Computer Simulation: Improving Case Study Methods for Preservice and Inservice Teacher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This practicum was designed to address a problem in a teacher education program where case study experience for education students to learn to diagnose learning disabilities was limited and difficult to provide due to such problems as course scheduling, transportation in a rural area, and identifying appropriate children for study. Participants included undergraduate and graduate students, school district resource teachers, and faculty instructors. Practicum goals were to improve case study experiences for preservice education students learning to diagnose the nature of learning disabilities in school age children and youth; enhancing inservice teacher training; and facilitating the use of technology across the curriculum in the teacher education programs. With the available technology in the school of education, a computer simulation for case study was implemented. The vast majority of students found computer simulation case study to be an easy-to-use and effective tool in the education program. Included in the appendices are questionnaires used in the evaluation of the simulation. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/JLB)