informed consent for first-year osteopathy students consists of pre- and posttests, a lecture, readings, small-group discussion, a model videotaped interview, and students' videotaped interviews with a simulated patient. Students were most successful in establishing patient rapport and discussion, least successful in conflict resolution…

  8. Students' Conceptions Supporting Their Symbolization and Meaning of Function Rules

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fonger, Nicole L.; Ellis, Amy; Dogan, Muhammed F.

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the nature of students' quantitative reasoning and conceptions of functions supporting their ability to symbolize quadratic function rules, and the meanings students make of these rules. We analyzed middle school students' problem solving activity during a small group teaching experiment (n = 6) emphasizing quadratic growth…

  9. Biotechnology Apprenticeship for Secondary-Level Students: Teaching Advanced Cell Culture Techniques for Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Jennifer R.; Kotur, Mark S.; Butt, Omar; Kulcarni, Sumant; Riley, Alyssa A.; Ferrell, Nick; Sullivan, Kathryn D.; Ferrari, Mauro

    2002-01-01

    Discusses small-group apprenticeships (SGAs) as a method for introducing cell culture techniques to high school participants. Teaches cell culture practices and introduces advance imaging techniques to solve various biomedical engineering problems. Clarifies and illuminates the value of small-group laboratory apprenticeships. (Author/KHR)

  10. Occupational Choice Strategy: A Small Group Vocational Counseling Program. Participant's Workbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schriner, Kay Fletcher; Roessler, Richard T.

    The student workbook is part of the Occupational Choice Strategy (OCS) small group vocational counseling program. OCS incorporates: (1) concise occupational information easily accessed by the participants, (2) assessment methods that clarify a client's self-picture and vocational potential, (3) opportunities to practice decision-making and…

  11. Integrating Academic Interventions into Small Group Counseling in Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steen, Sam; Kaffenberger, Carol J.

    2007-01-01

    Professional school counselors face the challenge of delivering guidance and counseling services to students while connecting to the educational mission of schools. This article is a summary and evaluation of a small group counseling program that targets academic issues while addressing personal/social issues with elementary-aged children. Results…

  12. A Mindfulness Experiential Small Group to Help Students Tolerate Ambiguity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bohecker, Lynn; Vereen, Linwood G.; Wells, Pamela C.; Wathen, Cristen C.

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the lived experiences of 20 counselors-in-training (CITs) in a mindfulness experiential small group. Using grounded theory, the authors described a 5-dimensional model for navigating ambiguity. Findings suggest mindfulness training provides CITs self-reflection skills and a greater ability to manage cognitive complexity.

  13. Exploring Quadrilaterals in a Small Group Computing Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Kevin; White, Tobin

    2012-01-01

    Though cooperative learning has been a topic of considerable interest in educational research, there has been little study specific to learning in the mathematics content area of geometry. This paper seeks to address that gap through a design experiment featuring a novel small-group computing environment for supporting student learning about…

  14. Formulation of multiple choice questions as a revision exercise at the end of a teaching module in biochemistry.

    PubMed

    Bobby, Zachariah; Radhika, M R; Nandeesha, H; Balasubramanian, A; Prerna, Singh; Archana, Nimesh; Thippeswamy, D N

    2012-01-01

    The graduate medical students often get less opportunity for clarifying their doubts and to reinforce their concepts after lecture classes. Assessment of the effect of MCQ preparation by graduate medical students as a revision exercise on the topic "Mineral metabolism." At the end of regular teaching module on the topic "Mineral metabolism," graduate medical students were asked to prepare the stems of 15 MCQs based on the four discriminators given for each. They were told that one of the discriminators could be the answer for the MCQ and the remaining three could be the distracters. They were further guided in their task by providing few key word(s) in the stem of the expected MCQ. In the first phase of the exercise, the students attempted the MCQ preparation individually without peer consultation. In the second phase, the students participated in small group discussion to formulate the best MCQs of the group. The effects on low, medium, and high achievers were evaluated by pre and post-tests with the same set of MCQs. Both the individual endeavor in Phase 1 and small group discussion in Phase 2 for the formulation of MCQs significantly contributed to the gain from the exercise. The gains from the individual task and from small group discussion were equal among the different categories of students. Both phases of the exercise were equally beneficial for the low, medium, and high achievers. The high and medium achievers retained the gain from the exercise even after 1 week of the exercise whereas the low achievers could not retain the gain completely. Formulation of MCQs is an effective and useful unconventional revision exercise in Biochemistry for graduate medical students. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Developing the learning physical science curriculum: Adapting a small enrollment, laboratory and discussion based physical science course for large enrollments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldberg, Fred; Price, Edward; Robinson, Stephen; Boyd-Harlow, Danielle; McKean, Michael

    2012-06-01

    We report on the adaptation of the small enrollment, lab and discussion based physical science course, Physical Science and Everyday Thinking (PSET), for a large-enrollment, lecture-style setting. Like PSET, the new Learning Physical Science (LEPS) curriculum was designed around specific principles based on research on learning to meet the needs of nonscience students, especially prospective and practicing elementary and middle school teachers. We describe the structure of the two curricula and the adaptation process, including a detailed comparison of similar activities from the two curricula and a case study of a LEPS classroom implementation. In LEPS, short instructor-guided lessons replace lengthier small group activities, and movies, rather than hands-on investigations, provide the evidence used to support and test ideas. LEPS promotes student peer interaction as an important part of sense making via “clicker” questions, rather than small group and whole class discussions typical of PSET. Examples of student dialog indicate that this format is capable of generating substantive student discussion and successfully enacting the design principles. Field-test data show similar student content learning gains with the two curricula. Nevertheless, because of classroom constraints, some important practices of science that were an integral part of PSET were not included in LEPS.

  16. Effects of Individualized and Standardized Interventions on Middle School Students With Reading Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    VAUGHN, SHARON; WEXLER, JADE; ROBERTS, GREG; BARTH, AMY A.; CIRINO, PAUL T.; ROMAIN, MELISSA A.; FRANCIS, DAVID; FLETCHER, JACK; DENTON, CAROLYN A.

    2011-01-01

    This study reports the effectiveness of a year-long, small-group, tertiary (Tier 3) intervention that examined 2 empirically derived but conceptually different treatments and a comparison condition. The researchers had randomly assigned all students to treatment or comparison conditions. The participants were seventh- and eighth-grade students from the previous year who received an intervention and did not meet exit criteria. The researchers assigned them to one of two treatments: standardized (n = 69) or individualized (n = 71) for 50 min a day, in group sizes of 5, for the entire school year. Comparison students received no researcher-provided intervention (n = 42). The researchers used multigroup modeling with nested comparisons to evaluate the statistical significance of Time 3 estimates. Students in both treatments outperformed the comparison students on assessments of decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Intervention type did not moderate the pattern of effects, although students in the standardized treatment had a small advantage over individualized students on word attack. This study provides a framework from which to refine further interventions for older students with reading disabilities. PMID:23125463

  17. Learning Science in Small Multi-Age Groups: The Role of Age Composition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kallery, Maria; Loupidou, Thomais

    2016-01-01

    The present study examines how the overall cognitive achievements in science of the younger children in a class where the students work in small multi-age groups are influenced by the number of older children in the groups. The context of the study was early-years education. The study has two parts: The first part involved classes attended by…

  18. What Do We Know about Cognitive and Motivational Effects of Small Group Tutorials in Problem-Based Learning?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dolmans, Diana H. J. M.; Schmidt, Henk G.

    2006-01-01

    Students collaborating in small groups is a characteristic of problem-based learning (PBL) that is receiving increased consideration in the literature. In this paper findings from studies in this area are synthesized and discussed. A distinction is made between studies focusing on cognitive effects of group learning and studies focusing on…

  19. Small-Group, Computer-Mediated Argumentation in Middle-School Classrooms: The Effects of Gender and Different Types of Online Teacher Guidance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asterhan, Christa S. C.; Schwarz, Baruch B.; Gil, Julia

    2012-01-01

    CoBackground: Research has shown the importance of careful teacher support during collaborative group work to promote productive discourse between students (Webb, 2009). However, this research has traditionally focused on face-to-face communication. The role of online teacher guidance of small-group computer-mediated discussions has received…

  20. Scientifically speaking: Identifying, analyzing, and promoting science talk in small groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holthuis, Nicole Inamine

    In this dissertation I define, document, and analyze the nature of students' science talk as they work in cooperative learning groups. Three questions form the basis of this research. First, what is science talk? Second, how much and what kind of science talk did students do? And, third, what conditions help promote or inhibit students' science talk? This study was conducted in a total of six classrooms in three high schools. I videotaped and audiotaped students as they worked in small groups during the course of an ecology unit. I analyzed this videotape data and field notes using both quantitative and qualitative methods. I define science talk as talk that serves to move students along in terms of the science (both content and process) required or suggested by the activity. More specifically, I identified five epistemological characteristics that delineate what counts as scientific knowledge and, subsequently, science talk. From this definition, I developed an analytic framework and science talk observation instrument to document the quantity and level of student and teacher talk during groupwork. Analysis of the data from this instrument indicates that the overall level of students' science talk is considerable and students do significantly more science talk than school talk. I also found that while the overall level and type of science talk does not vary by class or by school, it does vary by activity type. Finally, my analysis suggests that science talk does not vary by gender composition of the group. I explored the classroom conditions that promote or inhibit science talk during groupwork. My findings suggest that, among other things, teachers can promote science talk by delegating authority to students, by emphasizing content and the big idea, by implementing open-ended tasks, and by modeling science talk. In conclusion, the findings described in this dissertation point teachers and researchers toward ways in which they may improve practice in order to foster more science talk. In addition, my Science Talk Instrument and analytic framework provides teachers, teacher educators, and researchers a means of understanding and evaluating student talk in small groups.

  1. A Board Game for Sensitizing Dental Students to Children with Special Needs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Udin, Richard D.; Kuster, Curtis G.

    1985-01-01

    A study to determine the usefulness of a board game in training and sensitizing senior dental students toward handicapped children showed that neither the board game nor a standard small-group lecture affected student attitudes or confidence. (MSE)

  2. Predicting Learning-Related Emotions from Students' Textual Classroom Feedback via Twitter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altrabsheh, Nabeela; Cocea, Mihaela; Fallahkhair, Sanaz

    2015-01-01

    Teachers/lecturers typically adapt their teaching to respond to students' emotions, e.g. provide more examples when they think the students are confused. While getting a feel of the students' emotions is easier in small settings, it is much more difficult in larger groups. In these larger settings textual feedback from students could provide…

  3. WRITING SKILLS--ARE LARGE CLASSES CONDUCTIVE TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HOPPER, HAROLD H.; KELLER, HELEN

    BY A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING, 274 STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THREE SECTIONS OF 56 STUDENTS EACH AND FOUR SECTIONS OF 28 STUDENTS. EVALUATION OF THE INSTRUCTION IN THE LARGE AND SMALL GROUPS INVOLVED ANALYSIS OF TWO ESSAYS AND INSTRUCTOR-STUDENT EVALUATIONS. WHILE THERE WAS SOME VARIATION IN STUDENT PREFERENCES, THE RESULTS OF THE PRETEST AND THE…

  4. Bailes Tipicos del Mundo Hispano (Typical Dances of the Spanish World). Ways and Customs. Teacher's and Student's Booklets, First Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

    The materials of this program are written to individualize the teaching of Spanish to English speakers, and are designed to provide as much flexibility as possible for both the teacher and student. The materials can be used for large groups, small groups, and individual work, although direct teacher-student contact is considered to be beneficial.…

  5. Utilization of case presentations in medical microbiology to enhance relevance of basic science for medical students.

    PubMed

    Chamberlain, Neal R; Stuart, Melissa K; Singh, Vineet K; Sargentini, Neil J

    2012-01-01

    Small-group case presentation exercises (CPs) were created to increase course relevance for medical students taking Medical Microbiology (MM) and Infectious Diseases (ID) METHODS: Each student received a unique paper case and had 10 minutes to review patient history, physical exam data, and laboratory data. Students then had three minutes to orally present their case and defend why they ruled in or out each of the answer choices provided, followed by an additional three minutes to answer questions. Exam scores differed significantly between students who received the traditional lecture-laboratory curriculum (Group I) and students who participated in the CPs (Group II). In MM, median unit exam and final exam scores for Group I students were 84.4% and 77.8%, compared to 86.0% and 82.2% for Group II students (P<0.018; P<0.001; Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test). Median unit and final ID exam scores for Group I students were 84.0% and 80.0%, compared to 88.0% and 86.7% for Group II students (P<0.001; P<0.001). Students felt that the CPs improved their critical thinking and presentation skills and helped to prepare them as future physicians.

  6. The Impact of Collaborative and Individualized Student Response System Strategies on Learner Motivation, Metacognition, and Knowledge Transfer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, M. E.; Antonenko, P. D.; Greenwood, C. M.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of collaborative and individualized student response system-based instruction on learner motivation, metacognition, and concept transfer in a large-enrolment undergraduate science course. Participants in the collaborative group responded to conceptual questions, discussed their responses in small groups, and…

  7. A Brave New World: Students Debate Ethics of Biotechnology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barksdale, Francia

    1996-01-01

    This article describes an interdisciplinary classroom project in which ninth graders simulate a "World Council on Genetic Technology." Students in small groups take on the persona and interests of individuals from specific countries in the group effort to develop a covenant for regulating the use of biotechnology. The benefits of having gifted…

  8. Exploring the Argumentation Pattern in Modeling-Based Learning about Apparent Motion of Mars

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Su-Kyeong

    2016-01-01

    This study proposed an analytic framework for coding students' dialogic argumentation and investigated the characteristics of the small-group argumentation pattern observed in modeling-based learning. The participants were 122 second grade high school students in South Korea divided into an experimental and a comparison group. Modeling-based…

  9. Engaging Undergraduate Biology Students in Scientific Modeling: Analysis of Group Interactions, Sense-Making, and Justification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bierema, Andrea M.-K.; Schwarz, Christina V.; Stoltzfus, Jon R.

    2017-01-01

    National calls for improving science education (e.g., "Vision and Change") emphasize the need to learn disciplinary core ideas through scientific practices. To address this need, we engaged small groups of students in developing diagrammatic models within two (one large-enrollment and one medium-enrollment) undergraduate introductory…

  10. The Brink of Change: Gender in Technology-Rich Collaborative Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldstein, Jessica; Puntambeka, Sadhana

    2004-01-01

    This study was designed to contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on the influence of gender in technology-rich collaborative learning environments. The study examined middle school students attitudes towards using computers and working in groups during scientific inquiry. Students attitudes towards technology and group work were…

  11. Whole-Class Scaffolding for Learning to Solve Mathematics Problems Together in a Computer-Supported Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abdu, Rotem; Schwarz, Baruch; Mavrikis, Manolis

    2015-01-01

    We investigate teachers' practices in a whole-class context when they scaffold students' learning in situations where students use technologies that facilitate group learning to solve mathematical problems in small groups. We describe teachers' practices in order to evaluate their contribution to "Whole-Class Scaffolding" in the context…

  12. Female peers in small work groups enhance women's motivation, verbal participation, and career aspirations in engineering.

    PubMed

    Dasgupta, Nilanjana; Scircle, Melissa McManus; Hunsinger, Matthew

    2015-04-21

    For years, public discourse in science education, technology, and policy-making has focused on the "leaky pipeline" problem: the observation that fewer women than men enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields and more women than men leave. Less attention has focused on experimentally testing solutions to this problem. We report an experiment investigating one solution: we created "microenvironments" (small groups) in engineering with varying proportions of women to identify which environment increases motivation and participation, and whether outcomes depend on students' academic stage. Female engineering students were randomly assigned to one of three engineering groups of varying sex composition: 75% women, 50% women, or 25% women. For first-years, group composition had a large effect: women in female-majority and sex-parity groups felt less anxious than women in female-minority groups. However, among advanced students, sex composition had no effect on anxiety. Importantly, group composition significantly affected verbal participation, regardless of women's academic seniority: women participated more in female-majority groups than sex-parity or female-minority groups. Additionally, when assigned to female-minority groups, women who harbored implicit masculine stereotypes about engineering reported less confidence and engineering career aspirations. However, in sex-parity and female-majority groups, confidence and career aspirations remained high regardless of implicit stereotypes. These data suggest that creating small groups with high proportions of women in otherwise male-dominated fields is one way to keep women engaged and aspiring toward engineering careers. Although sex parity works sometimes, it is insufficient to boost women's verbal participation in group work, which often affects learning and mastery.

  13. Qualitative Analysis of Collaborative Learning Groups in Large Enrollment Introductory Astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skala, Chija; Slater, Timothy F.; Adams, Jeffrey P.

    2000-08-01

    Large-lecture introductory astronomy courses for undergraduate, non-science majors present numerous problems for faculty. As part of a systematic effort to improve the course learning environment, a series of small-group, collaborative learning activities were implemented in an otherwise conventional lecture astronomy survey course. These activities were used once each week during the regularly scheduled lecture period. After eight weeks, ten focus group interviews were conducted to qualitatively assess the impact and dynamics of these small group learning activities. Overall, the data strongly suggest that students enjoy participating in the in-class learning activities in learning teams of three to four students. These students firmly believe that they are learning more than they would from lectures alone. Inductive analysis of the transcripts revealed five major themes prevalent among the students' perspectives: (1) self-formed, cooperative group composition and formation should be more regulated by the instructor; (2) team members' assigned rolls should be less formally structured by the instructors; (3) cooperative groups helped in learning the course content; (4) time constraints on lectures and activities need to be more carefully aligned; and (5) gender issues can exist within the groups. These themes serve as a guide for instructors who are developing instructional interventions for large lecture courses.

  14. The Use of Case Studies in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cornely, Kathleen

    1998-04-01

    Most college biochemistry courses are taught in a format in which the professor lectures and the student memorizes. Although this is the best method for conveying large amounts of material, it puts the student in the position of passive learner. The lecture-based format has not been abandoned, but has been supplemented with case study projects assigned to the students upon completion of the intermediary metabolism unit. The case study assignment is modeled on similar exercises carried out in medical school biochemistry courses in the US and around the world. A description of the assignment follows: a group of 4-5 students is given a case study which gives the medical history of a patient with an inherited metabolic disease. The group is asked to provide biochemical explanations for the patient's symptoms and to suggest an effective course of treatment. The evaluation consists of a short paper that the students write as a group. The assignment provides the opportunity for small group interaction within a larger class and emphasizes cooperative-collaborative learning. Students learn by researching the topic on their own and debating it in small group discussions, and in so doing, gain a sense of confidence in themselves and the material they have learned over the course of the semester. Solving a "real-life" problem helps develop analytical and higher-order thinking skills and allows the students to see how biochemical concepts they have learned apply to a clinical situation.

  15. Teaching Theory in Occupational Therapy Using a Cooperative Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Howe, Tsu-Hsin; Sheu, Ching-Fan; Hinojosa, Jim

    2018-01-01

    Cooperative learning provides an important vehicle for active learning, as knowledge is socially constructed through interaction with others. This study investigated the effect of cooperative learning on occupational therapy (OT) theory knowledge attainment in professional-level OT students in a classroom environment. Using a pre- and post-test group design, 24 first-year, entry-level OT students participated while taking a theory course in their second semester of the program. Cooperative learning methods were implemented via in-class group assignments. The students were asked to complete two questionnaires regarding their attitudes toward group environments and their perception toward group learning before and after the semester. MANCOVA was used to examine changes in attitudes and perceived learning among groups. Students' summary sheets for each in-class assignment and course evaluations were collected for content analysis. Results indicated significant changes in students' attitude toward working in small groups regardless of their prior group experience.

  16. Peer Feedback Mediates the Impact of Self-Regulation Procedures on Strategy Use and Reading Comprehension in Reciprocal Teaching Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schünemann, Nina; Spörer, Nadine; Völlinger, Vanessa A.; Brunstein, Joachim C.

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this research was to highlight the role social regulatory processes play in making students' teamwork in reciprocal teaching (RT) groups (a classroom activity in which students take the teacher's role in small group reading sessions) effective. In addition to teamwork quality, we expected peer feedback to be a key factor in enhancing…

  17. Pre-university Chemistry Students in a Mimicked Scholarly Peer Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Rens, Lisette; Hermarij, Philip; Pilot, Albert; Beishuizen, Jos; Hofman, Herman; Wal, Marjolein

    2014-10-01

    Peer review is a significant component in scientific research. Introducing peer review into inquiry processes may be regarded as an aim to develop student understanding regarding quality in inquiries. This study examines student understanding in inquiry peer reviews among pre-university chemistry students, aged 16-17, when they enact a design of a mimicked scholarly peer review. This design is based on a model of a human activity system. Twenty-five different schools in Brazil, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands participated. The students (n = 880) conducted in small groups (n = 428) open inquiries on fermentation. All groups prepared an inquiry report for peer review. These reports were published on a website. Groups were randomly paired in an internet symposium, where they posted review comments to their peers. These responses were qualitatively analyzed on small groups' level of understanding regarding seven categories: inquiry question, hypothesis, management of control variables, accurate measurement, presenting results, reliability of results, discussion and conclusion. The mimicked scholarly review prompted a collective practice. Student understanding was significantly well on presenting results, discussion and conclusion, and significantly less on inquiry question and reliability of results. An enacted design, based on a model of a human activity system, created student understanding of quality in inquiries as well as an insight in a peer-reviewing practice. To what extent this model can be applied in a broader context of design research in science education needs further study.

  18. Using Industry Professionals in Undergraduate Teaching: Effects on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentelli, Liesel

    2015-01-01

    Tutorials are a common complementary method of achieving student engagement with material covered in lectures, as students achieve deeper understanding by being involved in small group discussions. However, in an attempt to provide students with a taste of everything the industry has to offer, the Centre for Forensic Science at the University of…

  19. The Composing Processes of Mature Adults.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crabbe, Katharyn

    The study examined 41 students (24 male, 17 female) in a beginning writing course for adults. Data were collected by (1) taping four workshop sessions in which all students participated in small groups, (2) interviewing all the students, and (3) observing four students writing in the classroom. The adult writers composed in two models: the…

  20. A Discussion Project on High School Adolescents' Perceptions of the Relationship between Students and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Ronald J.

    1976-01-01

    Describes a small group discussion project involving students and teachers in two large white suburban high schools. The project's intention was to focus discussion on the social quality of the relationship between students and teachers, and to assess the impact of the discussions on student perceptions. (Author/RK)

  1. Strategy Instruction Shifts Teacher and Student Interactions during Text-Based Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boardman, Alison G.; Boelé, Amy L.; Klingner, Janette K.

    2018-01-01

    This study examined how teacher and student interactions were influenced by a multistrategy reading model, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR), where students learn to apply before-, during-, and after-reading strategies in small cooperative learning groups. Five middle school English language arts teachers and their students (N = 184)…

  2. Standing in the Hallway Improves Students' Understanding of Conformity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawson, Timothy J.; Haubner, Richard R.; Bodle, James H.

    2013-01-01

    To help beginning psychology students understand how they are influenced by social pressures to conform, we developed a demonstration designed to elicit their conformity to a small group of students standing in the hallway before class. Results showed the demonstration increased students' recognition of their own tendency to conform, knowledge of…

  3. Acquisition of Content Area Vocabulary for Students with Learning Disabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keel, Marie C.; Slaton, Deborah Bott; Blackhurt, A. Edward

    2001-01-01

    This study compared effects of two variations of the constant-time-delay (CTD) procedure on the observational learning of content area vocabulary by seven primary grade students with learning disabilities in a small group instructional setting. Both conditions (every student writes all words or only target student writes) were equally effective…

  4. Understanding Protein Synthesis: An Interactive Card Game Discussion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Alison; Peat, Mary; Franklin, Sue

    2005-01-01

    Protein synthesis is a complex process and students find it difficult to understand. This article describes an interactive discussion "game" used by first year biology students at the University of Sydney. The students, in small groups, use the game in which the processes of protein synthesis are actioned by the students during a…

  5. Helping Medical Students Understand Postpartum Psychosis through the Prism of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tucker, Phebe; Crow, Sheila; Cuccio, Anne; Schleifer, Ronald; Vannatta, Jerry B.

    2004-01-01

    Objective: We assessed the use of literature to illustrate a postpartum depression lecture. Methods: Medical students and faculty facilitators were surveyed after small group discussions. Results: Students' ratings and comments were positive, and faculty comments were neutral to positive. Conclusion: Students valued this teaching method, while…

  6. Error Patterns with Fraction Calculations at Fourth Grade as a Function of Students' Mathematics Achievement Status.

    PubMed

    Schumacher, Robin F; Malone, Amelia S

    2017-09-01

    The goal of the present study was to describe fraction-calculation errors among 4 th -grade students and determine whether error patterns differed as a function of problem type (addition vs. subtraction; like vs. unlike denominators), orientation (horizontal vs. vertical), or mathematics-achievement status (low- vs. average- vs. high-achieving). We specifically addressed whether mathematics-achievement status was related to students' tendency to operate with whole number bias. We extended this focus by comparing low-performing students' errors in two instructional settings that focused on two different types of fraction understandings: core instruction that focused on part-whole understanding vs. small-group tutoring that focused on magnitude understanding. Results showed students across the sample were more likely to operate with whole number bias on problems with unlike denominators. Students with low or average achievement (who only participated in core instruction) were more likely to operate with whole number bias than students with low achievement who participated in small-group tutoring. We suggest instruction should emphasize magnitude understanding to sufficiently increase fraction understanding for all students in the upper elementary grades.

  7. Description and student self-evaluation of a pilot integrated small group learning and simulation programme for medical students in the first clinical year.

    PubMed

    Levinson, Michele; Kelly, Diane; Zahariou, Krisoula; Johnson, Matthew; Jackman, Christine; Mackenzie, Sara

    2017-02-01

    Contemporary education for medical students should be student-centred, integrated and contextualised. Small group learning promotes clinical reasoning and skills for lifelong learning. Simulation can provide experiential learning in a safe and controlled environment. We developed a weekly integrated problem-based learning and simulation programme (IPS) over two semesters in the first clinical year to augment clinical placement experience and contextualise theory into work-relevant practice. To evaluate the new programme at Kirkpatrick level 1. An anonymous survey of participating students. The programme was well liked. Students found the programme relevant and that they had a better understanding of patient safety and the assessment of the deteriorating patient. They felt it contributed to integration of theory and practice, clinical reasoning and the acquisition of non-technical skills, particularly affective and communication elements. This IPS programme in the first clinical year can deliver a student-centred curriculum to complement clinical placement that delivers the important requirements of contemporary medical student education. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  8. Approaches and Activities of Professional Development During Graduate/Postdoctoral Summer Workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gross, N. A.; Wiltberger, M. J.; Hughes, W. J.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Schrijver, K.; Bagenal, F.; Sojka, J. J.; Munoz-Jaramillo, A.

    2017-12-01

    NSF and NASA each fund a space physics summer school - the Space Weather Summer School (https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/CISM-Summer-School) and the Heliophysics Summer School (https://cpaess.ucar.edu/heliophysics/summer-school) - each of which provide a comprehensive introduction to their fields at the conceptual and quantitative level for graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Along with specific content goals, each summer school also recognizes professional development goals for the students. Each school intentionally develops community among the summer school students to promote professional networking between the students and between students and instructors. Community is promoted both as part of the formal program and through informal gatherings and outings. Social media is intentionally used for this purpose as well. The summer schools also promote practice with discussing science concepts in small groups through peer instruction, practice presenting in small groups, and discussing results with minimal preparation. Short formal student presentations and poster sessions are organized as part of the formal schedule of one of the summer schools. Much of the professional development work is informed by improvisational theater approaches. Group improv training focuses on the development of the group or the community rather than the individual. Group improv activities are used to build the group and encourage full participation. This talk will outline the professional development activities in each school and how they are informed by improv.

  9. An Active-Learning Assignment Involving Peer-to-Peer Presentations to Improve Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes and Knowledge of Dietary Supplements

    PubMed Central

    Singh, Renu F.; Best, Brookie M.; Freedman, Beverley A.; Morello, Candis M.

    2012-01-01

    Objective. To design and implement a small-group self-guided active-learning format for a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) curriculum, and assess changes in first-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' attitudes and knowledge of CAM. Design. Students received an overview CAM lecture from a faculty member, and brief presentations with defined parameters on natural products from their peers. Assessment. Based on pre- and post-intervention survey responses, the percentage of students who strongly agreed about the importance of CAM in pharmacy practice increased from 28% to 55% and the percentage of students who agreed or strongly agreed about the harmful effects of dietary supplements increased from 60% to 96%. Overall, students' attitude toward and self-assessed knowledge of dietary supplements improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention survey. Conclusion. Small-group self-guided learning of CAM, followed by peer presentations on dietary supplements, was successful in significantly improving pharmacy students' attitude toward and knowledge of CAM. PMID:22919089

  10. Evaluating Impact of Small-Group Discussion on Learning Utilizing a Classroom Response System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flosason, Thorhallur O.; McGee, Heather M.; Diener-Ludwig, Lori

    2015-01-01

    Classroom response systems (also referred to as clickers) can enhance learning outcomes and are generally viewed favorably by students and instructors alike. The current study used an alternating treatments design to examine whether discussing questions in small groups before responding to clicker questions during lecture improved accurate…

  11. Exploring Small Group Analysis of Instructional Design Cases in Online Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trespalacios, Jesus

    2017-01-01

    The case-based approach is a constructivist instructional strategy that helps students apply their emerging knowledge by studying design problems in authentic real-world situations. One important instructional strategy in case-based instruction is to analyze cases in small groups before discussing them with the whole class. This study investigates…

  12. Seeking a Balance: Discussion Strategies That Foster Reading with Authorial Empathy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brett, Aidan T.

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the extent to which students' use of different discussion strategies fosters a balance between attending to the technical elements of authored texts and responding empathetically. Because small-group discussion is a common approach to literary study, the analysis focuses on two small-group discussions of "Charlie…

  13. Teaching child development to medical students.

    PubMed

    Clark, Brenda; Andrews, Debra; Taghaddos, Soreh; Dinu, Irina

    2012-12-01

    Several published strategies on teaching the screening of normal child development were integrated into a small group learning experience for second-year medical students to address practical and logistical problems of approaches used individually. This study examines the effectiveness of this integrated approach using student evaluations. A total of 191 second-year university medical and dental students were invited to participate. Well-described learning objectives, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), live parent-child dyads and video backup were used. Students rotated through three small group stations. Feedback was provided using a Likert scale (from 1, low, to 5, high) and written comments. Consent was obtained. Live parent-child dyads versus video clip groups were analysed by averaging overall scores. Generalised estimating equation (GEE) analysis in stata (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas) was used for comparing the two groups. A total of 178 students (93%) agreed to participate and filled out the evaluation forms. The overall score on the Likert scale was 4.6 (range 4-5). On two occasions video clips were substituted for live parent-child dyad presentations in one of the three stations. These students (n=43, rating 4.61/5) rated their experience as comparable with those who had three live family stations (n=135, rating 4.56/5). Student comments were grouped into broad themes, with most being positive about their learning experience. This integrated approach is highly acceptable. Video clip usage, live dyads, clear written objectives and use of a standardised screening tool preserved the interaction and immediacy of a clinical encounter, while maintaining consistency in content. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  14. [Skills lab training in veterinary medicine. Effective preparation for clinical work at the small animal clinic of the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation].

    PubMed

    Engelskirchen, Simon; Ehlers, Jan; Kirk, Ansgar T; Tipold, Andrea; Dilly, Marc

    2017-09-20

    During five and a half years of studying veterinary medicine, students should in addition to theoretical knowledge acquire sufficient practical skills. Considering animal welfare and ethical aspects, opportunities for hands-on learning on living animals are limited because of the high annual number of students. The first German veterinary clinical-skills lab, established in 2013 at the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), offers opportunities for all students to learn, train and repeat clinical skills on simulators and models as frequently as they would like, until they feel sufficiently confident to transfer these skills to living animals. This study describes the establishment of clinical-skills lab training within the students' practical education, using the example of the small-animal clinic of the TiHo. Two groups of students were compared: without skills lab training (control group K) and with skills lab training (intervention group I). At the end of both the training and a subsequent 10-week clinical rotation in different sections of the clinic, an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was performed, testing the students' practical skills at 15 stations. An additional multiple-choice test was performed before and after the clinical rotation to evaluate the increased theoretical knowledge. Students of group I achieved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) better results in eight of the 15 tested skills. The multiple-choice test revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) gain of theoretical knowledge in both groups without any differences between the groups. Students displayed a high degree of acceptance of the skills lab training. Using simulators and models in veterinary education is an efficient teaching concept, and should be used continually and integrated in the curriculum.

  15. Analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks as a scaffold for argumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emig, Brandon R.

    Given the centrality of the argumentation process to science and consequent importance to science education, inviting science students to engage in argumentation and scaffolding that argumentation in order that it lead to learning and not frustration is important. The present research invites small groups of science content learners (54 preservice elementary teachers at a large research university) to use analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks in service of argumentation to determine which of two possible analogues, in this case simple machines, is most closely related to a third. These activities and associated instruction scaffolded student small-groups' argumentation in four ways: (1) supporting new analogical correspondences on the heels of prior correspondences; (2) discerning definitions and descriptions for simple machine elements; (3) identifying and dealing with ambiguity in potential correspondences; and (4) making reflections on prior analogical correspondences in service of their final arguments. Analogical-mapping-based comparison activities scaffolded student small groups both in their argumentation and in content learning about simple machines. Implications, limitations, and directions for future related research are also discussed.

  16. High School Students' Goals for Working Together in Mathematics Class: Mediating the Practical Rationality of Studenting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webel, Corey

    2013-01-01

    In this article I explore high school students' perspectives on working together in a mathematics class in which they spent a significant amount of time solving problems in small groups. The data included viewing session interviews with eight students in the class, where each student watched video clips of their own participation, explaining and…

  17. Teaching Students How to Study: A Workshop on Information Processing and Self-Testing Helps Students Learn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Shockley, Floyd W.; Wilson, Rachel E.

    2011-01-01

    We implemented a "how to study" workshop for small groups of students (6-12) for N = 93 consenting students, randomly assigned from a large introductory biology class. The goal of this workshop was to teach students self-regulating techniques with visualization-based exercises as a foundation for learning and critical thinking in two areas:…

  18. Teacher and Student Based Instructions on Probability Achievement Outcomes and Attitudes of Secondary School Students in Bungoma North, Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pale, Joseph W.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher based is the usual instructional method used by most teachers in high school. Traditionally, teachers direct the learning and students work individually and assume a receptive role in their education. Student based learning approach is an instructional use of small groups of students working together to accomplish shared goals to increase…

  19. Student Motivation in Response to Problem-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fukuzawa, Sherry; Boyd, Cleo; Cahn, Joel

    2017-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is a self-directed learning strategy where students work collaboratively in small groups to investigate open-ended relatable case scenarios. Students develop transferable skills that can be applied across disciplines, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Despite extensive research on…

  20. Responses to different types of inquiry prompts: college students' discourse, performance, and perceptions of group work in an engineering class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balgopal, Meena M.; Casper, Anne Marie A.; Atadero, Rebecca A.; Rambo-Hernandez, Karen E.

    2017-08-01

    Working in small groups to solve problems is an instructional strategy that allows university students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines the opportunity to practice interpersonal and professional skills while gaining and applying discipline-specific content knowledge. Previous research indicates that not all group work prompts result in the same experiences for students. In this study we posed two types of prompts (guided and open) to undergraduate engineering students in a statics course as they participated in group work projects. We measured student discourse, student performance, and perceptions of group work. We found that guided prompts were associated with higher-level discourse and higher performance (project scores) than open prompts. Students engaged in guided prompts were more likely to discuss distribution of labour and design/calculation details of their projects than when students responded to open prompts. We posit that guided prompts, which more clearly articulate expectations of students, help students determine how to divide tasks amongst themselves and, subsequently, jump to higher levels of discourse.

  1. An investigation into the factors that encourage learner participation in a large group medical classroom.

    PubMed

    Moffett, Jennifer; Berezowski, John; Spencer, Dustine; Lanning, Shari

    2014-01-01

    Effective lectures often incorporate activities that encourage learner participation. A challenge for educators is how to facilitate this in the large group lecture setting. This study investigates the individual student characteristics involved in encouraging (or dissuading) learners to interact, ask questions, and make comments in class. Students enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St Kitts, were invited to complete a questionnaire canvassing their participation in the large group classroom. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) and the R software environment (http://www.r-project.org/). One hundred and ninety-two students completed the questionnaire (response rate, 85.7%). The results showed statistically significant differences between male and female students when asked to self-report their level of participation (P=0.011) and their confidence to participate (P<0.001) in class. No statistically significant difference was identified between different age groups of students (P=0.594). Student responses reflected that an "aversion to public speaking" acted as the main deterrent to participating during a lecture. Female participants were 3.56 times more likely to report a fear of public speaking than male participants (odds ratio 3.56, 95% confidence interval 1.28-12.33, P=0.01). Students also reported "smaller sizes of class and small group activities" and "other students participating" as factors that made it easier for them to participate during a lecture. In this study, sex likely played a role in learner participation in the large group veterinary classroom. Male students were more likely to participate in class and reported feeling more confident to participate than female students. Female students in this study commonly identified aversion to public speaking as a factor which held them back from participating in the large group lecture setting. These are important findings for veterinary and medical educators aiming to improve learner participation in the classroom. Potential ways of addressing this challenge include addition of small group activities and audience response systems during lectures, and inclusion of training interventions in public speaking at an early stage of veterinary and medical curricula.

  2. A Sense of Place on Campus: Urban Students Find the Stars at a Small Rural College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sauerwein, David A.

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study utilizing grounded theory examined sense of place for a group of 15 urban students at a small, rural college. The setting is a traditional campus in New England with academic, residential, administrative, and support buildings that sit in a town of 3,500 residents. The area is mountainous and wooded with wetlands, and the…

  3. Co-Regulation and Knowledge Construction in an Online Synchronous Problem Based Learning Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Lila; Lajoie, Susanne P.; Poitras, Eric G.; Nkangu, Miriam; Doleck, Tenzin

    2017-01-01

    Learning to monitor and regulate one's learning in an academic setting is a task that all students must engage in. Learning in "group" situations requires both self- and co-regulation. This research examines a case study of a small group of medical student interactions during an on-line problem based learning activity (PBL) where…

  4. The Effects of a Success Skills Group on Adolescents' Self-Regulation, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Learning Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohrt, Jonathan; Webster, Lindsay; De La Garza, Mario

    2015-01-01

    In this article, the authors discuss how school counselors at two middle schools identified and intervened with eighth-grade students who were at risk for academic failure using the Student Success Skills (SSS) small-group curriculum (Brigman, Campbell, & Webb, 2010). Participants reported significant increases in self-regulation and perceived…

  5. Development and Evaluation of an Interactive Mobile Learning Environment with Shared Display Groupware

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Jie Chi; Lin, Yi Lung

    2010-01-01

    When using mobile devices in support of learning activities, students gain mobility, but problems arise when group members share information. The small size of the mobile device screen becomes problematic when it is being used by two or more students to share and exchange information. This problem affects interactions among group members. To…

  6. Patterson Road Elementary School Formula Phonics Reading Chain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orcutt Union School District, CA.

    This program, included in "Effective Reading Programs...," serves 320 students in grades 2-6. The majority of the students are white and come from low- and middle-income homes in the sururbs of a small city. Staggered scheduling allows two ungraded reading chains of 12 groups each to meet 45 minutes daily. Grouping is determined not by…

  7. Attitude Change Toward Trainable Mentally Retarded: "Mainstreaming in Reverse".

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cronk, Mildred S.

    An assessment was made of change in attitude toward trainable mentally retarded (TMR) students of 42 adults (members of the PTA Board and teachers of the experimental groups) and 127 children (in first, third, and sixth grades) as a result of special instruction and an integrated program. Regular class students in small groups were systematically…

  8. Attitudes and Language Use in Group Discussions on Socio-Scientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindahl, Mats Gunnar; Folkesson, Anne-Mari

    2016-01-01

    The school systems of many countries have been pervaded by student-centred pedagogy making students' small group discussion a common feature of the classroom practice.However, there is a lack of studies focussing different modes of discussion for the purpose of finding out whether some modes are more beneficial than others. Hence, the aim of this…

  9. The Role of Argumentation in Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning during Problem-Based Learning in Medical Education: A Conceptual Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ju, Hyunjung; Choi, Ikseon

    2018-01-01

    One of the important goals of problem-based learning (PBL) in medical education is to enhance medical students' clinical reasoning--hypothetico-deductive reasoning (HDR) in particular--through small group discussions. However, few studies have focused on explicit strategies for promoting students' HDR during group discussions in PBL. This paper…

  10. Science Instruction for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Therrien, William J.; Taylor, Jonte C.; Watt, Sarah; Kaldenberg, Erica R.

    2014-01-01

    This review examined classroom science instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A total of 11 group and single-subject studies were analyzed. Across all group studies, a conservatively calculated mean effect size of 0.471 was obtained indicating the interventions as a whole had at least a small to moderate impact on…

  11. Integrating Social Studies and the Humanities through Drama: The Meaning of Tribe.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geoghegan, Wendy

    1989-01-01

    Describes the use of drama to give meaning and understanding to a unit on Native Americans. Students worked in small groups or "tribes" to research cultural attributes, and then acted out tribal rituals and created costumes and artifacts. The group work and the active roleplaying helped students to develop a new understanding of…

  12. Evaluation of a Health Careers Program for Asian American and Pacific Islander High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeh, Christine J.; Borrero, Noah E.

    2012-01-01

    The authors evaluated a health careers program in a U.S. urban public high school. After small subgroups of the original sample were removed, participants included 162 Asian American and Pacific Islander students. Analyses of covariance indicated that, compared with the comparison group, the treatment group reported significantly higher levels of…

  13. Responses to Different Types of Inquiry Prompts: College Students' Discourse, Performance, and Perceptions of Group Work in an Engineering Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balgopal, Meena M.; Casper, Anne Marie A.; Atadero, Rebecca A.; Rambo-Hernandez, Karen E.

    2017-01-01

    Working in small groups to solve problems is an instructional strategy that allows university students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines the opportunity to practice interpersonal and professional skills while gaining and applying discipline-specific content knowledge. Previous research indicates that not all group…

  14. Teaching About Muscles: Are Your Students Flexing Their Minds as They Extend Their Knowledge?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haddad, Ron

    1995-01-01

    Describes activities in which high school students exercise individual muscles or small groups of muscles to try to determine which muscles are involved, their approximate origins, and insertions. (MKR)

  15. Building and critiquing qualitative research websites: a cyberspace project to connect undergraduate nursing students in Canada and the United States.

    PubMed

    Teel, Cynthia S; Shaw, Judith A

    2005-01-01

    This project had a dual purpose: 1) to facilitate student learning about qualitative research methods, and 2) to promote collegiality and professional development among senior nursing students in Canada and the United States through the use of distance technology. In each of three project years, students at St. Francis Xavier University (STFX) in Nova Scotia initiated the experience by working in small groups to develop websites about different methodological approaches in qualitative research. Site information included an overview of the selected approach, discussion of trustworthiness issues, citation of journal articles in which authors used the approach, additional references, and some personal information about the student developers. Also working in small groups, University of Kansas students identified and read related research articles, reviewed website information, and responded to the STFX groups about the usefulness of site information in increasing understanding of qualitative methods and using the information for evaluation of research. The experience promoted active use of qualitative research concepts and facilitated the development of skills in evaluating research article content and website content. Participation in the activity fostered positive perceptions about the value and use of research and helped students appreciate the similarities in courses, programs, and professional requirements and values among international peers.

  16. Using Creative Dramatics to Foster Conceptual Learning in a Science Enrichment Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hendrix, Rebecca Compton

    This study made analysis of how the integration of creative drama into a science enrichment program enhanced the learning of elementary school students' understanding of sound physics and solar energy. The study also sought to determine if student attitudes toward science could be improved with the inclusion of creative drama as an extension to a well-known science inquiry program. The qualitative portion of this study explored the treatment groups' perceptions of how the use of creative drama helped them to learn science. A treatment group of fourth and fifth grade students were taught using the Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit in sound physics and solar energy with the inclusion of creative drama, while a control group of fourth and fifth grade students were taught using only the FOSS kit. The quantitative data analysis revealed that the students who were taught science with the inclusion of creative drama showed greater understanding of the science content than the students in the control group taught without the inclusion of creative drama. Both groups and grade levels in this study showed a slight decline in science attitudes from pre to post survey. Although the overall change was small it was statistically significant. The conclusion from this data is that the inclusion of creative drama in a science inquiry science program does not increase student's attitudes toward learning science any better than inquiry based instruction without creative drama. The drama treatment group students reported that they enjoyed participating in creative drama activities and generally viewed the creative drama intervention as a fun way to learn more about science. The students indicated that the creative drama activities helped them to remember and think about science. The researcher concluded that creative drama when used as an extension to an inquiry science program increases student understanding of science content better than the use of a science inquiry program alone. Although students in both treatment and control groups showed a small decline in attitude toward science, the drama treatment students responded favorably to creative drama's use and implementation in helping them to learn more about science.

  17. Effectiveness of Group Supervision versus Combined Group and Individual Supervision.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Dee; Altekruse, Michael

    2000-01-01

    Investigates the effectiveness of different types of supervision (large group, small group, combined group, individual supervision) with counseling students (N=64). Analyses revealed that all supervision formats resulted in similar progress in counselor effectiveness and counselor development. Participants voiced a preference for individual…

  18. Students' Regulation of Their Emotions in a Science Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomas, Louisa; Rigano, Donna; Ritchie, Stephen M.

    2016-01-01

    Research aimed at understanding the role of the affective domain in student learning in classrooms has undergone a recent resurgence due to the need to understand students' affective response to science instruction. In a case study of a year 8 science class in North Queensland, students worked in small groups to write, film, edit, and produce…

  19. Theory and Practice: How Filming "Learning in the Real World" Helps Students Make the Connection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Commander, Nannette Evans; Ward, Teresa E.; Zabrucky, Karen M.

    2012-01-01

    This article describes an assignment, titled "Learning in the Real World," designed for graduate students in a learning theory course. Students work in small groups to create high quality audio-visual films that present "real learning" through interviews and/or observations of learners. Students select topics relevant to theories we are discussing…

  20. Assessing Middle School Student Participation in Online vs. Face-to-Face Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oravetz, Cathleen L.

    2011-01-01

    Educators have observed reluctance in middle school students to vocally engage in small group learning tasks, the result of which could be a decrease in student learning. The same students have been observed collaborating with peers outside of the classroom when using technology. The purpose of this study is to determine if technology provides a…

  1. Measuring Marbles: Demonstrating the Basic Tenets of Measurement Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wininger, Steven R.

    2007-01-01

    A hands-on activity is described in which students attempt to measure something that they cannot see. In small groups, students estimate the number of marbles in sealed boxes. Next, students' estimates are compared with the actual numbers. Last, values from both the students' estimates and actual numbers are used to explain measurement theory and…

  2. Assessing Student Perceptions of the Benefits of Discussions in Small-Group, Large-Class, and Online Learning Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamann, Kerstin; Pollock, Philip H.; Wilson, Bruce M.

    2012-01-01

    A large literature establishes the benefits of discussions for stimulating student engagement and critical thinking skills. However, we know considerably less about the differential effects of various discussion environments on student learning. In this study, we assess student perceptions concerning the benefits of discussions in an upper-level…

  3. Interactive Whiteboards Produce Small Gains in Elementary Students' Self-Reported Motivation in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torff, Bruce; Tirotta, Rose

    2010-01-01

    A treatment/control study (N = 773) was conducted to determine the extent to which use of interactive whiteboard technology (IWB) was associated with upper elementary students' self-reported level of motivation in mathematics. Students in the treatment group reported higher levels of motivation relative to control students, but the effect was…

  4. The Communication Patterns of Chinese Students with Their Lecturers in an Australian University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ai, Bin

    2017-01-01

    Chinese students are now the largest group of international students in the Australian higher education sector. The patterns of Chinese communication and education affect the ways that Chinese students engage with their lecturers and manage their learning relationships. A case study of these patterns provides a small window through which to…

  5. The Effects of Cooperative Learning on the Classroom Participation of Students Placed at Risk for Societal Failure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drakeford, William

    2012-01-01

    A multiple baseline design across two subjects was used to determine the effectiveness of cooperative learning techniques on increasing student participation. The study was conducted on two male secondary students attending the upward bound pre-college program. Each student worked in small groups with specific roles, and two observers documented…

  6. Helping students learn effective problem solving strategies by reflecting with peers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mason, Andrew; Singh, Chandralekha

    2010-07-01

    We study how introductory physics students engage in reflection with peers about problem solving. The recitations for an introductory physics course with 200 students were broken into a "peer reflection" (PR) group and a traditional group. Each week in recitation, small teams of students in the PR group reflected on selected problems from the homework and discussed why the solutions of some students employed better problem solving strategies than others. The graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants in the PR recitations provided guidance and coaching to help students learn effective problem solving heuristics. In the traditional group recitations students could ask the graduate TA questions about the homework before they took a weekly quiz. The traditional group recitation quiz questions were similar to the homework questions selected for peer reflection in the PR group recitations. As one measure of the impact of this intervention, we investigated how likely students were to draw diagrams to help with problem solving on the final exam with only multiple-choice questions. We found that the PR group drew diagrams on more problems than the traditional group even when there was no explicit reward for doing so. Also, students who drew more diagrams for the multiple-choice questions outperformed those who did not, regardless of which group they were a member.

  7. Power Day: Addressing the Use and Abuse of Power in Medical Training

    PubMed Central

    Duncan, Laura; Roxas, Nichole; Hansen, Helena

    2016-01-01

    Problem Medical student mistreatment, as well as patient and staff mistreatment by all levels of medical trainees and faculty, is still prevalent in U.S. clinical training. Largely missing in interventions to reduce mistreatment is acknowledgement of the abuse of power produced by the hierarchical structure in which medicine is practiced. Approach Beginning in 2001, Yale School of Medicine has held annual “Power Day” workshops for third year medical students and advanced practice nursing students, to define and analyse power dynamics within the medical hierarchy and hidden curriculum using literature, guest speakers, and small groups. During rotations, medical students write narratives about the use of power witnessed in the wards. In response to student and small group leader feedback, workshop organizers have developed additional activities related to examining and changing the use of power in clinical teams. Outcome Emerging narrative themes included the potential impact of small acts and students feeling “mute” and “complicit” in morally distressing situations. Small groups provided safe spaces for advice, support, and professional identity formation. By 2005, students recognized residents that used power positively with Power Day awards and alumni served as keynote speakers on the use of power in medicine. By 2010, departments including OB/GYN, surgery, psychiatry, and paediatrics, had added weekly team Power Hour discussions. Next Steps The authors highlight barriers, benefits, and lessons learned. Barriers include the notion of clinical irrelevance and resistance to the word “power” due to perceived accusation of abuse. Benefits include promoting open dialogue about power, fostering inter-professional collaboration, rewarding positive role modelling by residents and faculty, and creating a network of trainee empowerment and leadership. Furthermore, faculty have started to ask that issues of power be addressed in a more transparent way at their level of the hierarchy as well. PMID:26979827

  8. Using Narrative Inquiry to Understand Persistently Disciplined Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy-Lewis, Brianna L.; Murphy, Amy S.; Grosland, Tanetha J.

    2016-01-01

    Educators' persistent disciplining of a small group of students positions them as "frequent flyers." This identity prevents educators from developing an understanding that could enable them to reengage these students. Using the methodology of interpretive biography positioned within narrative inquiry and using a Gestalt-based analysis,…

  9. Teaching Multi-Level Classes: A Lesson from the Past.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Book, Leon C.

    The laboratory school for Southeast Missouri State University offers individualized French and Spanish second language instruction to secondary students by scheduling them together in one multilevel class. Students progress individually and in small groups through planned, self-paced, continuous progress programs. Each student is given a checklist…

  10. Taking off

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorman, Elizabeth

    2012-01-01

    With roots going back to 1986, the Student Team on Alumni Relations or STAR was one of the first student-alumni groups in Canada and routinely attracted capable and enthusiastic volunteers. It offered to appreciative, albeit small, student audiences a suite of popular programs, including job shadowing and goodie boxes parents could send to their…

  11. Discipline-Specific Language Instruction for International Students in Introductory Economics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, Trien T.; Williams, Julia; Trimarchi, Angela

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores student perceptions of the effects of pairing discipline-specific language instruction with the traditional method of course delivery in economics. Our research involved teaching content-based English as an additional language (EAL) tutorials to a small group of ten international students taking first-year introductory…

  12. Death and Dying Education in a Medical School Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schachter, Steven C.

    1979-01-01

    A student-initiated course on death and dying, offered at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, features a small group format, multidisciplinary representation, and student leadership. Course objectives, course content, teaching methods, course design, and student and faculty assessment of the course are discussed. (JMD)

  13. Bring out the Brilliance: A Counseling Intervention for Underachieving Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Carolyn

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluated the impact of a small group counseling intervention designed for students who underachieve. The results of the study demonstrated significant improvement for ninth- and tenth-grade underachieving students in the areas of organizational skills, time management, and motivation. The author discusses implications and…

  14. Appropriate Technology for Alaskans: An Elective Course for High School Students. Part I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helmar, Paul; Woolf, Bob

    This course on appropriate technology is designed for use by individual high school students, small groups of students, or for classroom instruction. Course goals include developing a broad understanding of human technologies, examining the history of technology, reviewing and assessing various applications of appropriate technology, and…

  15. Factors Affecting Students' Evaluation in a Community Service-Learning Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Kai-Kuen; Liu, Wen-Jing; Wang, Wei-Dan; Chen, Ching-Yu

    2007-01-01

    A community service-learning curriculum was established to give students opportunities to understand the interrelationship between family and community health, the differences between community and hospital medicine, and to be able to identify and solve community health problems. Students were divided into small groups to participate in community…

  16. Enhancing the Student Experience of Laboratory Practicals through Digital Video Guides

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Croker, Karen; Andersson, Holger; Lush, David; Prince, Rob; Gomez, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Laboratory-based learning allows students to experience bioscience principles first hand. In our experience, practical content and equipment may have changed over time, but teaching methods largely remain the same, typically involving; whole class introduction with a demonstration, students emulating the demonstration in small groups, gathering…

  17. Non-Native University Students' Perception of Plagiarism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad, Ummul Khair; Mansourizadeh, Kobra; Ai, Grace Koh Ming

    2012-01-01

    Plagiarism is a complex issue especially among non-native students and it has received a lot of attention from researchers and scholars of academic writing. Some scholars attribute this problem to cultural perceptions and different attitudes toward texts. This study evaluates student perception of different aspects of plagiarism. A small group of…

  18. Fleeting Smile

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Sally

    2006-01-01

    The author's students were an unhappy, skeptical group of middle school students. Many of them had emotional issues. Many had drug addiction and prostitution in their broken and poverty-ridden families. Her school, which is a small charter school in a remote Arizona town, was a place of last resort for these students, who probably would not…

  19. Best Practices for Launching a Flipped Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Ashley A.; DuFrene, Debbie D.

    2016-01-01

    Popularity is growing for flipped classroom instruction, which replaces lectures with out-of-class delivery of streaming video, reading materials, online chats, and other modalities. Face-to-face class time is spent on instructor-student and student-student interaction, including small group problem solving and discussion. Classroom flipping has…

  20. Community Partners' Assessment of Service Learning in an Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steimel, Sarah J.

    2013-01-01

    This assessment explored community partners' perceptions of service learning in a required communication course. Semi-structured interviews revealed that community partners believed that students were providing needed and valuable service, students were learning about the community, and students were learning through their application of course…

  1. Utilization of case presentations in medical microbiology to enhance relevance of basic science for medical students

    PubMed Central

    Chamberlain, Neal R.; Stuart, Melissa K.; Singh, Vineet K.; Sargentini, Neil J.

    2012-01-01

    Background Small-group case presentation exercises (CPs) were created to increase course relevance for medical students taking Medical Microbiology (MM) and Infectious Diseases (ID) Methods Each student received a unique paper case and had 10 minutes to review patient history, physical exam data, and laboratory data. Students then had three minutes to orally present their case and defend why they ruled in or out each of the answer choices provided, followed by an additional three minutes to answer questions. Results Exam scores differed significantly between students who received the traditional lecture-laboratory curriculum (Group I) and students who participated in the CPs (Group II). In MM, median unit exam and final exam scores for Group I students were 84.4% and 77.8%, compared to 86.0% and 82.2% for Group II students (P<0.018; P<0.001; Mann-Whitney Rank Sum Test). Median unit and final ID exam scores for Group I students were 84.0% and 80.0%, compared to 88.0% and 86.7% for Group II students (P<0.001; P<0.001). Conclusion Students felt that the CPs improved their critical thinking and presentation skills and helped to prepare them as future physicians. PMID:22435014

  2. Evaluation of a Two-Phase Experimental Study of a Small Group ("MultiLit") Reading Intervention for Older Low-Progress Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckingham, Jennifer; Beaman-Wheldall, Robyn; Wheldall, Kevin

    2014-01-01

    The study reported here examined the efficacy of a small group (Tier 2 in a three-tier Response to Intervention model) literacy intervention for older low-progress readers (in Years 3-6). This article focuses on the second phase of a two-phase, crossover randomized control trial involving 26 students. In Phase 1, the experimental group (E1)…

  3. Literacy and Technology: Integrating Technology with Small Group, Peer-Led Discussions of Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffey, Genya

    2012-01-01

    This review examines research of computer-mediated small group discussion of literature. The goal of this review is to explore several instructional formats for integrating print-based and new literacies skills. First, the theoretical foundations for the shift from teacher-led to student led discussion are outlined. Research exploring ways in…

  4. Diverse Learners' Meaning Making of Informational Texts during Small Group, Peer-Led Discussions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bajor, Lisa

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine small group, peer-led discussion as it connects to meaning-making of informational texts for diverse learners. Since students in the United States are currently struggling to meet informational text requirements outlined by the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association…

  5. Commons Dilemma Choices in Small vs. Large Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Richard B.; Boyle, William

    The purpose of the Commons Game is to teach students how social traps work; that is, that short-term individual gain tends to dominate long-term collective gain. Simulations of Commons Dilemma have grown considerably in the last decade; however, the research has used small face-to-face groups to study behavior in the Commons. To compare the…

  6. A Meta-Analytic Review of Studies of the Effectiveness of Small-Group Learning Methods on Statistics Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalaian, Sema A.; Kasim, Rafa M.

    2014-01-01

    This meta-analytic study focused on the quantitative integration and synthesis of the accumulated pedagogical research in undergraduate statistics education literature. These accumulated research studies compared the academic achievement of students who had been instructed using one of the various forms of small-group learning methods to those who…

  7. MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J

    2017-01-01

    According to the CanMEDS' Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. To address this, the University's Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled 'MedTalks'. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity.

  8. Combination Classes and "Hora de comunicacion."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eldredge, Dee L.

    1989-01-01

    Ways to combine small classes of higher education students studying Spanish at various levels are described, including judicious use of language laboratories, staggering of the different level groups, and rotation of activities geared toward students' individual proficiency levels. (CB)

  9. High School Students with Reading Comprehension Difficulties: Results of a Randomized Control Trial of a Two-Year Reading Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Sharon; Roberts, Greg; Wexler, Jade; Vaughn, Michael G.; Fall, Anna-Mária; Schnakenberg, Jennifer B.

    2015-01-01

    A 2-year, randomized control trial with 9th to 10th grade students with significant reading problems was provided for 50 minutes a day in small groups. Comparison students were provided an elective class and treatment students the reading intervention. Students were identified as demonstrating reading difficulties through failure on their state…

  10. Using Telestrations™ to Illustrate Small Group Communication Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fedesco, Heather Noel

    2014-01-01

    This single class activity described here: (1) illustrates the importance of interdependence in groups; (2) can be used to measure group productivity and performance; (3) can encourage groups to engage in group learning; and (4) can facilitate group cohesion for newly formed groups. Students will be working in groups for the majority of their…

  11. Group problems in problem-based learning.

    PubMed

    Hendry, Graham D; Ryan, Greg; Harris, Jennifer

    2003-11-01

    Successful small-group learning in problem-based learning (PBL) educational programmes relies on functional group processes. However, there has been limited research on PBL group problems, and no studies have been conducted on problems as perceived by both students and tutors in the same educational context. The authors investigated PBL group problems in a graduate-entry medical programme, and report the most common group problems, and those that hinder students' learning the most. The possible causes of individual quietness and dominant behaviour, and potential influences that group problems may have on the tutorial process are summarized in an exploratory model of PBL group dysfunction that could be used to guide further research. Specifically, there is a need for further evidence on which to base guidelines for tutors and students to effectively manage group problems.

  12. The Use of ICT to Support Students with Dyslexia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diraä, Nadia; Engelen, Jan; Ghesquière, Pol; Neyens, Koen

    The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven) has a tradition of supporting students with a disability in order to guarantee equal opportunities to achieve their educational, personal and vocational goals. The K.U.Leuven policy is working towards inclusive education in the long term, by improving facilities and accommodation for certain target groups in the short term. Efforts have also been directed to make the learning environment more accessible for all kind of students, especially over the last few years. One of the target groups that has increasing numbers are students with learning disabilities (including dyslexia, dyscalculia, ...). To accommodate these students, the K.U.Leuven set off a project to evaluate the use of assistive technology (AT) for dyslexia. This small-scale study examined the experiences of two groups of students with dyslexia using 2 different software programs specifically developed to support this group of students. It was apparent that for students with dyslexia, reading and studying presents additional limitations which AT could facilitate to some extent.

  13. Quality Talk and Dialogic Teaching--An Examination of a Professional Development Programme on Secondary Teachers' Facilitation of Student Talk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Maree; Kiemer, Katharina; Meissel, Kane

    2017-01-01

    This study used the Quality Talk and dialogic teaching approach with a group of secondary school teachers (N = 7) to train their facilitation of dialogical discussions by small groups of students. The study used video and audio analysis to assess the teachers' observable behaviours during these discussions, before and after professional…

  14. Modeling the Problem-Based Learning Preferences of McMaster University Undergraduate Medical Students Using a Discrete Choice Conjoint Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunningham, Charles E.; Deal, Ken; Neville, Alan; Rimas, Heather; Lohfeld, Lynne

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: To use methods from the field of marketing research to involve students in the redesign of McMaster University's small group, problem-based undergraduate medical education program. Methods: We used themes from a focus group conducted in an electronic decision support lab to compose 14 four-level educational attributes. Undergraduate…

  15. Rogue Males? Approaches to Study and Academic Performance of Male Psychology Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanders, Lalage; Sander, Paul; Mercer, Jenny

    2009-01-01

    This three-year longitudinal study explored the approach to study and academic performance of a group of male psychology undergraduates. In induction week, 112 new psychology students completed the survey. Later in the year, some of the males were interviewed in small groups. Performance was measured from marks at the end of Years 1 and 3. In Year…

  16. From Droughts to Drones: An After-School Club Uses Drones to Learn about Environmental Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillani, Bijan; Gillani, Roya

    2015-01-01

    An after-school enrichment activity offered to sixth-grade students gave a group of 10 students an opportunity to explore the effects of the California drought in their community using an engaging scientific device: the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Although this activity was specifically designed for a small after-school enrichment group, it…

  17. Group Reduction of Test Anxiety: Does It Really Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, David B.

    This article summarizes the performance of 52 college students who completed a one-credit class for the reduction of test anxiety. The anxiety reduction program uses a variety of study skills and behavioral strategies to improve school performance. The 8-to-10 week class is taught in small groups of from 2 to 6 students. Content focuses on: (1)…

  18. A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Impact of Schema-Based Instruction on Mathematical Outcomes for Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jitendra, Asha K.; Dupuis, Danielle N.; Rodriguez, Michael C.; Zaslofsky, Anne F.; Slater, Susan; Cozine-Corroy, Kelly; Church, Chris

    2013-01-01

    This study compared the effects of delivering a supplemental, small-group tutoring intervention on the mathematics outcomes of third-grade students at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD) who were randomly assigned to either a schema-based instruction (SBI) or control group. SBI emphasized the underlying mathematical structure of additive…

  19. Small-Town Rock Trade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robarge, Thomas J.

    1977-01-01

    Describes an eighth grade rock exchange project in which small groups of students researched, then wrote letters to schools throughout the United States requesting samples of local rocks and minerals. Provides experience in use of the atlas and letter writing. (CS)

  20. When high achievers and low achievers work in the same group: the roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project-based learning.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Rebecca Wing-yi; Lam, Shui-fong; Chan, Joanne Chung-yan

    2008-06-01

    There has been an ongoing debate about the inconsistent effects of heterogeneous ability grouping on students in small group work such as project-based learning. The present research investigated the roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project-based learning. At the student level, we examined the interaction effect between students' within-group achievement and group processes on their self- and collective efficacy. At the group level, we examined how group heterogeneity was associated with the average self- and collective efficacy reported by the groups. The participants were 1,921 Hong Kong secondary students in 367 project-based learning groups. Student achievement was determined by school examination marks. Group processes, self-efficacy and collective efficacy were measured by a student-report questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modelling was used to analyse the nested data. When individual students in each group were taken as the unit of analysis, results indicated an interaction effect of group processes and students' within-group achievement on the discrepancy between collective- and self-efficacy. When compared with low achievers, high achievers reported lower collective efficacy than self-efficacy when group processes were of low quality. However, both low and high achievers reported higher collective efficacy than self-efficacy when group processes were of high quality. With 367 groups taken as the unit of analysis, the results showed that group heterogeneity, group gender composition and group size were not related to the discrepancy between collective- and self-efficacy reported by the students. Group heterogeneity was not a determinant factor in students' learning efficacy. Instead, the quality of group processes played a pivotal role because both high and low achievers were able to benefit when group processes were of high quality.

  1. Collaborative essay testing: group work that counts.

    PubMed

    Gallagher, Peggy A

    2009-01-01

    Because much of a nurse's work is accomplished through working in groups, nursing students need an understanding of group process as well as opportunities to problem-solve in groups. Despite an emphasis on group activities as critical for classroom learning, there is a lack of evidence in the nursing literature that describes collaborative essay testing as a teaching strategy. In this class, nursing students worked together in small groups to answer examination questions before submitting a common set of answers. In a follow-up survey, students reported that collaborative testing was a positive experience (e.g., promoting critical thinking, confidence in knowledge, and teamwork). Faculty were excited by the lively dialog heard during the testing in what appeared to be an atmosphere of teamwork. Future efforts could include providing nursing students with direct instruction on group process and more opportunities to work and test collaboratively.

  2. Effect of Learning Communities on Student Attitudes and Corresponding Behaviors: "A Mediated Test of Involvement Theory"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonilla, Daniel; Buch, Kimberly K.; Johnson, Cindy Wolf

    2013-01-01

    Learning communities are small pre-selected student groups based on a common interest with a variety of goals related to student outcomes. Previous research has shown robust effects of learning community participation on student success outcomes, but little is known about the mechanisms which may mediate these effects. The current study analyzed…

  3. Patterns of interactions at grade 5 classroom in learning the topic of statistics viewed from cognitive load theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setianingsih, R.

