The main goal of the course is to provide students with a model of how to teach these subjects with technology rather than just how to use technology. The content of the course includes the use of computers for discovery learning, experimentation, forming and testing conjectures, and problem solving as well as communication, information retrieval, and course management. Students learn by participating in sample activities in class.
Assignments consist of planning classroom activities using technology.
Criteria for marking assignments consists, in equal parts, of demonstrated mastery of the technology and appropriateness and quality of the planned classroom activity. The course has been very successful and is consistently rated as one of the most valuable in the teacher education program. Quantitative analyses indicate that students made significant changes in attitudes toward computers in overall attitudes and on three of four dimensions. Small, but significant, gains were made in overall computer skills. Proximity of school sites to the university and a combination of an introductory technology course and computer integration in coursework appear to influence overall attitude and three of the attitudinal dimensions, but not computer skill acquisition.