Michaelsen, Larry K., and Robert H. Black. The Key to Harnessing the Power of Small Groups in Higher Education. Growth Partners, 1994. They advocate an activity sequence that involves individual and group testing of students on assigned content they have studies prior to coming to class. Then the genuine work of applying what has been learned begins and constitutes the bulk of student activities for that particular learning unit.
Students work in permanent, heterogeneous teams of six to seven members.
Guidelines are included for forming effective learning teams and motivating students to attend class and come prepared for team work. This is an excellent guide for instructors who are assigning long-term group projects. It also provides an alternative to lecture for those teaching large classes. Miller, Judith, John Trimbur, and John M. Wilkes. Understanding Group Success and Failure in Collaborative Learning.