    2018-01-01

    The nature of interactions that occurs among teacher, students, learning sources, and learning environment creates different settings to enhance learning. Any setting created by a teacher is affected by 3 (three) types of cognitive load: intrinsic cognitive load, extraneous cognitive load, and germane cognitive load. This study is qualitative in nature, aims to analyse the patterns of interaction that are constituted in mathematics instructions by taking into account the cognitive load theory. The subjects of this study are 21 fifth-grade students who learn mathematics in small groups and whole-class interactive lessons. The data were collected through classroom observations which were videotaped, while field notes were also taken. The data analysis revealed that students engaged in productive interaction and inquiry while they were learning mathematics in small groups or in whole class setting, in which there was a different type of cognitive load that dominantly affecting the learning processes at each setting. During learning mathematics in whole class setting, the most frequently found interaction patterns were to discuss and compare solution based on self-developed models, followed by expressing opinions. This is consistent with the principles of mathematics learning, which gives students wide opportunities to construct mathematical knowledge through individual learning, learning in small groups as well as learning in whole class settings. It means that by participating in interactive learning, the students are habitually engaged in productive interactions and high level of mathematical thinking.

  4. The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE Animal Science students.

    PubMed

    van Veggel, Nieky; Amory, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics forms an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and is essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students' confidence in maths and improve students' academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials.

  5. An Examination of the Efficacy of a Multitiered Intervention on Early Reading Outcomes for First Grade Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties.

    PubMed

    Fien, Hank; Smith, Jean Louise M; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K; Nelson, Nancy J; Chaparro, Erin

    2015-01-01

    This article presents findings of an efficacy trial examining the effect of a multitiered instruction and intervention model on first grade at-risk students' reading outcomes. Schools (N = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In the fall of Grade 1, students were assigned to an instructional tier on the basis of Stanford Achievement Test-10th Edition scores (31st percentile and above = Tier 1; from the 10th to the 30th percentile = Tier 2). In both conditions, students identified as at risk (i.e., Tier 2; n = 267) received 90 min of whole group instruction (Tier 1) and an additional 30 min of daily small group intervention (Tier 2). In the treatment condition, teachers were trained to enhance core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and increasing practice opportunities for students in Tier 1. In addition, at-risk readers were provided an additional 30-min daily small group intervention with content that was highly aligned with the Tier 1 core reading program. Results indicate significant, positive effects of the intervention on students' decoding and first semester fluent reading and potentially positive effects on reading comprehension and total reading achievement. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  6. Don't Erase that Whiteboard! Archiving Student Work on a Photo-Sharing Website

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Price, Edward; Tsui, Stephen; Hart, Alicia; Saucedo, Lydia

    2011-01-01

    Students in physics courses often use whiteboards to brainstorm, solve problems, and present results to the rest of the class, particularly in courses involving collaborative small group work and whole class discussions. The whiteboards contain a valuable record of students' collaborative work. Once a whiteboard is erased, however, its contents…

  7. Fairy Tales from Life.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schulze, Patricia

    With the help of the teacher, students will read fairy tales and identify common elements. Choosing common situations and working in small groups, students will draw storyboards of their fairy tale and then write the fairy tale. Project will conclude with class presentations. During ten 50-minute lessons, grade 3-5 students will: listen and read…

  8. Comparison of the Place Value Understanding of Montessori Elementary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Michelle K.

    2008-01-01

    Schools following the Montessori philosophy use individual and small-group teaching methods and hands-on, concrete materials. This study investigated the understanding of place value concepts and abilities of Montessori students by comparing interview task responses of 93 students in grades 1-3 in a Montessori school (n = 47) and in a mostly…

  9. The Effects of Teacher Discourse on Students' Discourse, Problem-Solving and Reasoning during Cooperative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillies, Robyn M.; Khan, Asaduzzaman

    2008-01-01

    The study sought to determine if teachers who are taught specific communication skills designed to challenge students' cognitive and metacognitive thinking during cooperative learning use more challenging and scaffolding behaviours to mediate students' learning than teachers who implement cooperative learning or small-group work who have not been…

  10. The Cognitive, Perceptual, and Instructional Preferences of Agricultural Education Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rollins, Timothy J.; Scanlon, Dennis C.

    1991-01-01

    Comparison of 224 Pennsylvania secondary agricultural education students with a national sample showed that (1) the Pennsylvania students' cognitive skills were less developed; (2) their preferred responses to information were auditory and emotive; (3) small group and hands-on were preferred environments; and (4) they were less likely to prefer…

  11. Collaborative Note-Taking: The Impact of Cloud Computing on Classroom Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orndorff, Harold N., III.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents the early findings of an experimental design to see if students perform better when taking collaborative notes in small groups as compared to students who use traditional notes. Students are increasingly bringing electronic devices into social science classrooms. Few instructors have attempted robustly and systematically to…

  12. Fostering Diversity. Reflecting on September 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constitutional Rights Foundation, Los Angeles, CA.

    In this lesson, students examine issues surrounding hate crimes. Students read and discuss an article on hate crimes. In small groups, students role play state legislators and supporters and opponents of hate-crime legislation who must discuss and vote on a bill designed to increase sentences for hate crimes. Following an overview, the lesson plan…

  13. PhD Students, Interculturality, Reflexivity, Community and Internationalisation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holliday, Adrian

    2017-01-01

    Interviews with a small group of doctoral students at a British university indicate that the students feel that the programme provides an environment within which they develop interculturality through reflexive engagement with the PhD community and in some cases with the participants in their research. Significant here is that they are…

  14. Pioneers: A Simulation of Decision-Making on a Wagon Train.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wesley, John

    This simulation allows students to participate in situations and events similar to those experienced by pioneers who headed west in early wagon trains. Students face problems such as floods, droughts, blocked trails, snakes, Indians, and the lack of food. Students must make numerous individual and small-group decisions that provide them with a…

  15. Exploring How Different Features of Animations of Sodium Chloride Dissolution Affect Students' Explanations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Resa M.; Jones, Loretta L.

    2007-01-01

    Animations of molecular structure and dynamics are often used to help students understand the abstract ideas of chemistry. This qualitative study investigated how the features of two different styles of molecular-level animation affected students' explanations of how sodium chloride dissolves in water. In small group sessions 18 college-level…

  16. Appropriating Geometric Series as a Cultural Tool: A Study of Student Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlsen, Martin

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this article is to illustrate how students, through collaborative small-group problem solving, appropriate the concept of geometric series. Student appropriation of cultural tools is dependent on five sociocultural aspects: involvement in joint activity, shared focus of attention, shared meanings for utterances, transforming actions and…

  17. 1986 Student Success Strategies: Access, Assessment, Intervention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuette, Gretchen; And Others

    An action conference on issues related to community college student success was held in May 1986 to stimulate and share ideas related to access, assessment, and intervention that would better ensure student success. The reports and working notes of the small groups assigned to examine these topics were used to create this summary document.…

  18. Redesigning a Library Space for Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gabbard, Ralph B.; Kaiser, Anthony; Kaunelis, David

    2007-01-01

    The reference desk at Indiana State University's (ISU) library offers an excellent view of student work areas on the first floor. From this vantage point, the reference librarians noticed students, especially in the evening and on weekends, huddled together in small groups, with one student at the keyboard of a laptop or desktop computer. The…

  19. Teaching Students the Persuasive Message through Small Group Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Creelman, Valerie

    2008-01-01

    Teaching students to write persuasive messages is a critical feature of any undergraduate business communications course. For the persuasive writing module in the author's course, students write a persuasive message on the basis of the four-part indirect pattern often used for sales or fund-raising messages. The course text she uses identifies…

  20. The Social Construction of Authority among Peers and Its Implications for Collaborative Mathematics Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langer-Osuna, Jennifer M.

    2016-01-01

    This article describes a study of how students construct relations of authority during dyadic mathematical work and how teachers' interactions with students during small group conferences affect subsequent student dynamics. Drawing on the influence framework (Engle, Langer-Osuna, & McKinney de Royston, 2014), I examined interactions when…

  1. Every Feather Tells a Story

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chessin, Debby; Chessin, Laura

    2006-01-01

    For Mr. Kim's fifth-grade students, recess is not just for playing and getting exercise! One spring, he observed a small group of his students near their class bluebird box, examining various bird feathers found on the ground. Building on students' natural curiosity, Mr. Kim purchased some feathers for further exploration in the classroom. He was…

  2. Wooooooahhh! vs Aha!, is the choice obvious?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehdi, Faraz

    2016-11-01

    There has been a lot of focus towards attracting people, especially under-represented groups, to STEM fields. One of the ways to accomplish this is short demonstrations and workshops, where young students are exposed to "exciting" experiments in an effort to make STEM more appealing. We tried an alternative approach by making the students perform a deliberately "boring" experiment but one which made them think scientifically. This was tested on a small group of high school students during Girls Technology Day in New Hampshire.

  3. Creating in the Collective: Dialogue, Collaboration, and the Search for Understanding in the Jazz Small Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branker, Anthony Daniel John

    2010-01-01

    What would happen if college students involved in jazz small group performance were given the opportunity to be musically independent and self-directed while working in their own collaborative space? What sorts of things would they experience? What kind of learning space would they create for themselves? The purpose of this study was to…

  4. Effects of Communication Apprehension on Perceptions of Leadership and Intragroup Attraction in Small Task-Oriented Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawkins, Katherine; Stewart, Robert A.

    1991-01-01

    Examines the impact of communication apprehension (CA) on perceptions of leadership and intragroup attraction in small task-oriented groups, using 68 undergraduates working on a class project. Finds high CA students were rated by themselves (and by others) to be lower in emerged leadership and social and task attraction than those with lower CA.…

  5. Use of Modified SOAP Notes and Peer-Led Small-Group Discussion in a Medical Physiology Course: Addressing the Hidden Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kibble, Jonathan; Hansen, Penelope A.; Nelson, Loren

    2006-01-01

    Peer leading of small-group discussion of cases; use of modified subjective, objective, assessment of physiology (SOAP) notes; and opportunities for self-assessment were introduced into a Medical Physiology course to increase students' awareness and practice of professional behaviors. These changes arose from faculty members' understanding of the…

  6. A Model of Small-Group Problem-Based Learning in Pharmacy Education: Teaching in the Clinical Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khumsikiew, Jeerisuda; Donsamak, Sisira; Saeteaw, Manit

    2015-01-01

    Problem-based Learning (PBL) is an alternate method of instruction that incorporates basic elements of cognitive learning theory. Colleges of pharmacy use PBL to aid anticipated learning outcomes and practice competencies for pharmacy student. The purpose of this study were to implement and evaluate a model of small group PBL for 5th year pharmacy…

  7. Comparison of Two Small-Group Learning Methods in 12th-Grade Physics Classes Focusing on Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Roland; Hanze, Martin

    2009-01-01

    Twelfth-grade physics classes with 344 students participated in a quasi-experimental study comparing two small-group learning settings. In the jigsaw classroom, in contrast to the cyclical rotation method, teaching expectancy as well as resource interdependence is established. The study is based on the self-determination theory of motivation,…

  8. A Study of the Effectiveness of a Small-Group Intervention on the Vocabulary and Narrative Development of At-Risk Kindergarten Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nielsen, Diane Corcoran; Friesen, Lisa Dinner

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of a small-group storybook-based intervention on kindergarten students' vocabulary and narrative development, which is important to later reading achievement. Twenty-eight kindergarten children from a high-poverty urban school, all significantly behind their peers on standardized measures of language development…

  9. Assessment of Student Learning in Modern Experiments in the Introductory Calculus-Based Physics Labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woodahl, Brian; Ross, John; Lang, Sarah; Scott, Derek; Williams, Jeremy

    2010-10-01

    With the advent of newer microelectronic sensors it's now possible to modernize introductory physics labs with the latest technology and this may allow for enhanced student participation/learning in the experiments. For example, force plate sensors can digitize and record the force on an object, later it can be analyzed in detail (i.e, impulse from force vs. time). Small 3-axis accelerometers can record 3-dim, time-dependent acceleration of objects undergoing complex motions. These devices are small, fairly easy to use, and importantly, are likely to enhance student learning by ``personalizing'' data collection, i.e. making the student an active part of the measurement process and no longer a passive observer. To assess whether these new high-tech labs enhance student learning, we have implemented pre- and post- test sessions to measure the effectiveness of student learning. Four of our calculus-based lab sections were used: Two sections the control group, using the previous ``old technology'' labs, the other two, the experimental group, using the new ``modern technology'' labs. Initial returns of assessment data offer some surprising insight.

  10. Effects of peer review on communication skills and learning motivation among nursing students.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Moon Sook; Chae, Sun-Mi

    2011-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of video-based peer review on communication skills and learning motivation among nursing students. A non-equivalent control with pretest-posttest design was used. The participants were 47 sophomore nursing students taking a fundamentals of nursing course at a nursing college in Korea. Communication with a standardized patient was videotaped for evaluation. The intervention group used peer reviews to evaluate the videotaped performance; a small group of four students watched the videotape of each student and then provided feedback. The control group assessed themselves alone after watching their own videos. Communication skills and learning motivation were measured. The intervention group showed significantly higher communication skills and learning motivation after the intervention than did the control group. The findings suggest that peer review is an effective learning method for nursing students to improve their communication skills and increase their motivation to learn. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  11. Revision by means of computer-mediated peer discussions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soong, Benson; Mercer, Neil; Er, Siew Shin

    2010-05-01

    In this article, we provide a discussion on our revision method (termed prescriptive tutoring) aimed at revealing students' misconceptions and misunderstandings by getting them to solve physics problems with an anonymous partner via the computer. It is currently being implemented and evaluated in a public secondary school in Singapore, and statistical analysis of our initial small-scale study shows that students in the experimental group significantly outperformed students in both the control and alternative intervention groups. In addition, students in the experimental group perceived that they had gained improved understanding of the physics concepts covered during the intervention, and reported that they would like to continue revising physics concepts using the intervention methods.

  12. An Inverse MOOC Model: Small Virtual Field Geology Classes with Many Teachers (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Paor, D. G.; Whitmeyer, S. J.; Bentley, C.

    2013-12-01

    In the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) mode of instruction, one or a small group of collaborating instructors lecture online to a large (often extremely large) number of students. We are experimenting with an inverse concept: an online classroom in which a small group of collaborating students are taught by dozens of collaborating instructors. This experiment is part of a new NSF TUES Type 3 project titled 'Google Earth for Onsite and Distance Education (GEODE).' Among the goals of the project are the development of an online course called the 'Grand Tour.' We are inviting dozens of colleagues to record virtual field trips (VFTs) and upload them to Google Earth. Students enrolled in the course will be assigned to a small group and tasked with a research project--for example to write a report on foreland thrust belts. They will select a small subset of available VFTs to follow and will be scaffolded by virtual specimens, emergent cross sections, analytical simulations (virtual tricorders), and a game style environment. Instant feedback based on auto-logging will enable adaptive learning. The design is suited to both onsite and distance education and will facilitate access to iconic geologic sites around the world to persons with mobility constraints. We invite input from the community to help guide the design phase of this project. Prototypes of the above-listed learning resources have already been developed and are freely available at http://www.DigitalPlanet.org.

  13. Using 'How People Learn' as a Blueprint for Developing Teaching Strategies in an Introductory Geology Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Debari, S. M.; Bachmann, J.; Dougan, B.; Fackler-Adams, B.; Kratz, R.; Linneman, S.; Plake, T.; Smith, B.

    2008-12-01

    A new curriculum for an introductory geology course, Geology and Everyday Thinking (GET), incorporates the key research findings of How People Learn (NAS, 1999), and is based on the pedagogical approach of Physics and Everyday Thinking (PET; http://petproject.sdsu.edu/). These key findings have profound implications for developing teaching strategies that promote student learning. They suggest that for learning to occur: 1) students' preconceptions must be engaged, 2) students must be able to build their own conceptual framework, and 3) students must be given an opportunity to reflect on their learning (metacognition). Our curriculum has been carefully constructed into cycles that apply these key findings while exploring a key geologic concept. Each cycle engages students' 'Initial Ideas' about these concepts (and continuously revisits those Initial Ideas), sequentially builds upon concepts in a logical framework, and requires reflective writing. The curriculum employs questioning, small group work, and small and large class discussions. Students construct concepts by doing inquiry lab activities, but embedded group discussions that promote discourse and questioning among students is a crucial tool in the sense-making and solidification of those concepts. The questioning and discourse occur throughout each module so that students' preconceptions about a particular concept are brought out early on, and are revisited and challenged again as students construct their new understanding. Whiteboarding, or the process of sharing small-group ideas to a larger group, is the primary method of generating discussion. The instructor's role as facilitator and questioner is the cornerstone in this process. The primary audience for this course is future elementary teachers, who are required take a year-long science sequence. The year-long sequence includes physics (PET), geology (GET), and a correlative new curriculum in biology (BET). Class size is limited to 24 students, and the sequence is taught at a 4-year university as well as at four regional feeder community colleges. These courses model an inquiry-based teaching methodology that our pre-service teachers will use to teach science to their future students. Both quantitative and qualitative assessment data collected from our students show impressive gains both in attitudes about science and science content, especially compared to larger lecture-based introductory courses.

