Results of an Experiment Evaluating the Use of Video Cases to Help Pre-Service Teachers Become Better Teachers of Literacy
Abstract: In this paper, we describe a video- and case-based software designed to help pre-service teachers become skilled teachers of literacy, and how this software was used in one pre-service education course. We present the results of one evaluation study that seeks to understand the extent to which video-case experiences helped pre-service teachers to acquire knowledge, analyze classroom situations, and develop these skills within the context of actual classrooms. We introduce methodology that has participants talk about literacy practices they see in target video clips as a means of assessing their knowledge and analytic skills. Using case studies of pre-service teachers who used the video-case software, and those who did not, we show that our video rich, case-based approach shows promise for the professional development of pre-service literacy teachers.