Using technology-enhanced cases in teacher education: An exploratory study in a social studies methods course

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to gain insight into pre-service teachers' and an instructor's perceptions and experiences on their uses of technology-enhanced cases in a teaching methods course. Findings demonstrate two different reactions from pre-service teachers. The majority of them valued case discussions with co-construction of knowledge as useful and meaningful, but a few also perceived the cases as meaningless and disengaged from the discussions. The study also provides insight into how the instructor's case-based instruction mediated such differences and used the cases as a means of closing the gap between the methods course and field experience.