Evolving Uses of Technology in Case-Based Teacher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Case study-based teacher education has been advocated since the mid-1980s. The evolution of technology-facilitated, case study-based professional development for adult education professionals may be traced by examining three projects involving the National Center on Adult Literacy and the International Literacy Institute at University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. The International Literacy Explorer (ILE) is a multimedia teacher-training tool for basic education that is designed to give an overview of literacy and basic education issues and practices in an international context. The ILE offers ideas, discussions, and activities to enrich the thinking of teachers/practitioners, policymakers, and researchers and is available in CD-ROM and Internet versions. Captured Wisdom is an interactive resource that informs educators of successful practices in integrating technology into adult education instruction by presenting seven 20-minute videos of authentic adult education classrooms on 2 CD-ROMs, companion discussions, and a short instruction booklet. The Professional Development Kit (PDK) is a multimedia resource for adult educators that use print, video, CD-ROM, and the World Wide Web. It is organized into three main sections titled as follows: the PDK Community; Investigating Practice; and the Knowledge Databases. These tools combine available instructional technologies in a seamless, unobtrusive fashion to support the growth of adult basic education teachers. (Contains 6 references.) (MN)