  14. Teaching Group Interdependence: A Campus Murder Mystery Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minei, Elizabeth M.; Shearer Dunn, Karen

    2017-01-01

    Courses: Introduction to Communication; small group; interpersonal. Objectives: This single activity demonstrates: (1) how interdependence can lead to better group outcomes than individual outcomes can; (2) how diversity of knowledge from multiple contributors helps group functioning; and (3) how students can be introduced to members of the…

  15. Using Reflection with Peers to Help Students Learn Effective Problem Solving Strategies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mason, Andrew; Singh, Chandralekha

    2010-10-01

    We describe a study in which introductory physics students engage in reflection with peers about problem solving. The recitations for an introductory physics course with 200 students were broken into the "Peer Reflection" (PR) group and the traditional group. Each week in recitation, students in the PR group reflected in small teams on selected problems from the homework. The graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants (TAs) in the PR group recitations provided guidance and coaching to help students learn effective problem solving heuristics. In the recitations for the traditional group, students had the opportunity to ask the graduate TA questions about the homework before they took a weekly quiz. On the final exam with only multiple-choice questions, the PR group drew diagrams on more problems than the traditional group, even when there was no external reward for doing so. Since there was no partial credit for drawing the diagrams on the scratch books, students did not draw diagrams simply to get credit for the effort shown and must value the use of diagrams for solving problems if they drew them. We also find that, regardless of whether the students belonged to the traditional or PR groups, those who drew more diagrams for the multiple-choice questions outperformed those who did not draw them.

  16. Contextualizing the relevance of basic sciences: small-group simulation with debrief for first- and second-year medical students in an integrated curriculum.

    PubMed

    Ginzburg, Samara B; Brenner, Judith; Cassara, Michael; Kwiatkowski, Thomas; Willey, Joanne M

    2017-01-01

    There has been a call for increased integration of basic and clinical sciences during preclinical years of undergraduate medical education. Despite the recognition that clinical simulation is an effective pedagogical tool, little has been reported on its use to demonstrate the relevance of basic science principles to the practice of clinical medicine. We hypothesized that simulation with an integrated science and clinical debrief used with early learners would illustrate the importance of basic science principles in clinical diagnosis and management of patients. Small groups of first- and second-year medical students were engaged in a high-fidelity simulation followed by a comprehensive debrief facilitated by a basic scientist and clinician. Surveys including anchored and open-ended questions were distributed at the conclusion of each experience. The majority of the students agreed that simulation followed by an integrated debrief illustrated the clinical relevance of basic sciences (mean ± standard deviation: 93.8% ± 2.9% of first-year medical students; 96.7% ± 3.5% of second-year medical students) and its importance in patient care (92.8% of first-year medical students; 90.4% of second-year medical students). In a thematic analysis of open-ended responses, students felt that these experiences provided opportunities for direct application of scientific knowledge to diagnosis and treatment, improving student knowledge, simulating real-world experience, and developing clinical reasoning, all of which specifically helped them understand the clinical relevance of basic sciences. Small-group simulation followed by a debrief that integrates basic and clinical sciences is an effective means of demonstrating the relationship between scientific fundamentals and patient care for early learners. As more medical schools embrace integrated curricula and seek opportunities for integration, our model is a novel approach that can be utilized.

  17. Prior academic background and student performance in assessment in a graduate entry programme.

    PubMed

    Craig, P L; Gordon, J J; Clark, R M; Langendyk, V

    2004-11-01

    This study aims to identify whether non-science graduates perform as well as science graduates in Basic and Clinical Sciences (B & CS) assessments during Years 1-3 of a four-year graduate-entry programme at the University of Sydney (the 'USydMP'). Students were grouped into five categories: Health Professions (HP), Biomedical Sciences (BMS), Other Biology (BIOL), Physical Sciences (PHYS) or Non-Science (NONS). We examined the performance rank of students in each of the five groups for single best answer (SBA) and modified essay (MEQ) assessments separately, and also calculated the relative risk of failure in the summative assessments in Years 2 and 3. Students with science-based prior degrees performed better in the SBA assessments. The same occurred initially in the MEQs, but the effect diminished with time. The HP students performed consistently better but converged with other groups over time, particularly in the MEQs. Relative performance by the NONS students improved with time in both assessment formats. Overall, differences between the highest and lowest groups were small and very few students failed to meet the overall standard for the summative assessments. HP and BMS students had the lowest failure rate. NONS students were more likely to fail the assessments in Year 2 and 3, but their pass rates were still high. Female students performed significantly better overall at the end of Year 2 and in Year 3. There were only minor differences between Australian resident and International students. While there are small differences in performance in B & CS early in the programme, these lessen with time. The study results will inform decisions regarding timing of summative assessments, selection policy and for providing additional support to students who need it to minimize their risk of failure. Readers should note that this paper refers to student performance in only one of the four curriculum themes, where health professional and science graduates would be expected to have a significant advantage.

  18. Small Group Discussion as a Key Component in Online Assessment Training for Enhanced Student Learning in Web-Based Peer Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Xiongyi; Li, Lan; Zhang, Zhihong

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of online assessment training, with synchronous group discussion as a key component, on subsequent web-based peer assessment results. Participants included 81 college students, mostly women, taking a business writing class. After initial submission of a draft counter-offer letter, they completed…

  19. A pilot data collecting exercise on stress and nursing students.

    PubMed

    Por, Jitna

    This article discusses the lessons learned from a small pilot study exploring the link between the working environment and occupational stress among groups of nursing students. A comparative descriptive design was adopted to examine, describe and compare the two variables (sources and frequency) in three groups of nursing students. The sample comprised 90 students from one large inner-city school of nursing in London. The Expanded Nursing Stress Scale questionnaires were used to collect the data. The main findings suggest that the adult, child and mental health branch students were similar with respect to overall frequency of occupational stress. Areas of commonality and variability in the sources of stress perceived by the three groups of students were identified. A pilot study is a crucial element of a good study design. Areas of concern, lessons learned and suggested refinements were identified.

  20. Linear equations and rap battles: how students in a wired classroom utilized the computer as a resource to coordinate personal and mathematical positional identities in hybrid spaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langer-Osuna, Jennifer

    2015-03-01

    This paper draws on the constructs of hybridity, figured worlds, and cultural capital to examine how a group of African-American students in a technology-driven, project-based algebra classroom utilized the computer as a resource to coordinate personal and mathematical positional identities during group work. Analyses of several vignettes of small group dynamics highlight how hybridity was established as the students engaged in multiple on-task and off-task computer-based activities, each of which drew on different lived experiences and forms of cultural capital. The paper ends with a discussion on how classrooms that make use of student-led collaborative work, and where students are afforded autonomy, have the potential to support the academic engagement of students from historically marginalized communities.

  1. Small Districts, Big Problems: Making School Everybody's House.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmuck, Richard A.; Schmuck, Patricia A.

    During a 6-month odyssey over America's back roads, 80 schools in 25 small school districts in 21 states were visited, in hopes of finding effective schools where smallness facilitated participation by all. District size ranged from 450 to 2,000 students. Data collection included observation of classes and meetings; group interviews of classes;…

  2. Remediation for Students With Mathematics Difficulties: An Intervention Study in Middle Schools.

    PubMed

    Moser Opitz, Elisabeth; Freesemann, Okka; Prediger, Susanne; Grob, Urs; Matull, Ina; Hußmann, Stephan

    As empirical studies have consistently shown, low achievement in mathematics at the secondary level can often be traced to deficits in the understanding of certain basic arithmetic concepts taught in primary school. The present intervention study in middle schools evaluated whether such learning deficits can be reduced effectively and whether the type of instruction influences students' progress. The sample consisted of 123 students in 34 classes, split among one control group and two intervention groups: (a) small group instruction and (b) independent work partially integrated into regular classrooms. Over a period of 14 weeks, students were taught basic concepts, such as place value and basic operations. In addition, they practiced fact retrieval and counting (in groups). Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated that the interventions can be used to reduce given deficits.

  3. MedTalks: developing teaching abilities and experience in undergraduate medical students

    PubMed Central

    Bandeali, Suhair; Chiang, Albert; Ramnanan, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objectives: According to the CanMEDS’ Scholar competency, physicians are expected to facilitate the learning of colleagues, patients and other health professionals. However, most medical students are not provided with formal opportunities to gain teaching experience with objective feedback. Methods: To address this, the University’s Medical Education Interest Group (MEIG) created a pilot teaching program in January 2015 entitled ‘MedTalks’. Four 3-hour sessions were held at the University Faculty of Medicine, where first and second year medical students taught clinically oriented topics to undergraduate university students. Each extracurricular session included three 30-minute content lectures, and a 90-minute small group session on physical examination skills. Each medical student-teacher received formal feedback from undergraduate students and from faculty educators regarding teaching style, communication abilities, and professionalism. In addition, medical student-teachers self-evaluated their own teaching experience. Results: Over 50 medical students from the University participated as medical student-teachers. Based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation surveys, 100% of medical students agreed that MedTalks was a useful way to develop teaching skills and 92% gained a greater confidence in individual teaching capabilities, based largely on the opportunity to gain experience (with feedback) in teaching roles. Conclusions: A program designed to give medical students multi-source teaching experience (lecture- and small group-based) and feedback on their teaching (from learners and Faculty observers, in addition to their own self-reflection) can improve medical student confidence and enthusiasm towards teaching. Future studies will clarify if medical student self-perceived enhancements in teaching ability can be corroborated by independent (Faculty, learner) observations of future teaching activity. PMID:28178910

  4. The Impact of Reading Recovery on the Reading Achievement of First Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Case, Marguerite

    2015-01-01

    There are so many different intervention programs for educators to use to increase the reading achievement of below grade level students, that it can often be difficult to choose the appropriate one for the students. Most programs are scripted and are used with small groups of students. Reading Recovery is not a scripted program and is taught in a…

  5. Academic Performance Differences among Ethnic Groups: Do the Daily Use and Management of Time Offer Explanations?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meeuwisse, Marieke; Born, Marise Ph.; Severiens, Sabine E.

    2013-01-01

    This explorative study describes time use and time management behaviour of ethnic minority and ethnic majority students as possible explanations for the poorer study results of ethnic minority students compared to those of majority students. We used a diary approach in a small sample to examine students' daily time use in both a lecture week…

  6. Peer-Assisted History-Taking Groups: A Subjective Assessment of their Impact Upon Medical Students' Interview Skills

    PubMed Central

    Keifenheim, Katharina Eva; Petzold, Ernst Richard; Junne, Florian; Erschens, Rebecca Sarah; Speiser, Natalie; Herrmann-Werner, Anne; Zipfel, Stephan; Teufel, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Among the clinical skills needed by all physicians, history taking is one of the most important. The teaching model for peer-assisted history-taking groups investigated in the present study consists of small-group courses in which students practice conducting medical interviews with real patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the expectations, experiences, and subjective learning progress of participants in peer-assisted history-taking groups. Methods: The 42 medical student participants completed a 4-month, peer-assisted, elective history-taking course, which both began and ended with a subjective assessment of their interview skills by way of a pseudonymized questionnaire. Measures comprised the students’ self-assessment of their interview skills, their expectations of, and their experiences with the course and especially with the peer tutors. Results: Medical students’ most important motivations in attending peer-assisted history-taking groups were becoming able to complete a structured medical interview, to mitigate difficult interviewing situations, and to address patients’ emotional demands appropriately. By the end of the course, students’ self-assessment of both their interview skills and management of emotional issues improved significantly. Students especially benefitted from individual feedback regarding interview style and relationship formation, as well as generally accepted and had their expectations met by peer tutors. Conclusions: To meet the important learning objectives of history-taking and management of emotional issues, as well as self-reflection and reflection of student–patient interactions, students in the field greatly appreciate practicing medical interviewing in small, peer-assisted groups with real patients. At the same time, peer tutors are experienced to be helpful and supportive and can help students to overcome inhibitions in making contact with patients. PMID:28890926

  7. Effects of Small-Group Tutoring with and without Validated Classroom Instruction on At-Risk Students' Math Problem Solving: Are Two Tiers of Prevention Better Than One?

    PubMed

    Fuchs, Lynn S; Fuchs, Douglas; Craddock, Caitlin; Hollenbeck, Kurstin N; Hamlett, Carol L; Schatschneider, Christopher

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of small-group tutoring with and without validated classroom instruction on at-risk (AR) students' math problem solving. Stratifying within schools, 119 3(rd)-grade classes were randomly assigned to conventional or validated problem-solving instruction (Hot Math [schema-broadening instruction]). Students identified as AR (n = 243) were randomly assigned, within classroom conditions, to receive Hot Math tutoring or not. Students were tested on problem-solving and math applications measures before and after 16 weeks of intervention. Analyses of variance, which accounted for the nested structure of the data, revealed the tutored students who received validated classroom instruction achieved better than tutored students who received conventional classroom instruction (ES = 1.34). However, the advantage for tutoring over no tutoring was similar whether or not students received validated or conventional classroom instruction (ESs = 1.18 and 1.13). Tutoring, not validated classroom instruction reduced the prevalence of math difficulty. Implications for responsiveness-to-intervention prevention models and for enhancing math problem-solving instruction are discussed.

  8. Effects of Small-Group Tutoring with and without Validated Classroom Instruction on At-Risk Students' Math Problem Solving: Are Two Tiers of Prevention Better Than One?

    PubMed Central

    Fuchs, Lynn S.; Fuchs, Douglas; Craddock, Caitlin; Hollenbeck, Kurstin N.; Hamlett, Carol L.; Schatschneider, Christopher

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of small-group tutoring with and without validated classroom instruction on at-risk (AR) students' math problem solving. Stratifying within schools, 119 3rd-grade classes were randomly assigned to conventional or validated problem-solving instruction (Hot Math [schema-broadening instruction]). Students identified as AR (n = 243) were randomly assigned, within classroom conditions, to receive Hot Math tutoring or not. Students were tested on problem-solving and math applications measures before and after 16 weeks of intervention. Analyses of variance, which accounted for the nested structure of the data, revealed the tutored students who received validated classroom instruction achieved better than tutored students who received conventional classroom instruction (ES = 1.34). However, the advantage for tutoring over no tutoring was similar whether or not students received validated or conventional classroom instruction (ESs = 1.18 and 1.13). Tutoring, not validated classroom instruction reduced the prevalence of math difficulty. Implications for responsiveness-to-intervention prevention models and for enhancing math problem-solving instruction are discussed. PMID:19122881

  9. The effect of active learning on student characteristics in a human physiology course for nonmajors.

    PubMed

    Wilke, R Russell

    2003-12-01

    This study investigated the effect of active-learning strategies on college students' achievement, motivation, and self-efficacy in a human physiology course for nonmajors. Variables were studied via a quasi-experimental, Solomon four-group design on 141 students at a small west-Texas university. Treatment groups were taught using a continuum-based, active-learning model implemented over the course of a semester. Control groups were taught using traditional didactic lecture methods. To assess the effects of the continuum-based active learning strategies, students were administered a comprehensive physiology content exam, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and attitude surveys. Factorial analyses indicated that the treatment groups acquired significantly more content knowledge and were significantly more self-efficacious than students in the control groups. There were no significant differences in motivation. Attitude surveys indicated that students in both the treatment and control groups demonstrated a positive attitude toward active learning, believed it helped (or would help) them to learn the material, and would choose an active learning course in the future.

