Multimedia cases in elementary science education: Design and development of a prototype

Multimedia cases intend to bring about fundamental changes in teacher education by bridging the gap between theory and practice. The use of information and communication technology in multimedia cases is expected to create a powerful and flexible learning environment. Such a learning environment is in line with a constructivist vision of teaching and learning. This paper focuses on the rationale behind case-based instruction by describing the design and development of a prototype and addressing the justification of underlying design decisions. Moreover, the prototype is briefly outlined and formative evaluation results are presented.