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The purpose of this paper is to show how a large group of students can work collaboratively in a synchronous way within the classroom using the cheapest possible technological support. Making use of the features of Single Display Groupware and of Multiple Mice we propose a computer-supported collaborative learning approach for big groups within the classroom. The approach uses a multiple classification matrix and our application was built for language-learning (in this case Spanish). The basic collaboration mechanism that the approach is based upon is "silent collaboration," in which studentsthrough suggestions and exchanges-must compare their ideas to those of their classmates. An exploratory experimental study was performed along with a quantitative and qualitative study that analyzed ease of use of the software, described how the conditions for collaborative learning were achieved, evaluated the achievements in learning under the defined language objectives, and analyzed the impact of silent and spoken collaboration. Our initial findings are that silent collaboration proved to be an effective mechanism to achieve learning in large groups in the classroom.

Mental Aerobics (MA) is a cognitively oriented intervention designed to improve older adults' perceptions of their cognitive ability as well as positively impact their performance. Forty-seven community-residing older adults (M age = 67.39, SD = 5.75) were randomly assigned to either a treatment (n = 24) or a waiting list control (n = 23) group. Participants in both treatment and control conditions completed measures of depression, self-rated health, cognitive functioning, and cognitive self-efficacy. Findings support the conclusion that MA can be an effective intervention in improving older adults' affectivity, everyday task self-efficacy, and self-rated health. The impact of MA on measures of generalized fluid ability (Gf) and generalized crystallized ability (Gc) skills was moderated by level of education. The subsequent provision of MA training to controls minimized the performance differences between the treatment and control conditions, as well as the moderating effect of level of education. These findings suggest that MA can be effectively used to enhance older adults' views of their skills, critical to efforts to maintain cognitive functioning into later life, although some older persons may benefit to a greater extent than others.

Kastenbaum and Aisenberg have suggested that persons can cope with the impact of death and dying by altering their understanding of what each means to them as well as by changing their behavioral responses to such experiences. The present study's purpose was to develop a reliable and valid measure to assess an individual's particular death perspective based on Kastenbaum and Aisenberg's distinctions between overcomers and participators. The Death Perspective Scale developed here assessed the extent to which individuals utilize either an overcoming or participating approach to (a) assigning meaning to dying and death and (b) behaviorally responding to death-related experiences. Based upon the data collected from 168 adults varying by age and gender, findings suggested that both overcoming and participating could be reliably assessed, correlated with measures of death anxiety and death attitudes, and varied reliably (p < .05) by age and gender, wherein such differences were for the most part consistent with predictions by Kastenbaum and Aisenberg espoused over 30 years ago. Findings here suggested that overcomers reported more fear of death and dying and were less accepting in this respect, while participators reported fewer death-related fears and were more accepting. Women and older adults were more participating, while men and younger adults were more overcoming, though such effects varied depending upon whether meaning versus response to death was considered. The consistency between the present findings and the predictions Kastenbaum and Aisenberg suggests that while person's orientations to death and dying seem to transcend sociocultural change, empirically based efforts to better understand how our death system impacts persons need to move forward.

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