  10. Group Investigation: Structuring an Inquiry-Based Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huhtala, Jack

    Group investigation is an organizational approach that allows a class to work actively and collaboratively in small groups and enables students to take an active role in determining their own learning goals and processes. As part of reform and restructuring efforts, Beaverton High School (Oregon) implemented the Group Investigation model with…

  11. A Typology for Finite Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tou, Erik R

    2013-01-01

    This project classifies groups of small order using a group's center as the key feature. Groups of a given order "n" are typed based on the order of each group's center. Students are led through a sequence of exercises that combine proof-writing, independent research, and an analysis of specific classes of finite groups…

  12. Scaffolding of Small Groups' Metacognitive Activities with an Avatar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molenaar, Inge; Chiu, Ming Ming; Sleegers, Peter; van Boxtel, Carla

    2011-01-01

    Metacognitive scaffolding in a computer-supported learning environment can influence students' metacognitive activities, metacognitive knowledge and domain knowledge. In this study we analyze how metacognitive activities mediate the relationships between different avatar scaffolds on students' learning. Multivariate, multilevel analysis of the…

  13. Effectiveness of Simultaneous Prompting in Small Group: The Opportunity of Acquiring Non-Target Skills through Observational Learning and Instructive Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gursel, Oguz; Tekin-Iftar, Elif; Bozkurt, Funda

    2006-01-01

    A multiple probe study across behaviors, replicated across students, assessed the effectiveness of simultaneous prompting (SP) in a small group teaching arrangement on teaching (a) to show the provinces, rivers, and border countries of Turkey on a map and (b) to expressively identify the names of the symbols which are usually used in math.…

  14. Increasing Literacy Skills for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Effects of Integrating Comprehensive Reading Instruction with Sign Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beecher, Larissa; Childre, Amy

    2012-01-01

    This study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive reading program enhanced with sign language on the literacy and language skills of three elementary school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Students received individual and small group comprehensive reading instruction for approximately 55 minutes per session. Reading…

  15. Moving in the Right Direction but at What Speed, and How Smoothly?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deshler, Donald D.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, I describe two of our field's most notable advancements for students with high-incidence disabilities. The first has been to enhance our knowledge of how to design effective instructional interactions between teachers and students (in both small and large groups) that lead to dramatic increases in student outcomes. The second area…

  16. This Glorious Mud Pile (Rocky River Valley). Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cabbage, Mary Ellen

    This student text focuses on the social and geological history of a river basin. In addition to background information, the text includes student worksheets for 12 field trip stops in Ohio's Rocky River Valley. Material is designed to support a full-day field trip during which students work in small groups. Also included are a geological…

  17. Transporting Students into Thin Air: Using Science to Enhance Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bricker, Patricia; Rogowski, Nick; Hedt, Melissa; Rolfe, Nadeen

    2010-01-01

    The "Into Thin Air" unit, based on the book by Jon Krakauer, was designed as an interdisciplinary unit for a small group of academically gifted sixth-grade students. It included hands-on, minds-on activities that would immerse students in the scientific, social, and personal struggles people face while attempting to climb the world's tallest…

  18. Kanter's Theory of Tokenism and the Socialization of African American Students Attending Midwestern University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mallett, Justin R.

    2013-01-01

    This study analyzed how Kanter's theory of tokenism and its related concepts of performance pressure, social isolation and role entrapment can be used to understand the socialization of African American students at a small Midwestern college. Sixteen African American students were interviewed in focus groups to examine various aspects of their…

  19. A Low-Technology Strategy for Increasing Engagement of Students with Autism and Significant Learning Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carnahan, Christi; Basham, James; Musti-Rao, Shobana

    2009-01-01

    Active engagement is critical to promote learning for students with autism. Although evidence-based strategies exist for promoting engagement for individual students with autism, there are few strategies designed for use with small groups. This study used an ABCAC design to assess the effects of a low-technology use strategy, namely interactive…

  20. Student Staff Partnership to Create an Interdisciplinary Science Skills Course in a Research Intensive University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolmer, Cherie; Sneddon, Peter; Curry, Gordon; Hill, Bob; Fehertavi, Szonja; Longbone, Charlotte; Wallace, Katherine

    2016-01-01

    This paper reflects upon the development of a multidisciplinary lesson plan aimed at developing science skills for Physics and Astronomy, Geographical and Earth Sciences, and Chemistry students at a research intensive Scottish university. The lesson plan was co-developed with a small group of staff and undergraduate students from these…

  1. Subgroup Achievement and Gap Trends: New Hampshire, 2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center on Education Policy, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This paper profiles the student subgroup achievement and gap trends in New Hampshire for 2010. New Hampshire's demographic profile is such that, with the exception of Latino students at the elementary level, there are fewer than 500 students in the racial/ethnic subgroups at the various grade levels, and therefore these groups are too small to…

  2. Looking for Ideas: Observation, Interpretation and Hypothesis-Making by 12-Year-Old Pupils Undertaking Science Investigations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomkins, Stephen P.; Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale

    2001-01-01

    Studies English comprehensive secondary school students' interpretation and hypothesis-making while 12 year-old students are observing a bottle ecosystem of brine shrimps without any prior instruction and keeping diaries. Studies students through the task of open-ended diary writing and through small group discussions about the scientific…

  3. Doing Science by Waving Hands: Talk, Symbiotic Gesture, and Interaction with Digital Content as Resources in Student Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregorcic, Bor; Planinsic, Gorazd; Etkina, Eugenia

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate some of the ways in which students, when given the opportunity and an appropriate learning environment, spontaneously engage in collaborative inquiry. We studied small groups of high school students interacting around and with an interactive whiteboard equipped with Algodoo software, as they investigated orbital…

  4. An Evaluation of a Course That Introduces Undergraduate Students to Authentic Aerospace Engineering Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mena, Irene B.; Schmitz, Sven; McLaughlin, Dennis

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the implementation and assessment of an aerospace engineering course in which undergraduate students worked on research projects with graduate research mentors. The course was created using the principles from cooperative learning and project-based learning, and consisted of students working in small groups on a complex,…

  5. Addressing Common Student Errors with Classroom Voting in Multivariable Calculus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cline, Kelly; Parker, Mark; Zullo, Holly; Stewart, Ann

    2012-01-01

    One technique for identifying and addressing common student errors is the method of classroom voting, in which the instructor presents a multiple-choice question to the class, and after a few minutes for consideration and small group discussion, each student votes on the correct answer, often using a hand-held electronic clicker. If a large number…

  6. Innovative Mobile Robot Method: Improving the Learning of Programming Languages in Engineering Degrees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ortiz, Octavio Ortiz; Pastor Franco, Juan Ángel; Alcover Garau, Pedro María; Herrero Martín, Ruth

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes a study of teaching a programming language in a C programming course by having students assemble and program a low-cost mobile robot. Writing their own programs to define the robot's behavior raised students' motivation. Working in small groups, students programmed the robots by using the control structures of structured…

  7. The Role of Live Video Capture Production in the Development of Student Communication Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Donoghue, Michael; Cochrane, Tom A.

    2010-01-01

    Civil and natural resources engineering students at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, take specific courses requiring small group research projects and the presentation of findings to staff and peers. Although one of the aims of these presentations is to assist in the development of the students' communication skills, staff have raised…

  8. How Does a Cowboy Make Money? Using Student Curiosities to Further Elementary School Inquiries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitlock, Annie McMahon; Brugar, Kristy A.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores examples of student-initiated inquiries (in Grades 1 and 5) and the opportunities and challenges with engaging in them. To explore these student-initiated inquiries, we use the "C3 Framework" Inquiry Arc (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013) and Harvey and Daniels's (2009) Small-Group Inquiry Model to…

  9. Student perception of group dynamics predicts individual performance: Comfort and equity matter

    PubMed Central

    Theobald, Elli J.; Eddy, Sarah L.; Grunspan, Daniel Z.; Wiggins, Benjamin L.

    2017-01-01

    Active learning in college classes and participation in the workforce frequently hinge on small group work. However, group dynamics vary, ranging from equitable collaboration to dysfunctional groups dominated by one individual. To explore how group dynamics impact student learning, we asked students in a large-enrollment university biology class to self-report their experience during in-class group work. Specifically, we asked students whether there was a friend in their group, whether they were comfortable in their group, and whether someone dominated their group. Surveys were administered after students participated in two different types of intentionally constructed group activities: 1) a loosely-structured activity wherein students worked together for an entire class period (termed the ‘single-group’ activity), or 2) a highly-structured ‘jigsaw’ activity wherein students first independently mastered different subtopics, then formed new groups to peer-teach their respective subtopics. We measured content mastery by the change in score on identical pre-/post-tests. We then investigated whether activity type or student demographics predicted the likelihood of reporting working with a dominator, being comfortable in their group, or working with a friend. We found that students who more strongly agreed that they worked with a dominator were 17.8% less likely to answer an additional question correct on the 8-question post-test. Similarly, when students were comfortable in their group, content mastery increased by 27.5%. Working with a friend was the single biggest predictor of student comfort, although working with a friend did not impact performance. Finally, we found that students were 67% less likely to agree that someone dominated their group during the jigsaw activities than during the single group activities. We conclude that group activities that rely on positive interdependence, and include turn-taking and have explicit prompts for students to explain their reasoning, such as our jigsaw, can help reduce the negative impact of inequitable groups. PMID:28727749

  10. Negotiating the Inquiry Question: A Comparison of Whole Class and Small Group Strategies in Grade Five Science Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavagnetto, Andy R.; Hand, Brian; Norton-Meier, Lori

    2011-03-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of two strategies for negotiating the question for exploration during science inquiry on student achievement and teachers' perceptions. The study is set in the context of the Science Writing Heuristic. The first strategy (small group) consisted of each group of four students negotiating a question for inquiry with the teacher while the second strategy (whole class) consisted of the entire class negotiating a single question for inquiry with the teacher. The study utilized a mixed-method approach. A quasi-experimental repeated measures design was used to determine the effect of strategy on student achievement and semi-structured teacher interviews were used to probe the question of teacher perceptions of the two strategies. Teacher observations were conducted using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to check for variation in implementation of the two strategies. Iowa Test of Basic Skills Science (ITBSS) (2005 and 2006) and teacher/researcher developed unit exams (pre and post) were used as student achievement measures. No statistically significant differences were found among students in the two treatment groups on the ITBSS or unit exams. RTOP observations suggest that teacher implementation was consistent across the two treatment strategies. Teachers disclosed personal preferences for the two strategies, indicating the whole class treatment was easier to manage (at least at the beginning of the school year) as students gained experience with science inquiry and the associated increased responsibility. Possible mechanisms linking the two strategies, negotiated questions, and student outcomes are discussed.

  11. A study of grouphate in a course on small group communication.

    PubMed

    Myers, Scott A; Goodboy, Alan K

    2005-10-01

    This study explored the relationship between grouphate and cohesion, consensus, relational satisfaction, affective learning, and cognitive learning. Participants were 83 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course on small group communication. Participants completed the Grouphate scale, the Classroom Cohesion scale, the Consensus scale, the Relational Satisfaction scale, three subscales of the Instructional Affect Assessment Instrument, and the Cognitive Learning Loss measure. Mean grouphate significantly increased during the semester, and negative correlations were found between scores for grouphate and cohesion (-.50), consensus (-.45), relational satisfaction (-.58), attitude toward the behaviors recommended in the course (-.23), the likelihood of developing an appreciation for the course content (-.33), and cognitive learning (-.32). Results may imply that students' grouphate is not associated with prosocial outcomes of the group work in this course.

  12. A cross-cultural comparison of anatomy learning: learning styles and strategies.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Barry S; Xu, Qin; Jin, Lixian; Patten, Debra; Gouldsborough, Ingrid

    2009-01-01

    Cultural influences on anatomy teaching and learning have been investigated by application of a questionnaire to medical students in British and Chinese Medical Schools. Results from the responses from students of the two countries were analyzed. Both groups found it easier to understand anatomy in a clinical context, and in both countries, student learning was driven by assessment. Curriculum design differences may have contributed to the British view wherein students were less likely to feel time pressure and enjoyed studying anatomy more than their Chinese counterparts. Different teaching approaches resulted in British students being more likely to recite definitions to learn, and the Chinese students found learning from cross-sectional images easy. Cultural differences may account for the observation that British students were more inclined to ask questions in class, and the preference of Chinese students to study in small groups. The findings give evidence to show how 'cultures of learning' influence students' approaches and indicate the importance of cultural influences as factors amongst international and home learner groups.

  13. Using Mauna Loa Atmospheric CO2 Data in Large General Education Geoscience Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richardson, R. M.; Kapp, J. L.

    2007-12-01

    We have been using the Mauna Loa atmospheric CO2 dataset (http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/data/in_situ_co2/monthly_mlo.csv) in a large (up to 300) General Education Geoscience course, primarily in small breakout groups (30 students). The exercise is designed to address quantitative literacy including percentages, slopes and linear trends, issues of data completeness and bias, quality of extrapolations, as well as implications for climate change. We are significantly revising the course, which serves 600 students a semester, with help from a curriculum grant. A major goal is to improve student learning by incorporating inquiry based activities in the large lecture setting. Lectures now incorporate several activities throughout a given class period, in which students are asked to use critical thinking skills such as interpreting patterns in data and graphs, analyzing a scientific hypothesis for its coherence with the scientific method, and answering higher order synthesis questions in both verbal and written form. This differs from our past format where class periods were dominated by lecture, with a single short activity done individually about every other lecture. To test the effectiveness of the new course format we will give students the same atmospheric CO2 exercise in the lecture setting that they were given previously in breakout groups. Students will work in small groups in lecture after receiving a short introduction to the exercise by the instructor. They will plot CO2 concentrations, make extrapolations, and interpret patterns in the data. We will compare scores on the exercise with previous semesters. We expect that students will do better having had more experience with interpreting scientific data and practicing higher order thinking skills. We also expect working in small groups will foster better learning through peer teaching and discussion. We will incorporate responses from students who took part in the exercises from current and previous semesters. We administer a greenhouse effect concept inventory both before and after the CO2 exercise and other in-class greenhouse gas activities, and will present those results as well.

  14. Social aspects of classroom learning: Results of a discourse analysis in an inquiry-oriented physical chemistry class

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, Nicole M.

    Engaging students in classroom discourse offers opportunities for students to participate in the construction of joint understandings, to negotiate relationships between different types of evidence, and to practice making evidence-based claims about science content. However, close attention to social aspects of learning is critical to creating inquiry-oriented classroom environments in which students learn with understanding. This study examined the social influences that contribute to classroom learning in an inquiry-oriented undergraduate physical chemistry class using the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) approach. A qualitative approach to analyzing classroom discourse derived from Toulmin's (1968) model of argumentation was used to document patterns in classroom reasoning that reflect normative aspects of social interaction. Adapting the constructs of social and sociomathematical norms from the work of Yackel and Cobb (1996), I describe social aspects of the classroom environment by discussing normative aspects of social interaction (social norms) and discipline-specific criteria related to reasoning and justification in chemistry contexts, referred to here as sociochemical norms. This work discusses four social norms and two sociochemical norms that were documented over a five-week period of observation in Dr. Black's POGIL physical chemistry class. In small group activities, the socially established expectations that students explain reasoning, negotiate understandings of terminology and symbolic representations, and arrive at a consensus on critical thinking questions shaped small group interactions and reasoning. In whole class discussion, there was an expectation that students share reasoning with the class, and that the instructor provide feedback on student reasoning in ways that extended student contributions and elaborated relationships between macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic-level ideas. The ways in which the class constructed evidence-based claims about chemistry content reflected the influence of sociochemical norms that were enacted through classroom discourse. Two sociochemical norms were documented in both whole class and small group activities: first, the class used particulate-level evidence to make claims about chemical and physical properties; second, particular ways of using mathematical reasoning to justify claims about thermodynamics content became normative for the class. These similarities and differences between social and sociochemical norms in small group and whole class discussion highlight ways in which instructor facilitation can support productive interactions in classroom activities.

  15. Medical students as health coaches.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Peggy J; Jester, David M; Moseley, Ginger C

    2002-11-01

    The purpose of this project was to teach students how to work effectively with patients in the area of health-behavior change. As part of the patient-doctor course, first-year medical students worked with diabetic patients who were selected by their primary physicians. In preparation for their patient interactions, students were taught basic communication concepts and the role of the relationship in improving patient outcomes, and continuity issues were addressed as students learned to collaboratively develop behavioral-change plans with their patients and then followed their patients' progress over the course of the year. An educational research trial was conducted to compare the traditional community placement track (shadowing) with the health-coaches track. Students were randomly assigned to the two educational tracks. Health coaches were assigned in pairs to a family medicine patient with diabetes. Under supervision by the patient's medical provider, student pairs worked with the patient in an area of health-behavior change (i.e., weight loss, smoking cessation, exercise, or adherence to medication regimen). Students were required to have at least six patient contacts over the course of a year, consisting of at least three face-to-face visits and including one home visit. Didactic sessions with health coaches taught by either a behavioral consultant or health educator covered the basics of diabetes and behavior-change areas appropriate to respective patients. Students were also given reading assignments from communication and health-behavior change literature and handouts for patients. Behavior-change specialists were available as needed for consultation. In support of the health coaching process, students participated in eight small-group discussion sessions (eight students each) led by a behavioral change specialist. Small-group sessions lasted approximately 90 minutes each and contained didactic and experiential elements. Topics were: "Getting Started" (interviewing, the patient's story), "Fundamentals of a Home Visit," "Changing Behaviors" (stages of change, relapse prevention), "Home Visit Feedback" (report and reflections), "Challenging Patients to Change" (difficulties, challenging irrational ideas), "Giving Direct Guidance," "Non-verbal Skills," "Ending and Celebrating" (terminating the helping relationship). Evaluation methods included a pre- and post-physician belief scale completed by students, pre- and post-provider's evaluation of patient, and a patient-completed health behavior questionnaire. As available, patients' HbA1C levels were compared pre- and post-intervention. As expected, initially some health coach students complained about their perceived increased workloads compared with the workloads of students in the shadowing track. Some students also expressed reservations about their abilities to be effective with their patients, but these complaints diminished as students made contact with patients. For many, this opportunity to establish continuity relationships with patients helped students begin to understand difficulties inherent in effecting health-behavior change. Some students expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss their increased self-awareness about communication as well as relationship difficulties and strengths during the small-group sessions. Data analysis is under way. Lessons learned from this project influenced a major first-year curriculum revision the following year, resulting in increased emphasis on basic communication skills and the use of small groups to reach a variety of curricular objectives.

