Using technology to facilitate the integration of the theory and the practice of pre-service teacher education

Bridging the gap between the theory learned at university and the practical experience of the classroom is a challenge teacher educators grapple with regularly. This project examined pre-service teachers’ responses to a number of innovations implemented in a teacher education programme attempting to strengthen the relationship between theory and practice. The study analyzed student responses to the introduction of new assessment content and on the processes that they experienced in the unit. Of particular interest were student reactions to the use of online reflective blogs, Twitter and case studies, both as teaching and assessment tools. By analysing student work samples and conducting a student survey and focus groups, the researchers were able to establish the link between content, assessment and classroom practice had been bridged in meaningful ways.