Lead (Pb) is one of the most significant environmental contaminants worldwide and has significant human health effects. Historic use of Pb in paint and gasoline, in particular, have made this contaminant ubiquitous in our environment although widespread use of Pb has declined in the USA. Unfortunately, segments of the population are still…

Decision cases have been used in the USA for both classroom and extension education within agriculture and natural resources. Use of cases has sometimes been limited by the extensive amount of time that may be required to assign and analyze conventional, text-based cases. Availability of video decision cases, which are visual and do not…

Although science, technology, society and environment (STSE) education has gained considerable force in the past few years, it has made fewer strides in practice. We suggest that "science" teacher identity plays a role in the adoption of STSE perspectives. Simply put, issues-based STSE education challenges traditional images of a science…

This article focuses on facilitating learners' collaborative knowledge construction in case-based learning scenarios. The article first describes how case-based learning can promote knowledge acquisition and then discusses the characteristics of videoconferencing in such scenarios. Then we focus our attention on the process and outcomes of the…

Case studies are frequently used to prepare preservice teachers through reflection and analysis of classroom situations. Previous research suggests asynchronous online discussions provide more opportunity for reflection and analysis than face to face environments. Online case study discussions of two groups of preservice teacher education…

This article is an examination of the author's experiences facilitating service-learning for the first time in a learning community of an advanced graduate course. The purpose of this paper is to share insights about this process, so that faculty who are considering the implementation of a service-learning pedagogy in similar courses might…

This article analyzes the comparative impact of three educational interventions aimed at increasing students' political engagement, two at the undergraduate level and one at the high school level. Findings from interviews with student participants in these programs indicate that political competencies are best acquired through democratic practice,…

Close to 1,100 people attended the 55th Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, Florida from November 30-December 3, 2005. A record number of proposals were submitted this year (548), with 392 papers, symposia, and round tables accepted. This year's conference theme was inclusiveness and synthesis…

The Roderick MacDougall Center for Case Development and Teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education develops and encourages the use of case materials in the training of educational leaders. The materials are designed primarily for use with those preparing to enter or currently working in K-12 educational institutions. This catalog…

The use of case studies or case histories of Supreme Court cases concerning freedom of speech often provides the "real world" dimension that is too often lacking in the teaching of this area. The case study or case history is a coherent narrative of the historical events designed to illuminate the issues involved in a specific situation. Such…

A Web-based tutorial was developed to teach preservice special education teachers about the individualized education program (IEP) process in Nevada and to allow them to practice development of specific IEP components. The Web site has four major sections which: (1) review the process by which children become eligible for special education; (2)…

Software designed to promote the use of open-ended investigations in science education was evaluated in a study of whether using case-based simulation enhances students' understanding of ethical issues and data interpretation in science. The software was a DNA gel electrophoresis simulation that enabled students to conduct simulated genetic tests.…

Explores the effects of using CTELL (Case Technologies Enhancing Literacy Learning) cases on preservice teachers' learning. Describes CTELL as cases delivered via the Internet that incorporate a multimedia interface based on a cognitive apprenticeship model to promote literacy instruction; and compares traditional instruction, traditional plus…

Explores how participants in Web-based conferencing establish and maintain common ground in order to reach deeper levels of interaction in case-based Web discussions. Describes a Web-based conferencing course that included preservice teachers and mentors from three universities, and showed the need for written feedback and peer support to…

Discusses authentic activities and case based learning and describes two cases that were developed as support materials for master's degree students undertaking a major multimedia design project at the University of Wollongong (Australia). Examines Jonassen's model for a constructivist learning environment and considers desired outcomes against…