  16. Sustained impact of a short small group course with systematic feedback in addition to regular clinical clerkship activities on musculoskeletal examination skills--a controlled study.

    PubMed

    Perrig, Martin; Berendonk, Christoph; Rogausch, Anja; Beyeler, Christine

    2016-01-28

    The discrepancy between the extensive impact of musculoskeletal complaints and the common deficiencies in musculoskeletal examination skills lead to increased emphasis on structured teaching and assessment. However, studies of single interventions are scarce and little is known about the time-dependent effect of assisted learning in addition to a standard curriculum. We therefore evaluated the immediate and long-term impact of a small group course on musculoskeletal examination skills. All 48 Year 4 medical students of a 6 year curriculum, attending their 8 week clerkship of internal medicine at one University department in Berne, participated in this controlled study. Twenty-seven students were assigned to the intervention of a 6×1 h practical course (4-7 students, interactive hands-on examination of real patients; systematic, detailed feedback to each student by teacher, peers and patients). Twenty-one students took part in the regular clerkship activities only and served as controls. In all students clinical skills (CS, 9 items) were assessed in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) station, including specific musculoskeletal examination skills (MSES, 7 items) and interpersonal skills (IPS, 2 items). Two raters assessed the skills on a 4-point Likert scale at the beginning (T0), the end (T1) and 4-12 months after (T2) the clerkship. Statistical analyses included Friedman test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and Mann-Whitney U test. At T0 there were no significant differences between the intervention and control group. At T1 and T2 the control group showed no significant changes of CS, MSES and IPS compared to T0. In contrast, the intervention group significantly improved CS, MSES and IPS at T1 (p < 0.001). This enhancement was sustained for CS and MSES (p < 0.05), but not for IPS at T2. Year 4 medical students were incapable of improving their musculoskeletal examination skills during regular clinical clerkship activities. However, an additional small group, interactive clinical skills course with feedback from various sources, improved these essential examination skills immediately after the teaching and several months later. We conclude that supplementary specific teaching activities are needed. Even a single, short-lasting targeted module can have a long lasting effect and is worth the additional effort.

  17. Grouped to Achieve: Are There Benefits to Assigning Students to Heterogeneous Cooperative Learning Groups Based on Pre-Test Scores?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werth, Arman Karl

    Cooperative learning has been one of the most widely used instructional practices around the world since the early 1980's. Small learning groups have been in existence since the beginning of the human race. These groups have grown in their variance and complexity overtime. Classrooms are getting more diverse every year and instructors need a way to take advantage of this diversity to improve learning. The purpose of this study was to see if heterogeneous cooperative learning groups based on student achievement can be used as a differentiated instructional strategy to increase students' ability to demonstrate knowledge of science concepts and ability to do engineering design. This study includes two different groups made up of two different middle school science classrooms of 25-30 students. These students were given an engineering design problem to solve within cooperative learning groups. One class was put into heterogeneous cooperative learning groups based on student's pre-test scores. The other class was grouped based on random assignment. The study measured the difference between each class's pre-post gains, student's responses to a group interaction form and interview questions addressing their perceptions of the makeup of their groups. The findings of the study were that there was no significant difference between learning gains for the treatment and comparison groups. There was a significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups in student perceptions of their group's ability to stay on task and manage their time efficiently. Both the comparison and treatment groups had a positive perception of the composition of their cooperative learning groups.

  18. Collaborative Concept Mapping and Critical Thinking in Fourth-Year Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Bixler, G Michael; Brown, Amy; Way, David; Ledford, Cynthia; Mahan, John D

    2015-08-01

    To test the hypothesis that small group concept mapping of 4 core neonatal topics as part of a fourth-year allopathic medical student elective would improve critical thinking (CT) as measured by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). To describe any correlations between scores on the CCTST and the step 1 and step 2 Clinical Knowledge parts of the United States Medical Licensing Exam. Twenty-seven students participated in this pilot study during a 1-month elective. A pretest CCTST, California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), and multiple choice knowledge test (MCKT) were completed immediately before the elective began. Four weekly group sessions were held with assigned reading on each of the 4 neonatal topics. Concept mapping was performed in small groups of 4 to 6 students with a group concept map collected at the end of the exercise. A posttest CCTST and MCKT was completed after the 4 group sessions. Pre-CCTST overall score was 83.9 ± 6, and post-CCTST overall score was 85.6 ± 6.9 (P = .57). Pearson correlation of USMLE step 1 and pre-CCTST showed r(25) = .276, P = .164. Pearson correlation of USMLE step 2 CK and pre-CCTST revealed r(25) = .214, P = .482. The precourse MCKT average was 35%, and the postcourse average 50% (P ≤ .001). A recent meta-analysis confirms this is the first report of a comparison between the increasingly common CCTST and the USMLE. We confirmed that concept mapping is a valid mechanism to teach content knowledge. Although the difference in the CCTST scores was not significant, this study could serve as an important start toward development of a curriculum devoted to teaching content and improving CT. The small number of students may have prevented us from defining a significant impact. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Scored Discussions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zola, John

    1992-01-01

    Suggests a classroom strategy to help students learn to analyze and discuss significant issues from history and current policy debates. Describes scored discussions in which small groups of students receive points for participation. Provides an example of a discussion on gold mining. Includes an agenda. Explores uses of scored discussions and…

  20. Techniques for Small-Group Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilic, Hulya; Cross, Dionne I.; Ersoz, Filyet A.; Mewborn, Denise S.; Swanagan, Diana; Kim, Jisun

    2010-01-01

    The nature of mathematical discourse and its influence on the development of students' mathematical understanding has received much attention from researchers in recent years. Engaging students in discursive practices can be difficult; teachers can increase their competence in facilitating discourse through greater awareness of the impact of…

  1. Undocumented Immigrants in Higher Education: A Preliminary Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Lisa D.; Tierney, William G.

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: Undocumented immigrant postsecondary students are an understudied group on American campuses. The authors suggest that increased national attention on the topic of undocumented immigration warrants an in-depth study of a small subset of the larger undocumented population--college students. Purpose/Objective/Research…

  2. Operations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkins, Jesse L. M.; Norton, Anderson; Boyce, Steven J.

    2013-01-01

    Previous research has documented schemes and operations that undergird students' understanding of fractions. This prior research was based, in large part, on small-group teaching experiments. However, written assessments are needed in order for teachers and researchers to assess students' ways of operating on a whole-class scale. In this study,…

  3. Teaching Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Science Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hager, Paul; Sleet, Ray; Logan, Peter; Hooper, Mal

    This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a project aimed at fostering the critical thinking abilities and dispositions of first year students at an Australian university. Novel paper and pencil problems were designed to foster the range of critical thinking abilities identified by Ennis (1991). Most of these critical thinking tasks relate to applications of chemistry and physics in everyday life. Some of the tasks were developed from information and/or ideas obtained from critical incident interviews with scientists in private and government organisations. The first year university students were required to attempt the tasks in co-operative groups and to interact in these groups in ways aimed at fostering the dispositions of Ennis' ideal critical thinker (Ennis 1996).The project was evaluated from discussions with groups of students, from comments of tutors who observed the students working in groups and from a questionnaire. Evidence obtained from these data indicated that many students considered their thinking skills were enhanced by their experience of attempting the tasks in small co-operative groups.

  4. An Evaluation of Career Selection Education in Thirteen Project Schools of the Western States Small Schools Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cragun, John R.; Kartchner, Eugene C.

    The Western States Small Schools Project (WSSSP) developed the Career Selection Education (CSE) program to provide students from small high schools in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah with: (1) knowledge about self, broad occupational groupings, the institution and dynamics of society which generate, define, and lend meaning to…

  5. Impact of problem-based learning in a large classroom setting: student perception and problem-solving skills.

    PubMed

    Klegeris, Andis; Hurren, Heather

    2011-12-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) can be described as a learning environment where the problem drives the learning. This technique usually involves learning in small groups, which are supervised by tutors. It is becoming evident that PBL in a small-group setting has a robust positive effect on student learning and skills, including better problem-solving skills and an increase in overall motivation. However, very little research has been done on the educational benefits of PBL in a large classroom setting. Here, we describe a PBL approach (using tutorless groups) that was introduced as a supplement to standard didactic lectures in University of British Columbia Okanagan undergraduate biochemistry classes consisting of 45-85 students. PBL was chosen as an effective method to assist students in learning biochemical and physiological processes. By monitoring student attendance and using informal and formal surveys, we demonstrated that PBL has a significant positive impact on student motivation to attend and participate in the course work. Student responses indicated that PBL is superior to traditional lecture format with regard to the understanding of course content and retention of information. We also demonstrated that student problem-solving skills are significantly improved, but additional controlled studies are needed to determine how much PBL exercises contribute to this improvement. These preliminary data indicated several positive outcomes of using PBL in a large classroom setting, although further studies aimed at assessing student learning are needed to further justify implementation of this technique in courses delivered to large undergraduate classes.

  6. The impact of maths support tutorials on mathematics confidence and academic performance in a cohort of HE Animal Science students

    PubMed Central

    Amory, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    Students embarking on a bioscience degree course, such as Animal Science, often do not have sufficient experience in mathematics. However, mathematics forms an essential and integral part of any bioscience degree and is essential to enhance employability. This paper presents the findings of a project looking at the effect of mathematics tutorials on a cohort of first year animal science and management students. The results of a questionnaire, focus group discussions and academic performance analysis indicate that small group tutorials enhance students’ confidence in maths and improve students’ academic performance. Furthermore, student feedback on the tutorial programme provides a deeper insight into student experiences and the value students assign to the tutorials. PMID:25024925

  7. Autonomy, competence, and social relatedness in task interest within project-based education.

    PubMed

    Minnaert, Alexander; Boekaerts, Monique; de Brabander, Cornelis

    2007-10-01

    To prepare students for instructive collaboration, it is necessary to have insight into students' psychological needs and interest development. The framework of self-determination theory was used to conduct a field experiment involving 114 students in vocational education. These students followed a practical business course which required they work in small learning groups. During the course, students were asked to complete the Quality of Working in Groups Instrument, an online measure of how strong autonomy, competence, social relatedness, and task interest are fulfilled. SEM showed that students' psychological needs were jointly and uniquely related to task interest over time. The significance of this on-line test for the assessment of interest within project-based education is discussed.

  8. Layers of reading intervention in kindergarten through third grade: changes in teaching and student outcomes.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Rollanda E; Fulmer, Deborah; Harty, Kristin R; Bell, Kathryn M

    2005-01-01

    In this study, students and their teachers participated in a layered approach to reading intervention in kindergarten through third grade that included professional development for teachers in scientifically based reading instruction, ongoing measurement of reading progress, and additional small-group or individual instruction for students whose progress was insufficient to maintain grade-level reading achievement. Reading outcomes were compared with historical control groups of students in the same schools. The findings revealed overall improvements in reading, improved reading for students who began the study in high-risk categories, and decreases in the incidence of reading disability at the end of third grade. Implications for scaling up are discussed.

  9. The Physics Learning Program at UW-Madison: Strategies for Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nossal, S. M.; Watson, L. E.; Jacob, A. T.; Reading, J. A.

    2005-05-01

    The Physics Learning Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a supportive learning environment for introductory physics students potentially at-risk for having academic trouble or for feeling isolated at the University. Physics is a gateway course for many undergraduate science majors such as biology, physics, geophysics, atmospheric science, and astronomy, and for pre-health professions. Many students struggle with their physics courses due to factors including large class sizes, isolation and lack of study partners, and/or lack of confidence in mathematical problem solving skills. Our students include those with learning disabilities, no high school physics, weak math backgrounds, and/or on academic probation. We also work with students who may be feeling isolated, such as students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, first generation college students, returning adults, international students, and students from small rural schools. Many of our students are also part of retention programs such as the TRIO program, the Academic Advancement Program, the McNair Scholars Program, and the McBurney Disability Resource Center. The Physics Learning Program's Peer Mentor Tutor program is run in conjunction with similar programs for chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin. We will discuss strategies we use for creating an inclusive learning environment that engages students in their learning. Such strategies include small group instruction, ongoing training of the tutors, teaching problem solving skills, and creating a welcoming atmosphere.

  10. Are Interpersonal Relationships Necessary for Developing Trust in Online Group Projects?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wade, Christine E.; Cameron, Bruce A.; Morgan, Kari; Williams, Karen C.

    2011-01-01

    Trust between group members has been suggested as an important part of small group work in online classrooms. Developing interpersonal relationships with group members may promote a sense of trust among them; however, research shows mixed results. The current study explored how students' perceptions of the importance of interpersonal relationships…

  11. Evidence of a Differential Effect of Ability Grouping on the Reading Achievement Growth of Language-Minority Hispanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Joseph P.

    2008-01-01

    Ability grouping is sometimes thought to exacerbate inequality by increasing achievement gaps; however, ability grouping may in fact benefit a fast growing and often marginalized student population: children from non-English-speaking home environments. The level-appropriate, small-group instruction received in reading ability groups may be…

  12. Similarities and Differences of Marathon and Ongoing Strength Groups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrick, Marilyn C.; Creveling, Patricia

    Marathon groups offer individuals an opportunity to engage in intensified, authentic personal encounter with each other in a small group setting, usually with 10-15 persons in a group. This is a report of tentative findings at the Student Life Center, University of Colorado. There were three matched groups, each with nine sophomores. The first…

  13. Evaluation of a Two-Phase Implementation of a Tier-2 (Small Group) Reading Intervention for Young Low-Progress Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckingham, Jennifer; Wheldall, Kevin; Beaman-Wheldall, Robyn

    2014-01-01

    In a response to intervention (RtI) model, reading is taught in increasingly intensive tiers of instruction. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of a Tier-2 (small group) literacy intervention for young struggling readers. This article focuses on the second phase of a randomised control trial involving 14 students in kindergarten as…

  14. Examining the Predictive Validity of a Dynamic Assessment of Decoding to Forecast Response to Tier 2 Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Eunsoo; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Bouton, Bobette

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding in predicting responsiveness to Tier 2 small-group tutoring in a response-to-intervention model. First grade students (n = 134) who did not show adequate progress in Tier 1 based on 6 weeks of progress monitoring received Tier 2 small-group tutoring in…

  15. The Use of Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry to Introduce General Chemistry Students to Percent Mass and Atomic Mass Calculations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pfennig, Brian W.; Schaefer, Amy K.

    2011-01-01

    A general chemistry laboratory experiment is described that introduces students to instrumental analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while simultaneously reinforcing the concepts of mass percent and the calculation of atomic mass. Working in small groups, students use the GC to separate and quantify the percent composition…

  16. Bullying and Cyberbullying among Deaf Students and Their Hearing Peers: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bauman, Sheri; Pero, Heather

    2011-01-01

    A questionnaire on bullying and cyberbullying was administered to 30 secondary students (Grades 7-12) in a charter school for the Deaf and hard of hearing and a matched group of 22 hearing students in a charter secondary school on the same campus. Because the sample size was small and distributions non-normal, results are primarily descriptive and…

  17. Increasing Instructional Efficiency When Using Simultaneous Prompting Procedure in Teaching Academic Skills to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tekin-Iftar, Elif; Olcay-Gul, Seray

    2016-01-01

    A multiple probe design across behaviors replicated across participants was used to examine the effects of a simultaneous prompting procedure delivered along with instructive feedback and observational learning stimuli when teaching academic skills to a small group of students with ASD. Different target skills were taught to each student in the…

  18. The Case of Design-Oriented Pedagogy: What Students' Digital Video Stories Say about Emerging Learning Ecosystems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anu, Liljeström; Jorma, Enkenberg; Sinikka, Pöllänen

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a case study in which multi-age students (aged 6-12, N?=?32) in small groups made autonomous inquiries about the phenomenon of winter fishing within the framework of design-oriented pedagogy. The research analyzed storytelling videos that the students produced as learning objects. These videos revealed a picture of the…

  19. Skype-Based English Activities: A Case for Compelling Input? Correlational Changes before and after Skype Exchanges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ockert, David

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a small, longitudinal study involving a group of Japanese elementary school students (N = 29) involved in exploratory research using foreign language activities, including two Skype exchanges between these students and students in Australia. The purpose of the research was to test for the impact of a series of…

  20. "It's Not about Me, It's about the Community:" Culturally Relevant Health Career Promotion for Indigenous Students in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Heather; Robinson, Anske; Drysdale, Marlene; Chesters, Janice; Faulkner, Susan; Ellender, Isabel; Turnbull, Leanne

    2009-01-01

    The numbers of Indigenous students studying in health career courses at the tertiary level is low. This paper describes a forum conducted as part of a project of national significance which examines the solutions and barriers for Indigenous student entry to medical and other health science education. Small group discussions and observations were…

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.
Top