THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SMALL STUDENT-LED DISCUSSION GROUPS AS A METHOD OF INSTRUCTION. PERFORMED WERE TWO TYPES OF STUDIES INVOLVING OVER 1,400 STUDENTS IN 42 COURSES--(1) COMPARATIVE STUDIES WHICH EMPLOYED CONTROL GROUPS AGAINST MORE TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES, AND (2) INNOVATIVE STUDIES WHICH EXPLORED THE MANY POSSIBLE VARIATIONS OF THE NEW APPROACH AND ITS COMBINATIONS WITH OTHER TEACHING METHODS. WHEN ACHIEVEMENT WAS THE CRITERIA OF EFFICACY, THE RESULTS OF THE COMPARATIVE FINDINGS WERE MORE OBVIOUSLY FAVORABLE. BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REPORTED GAINS IN STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY, FROM MEMORIZATION TO COMPREHENSION AND UNDERSTANDING. THE INNOVATIVE STUDIES FREED THE INSTRUCTORS FROM THE CONSTRAINT OF CONTROL PROCEDURES AND RESULTED IN SEVERAL CREATIVE VARIATIONS IN THE USE OF THE TECHNIQUE. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAD CHANGED THE CONCEPTION OF THEIR ROLES AND THEIR IDEAS ON HOW STUDENTS LEARN. THESE ROLE CHANGES AND THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON THE CAMPUS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR)