The purpose of this demonstration is to present and discuss an interactive, web-based learning tool that is an end-product of CASELINK. CASELINK is an Office of Special Education Programs, three-year research and development project whose impetus was a question: How can traditional academic knowledge and the highly specific and contextualized "knowledge-in-practice" be integrated in a meaningful context for use in professional training? Utilizing a problem-based learning pedagogy (Bridges, 1995), the CASELINK team has designed, developed and field-tested four interactive multimedia web modules for use in existing courses for the development of prospective teachers’ understanding of special education. When knowledge of practice and knowledge in practice are linked together in professional development programs, due to the way in which traditional learning is structured, the gap between the two can ordinarily be wide. Traditional knowledge of practice is packaged and typically resides in textbooks and lectures in central locations because these formats permit a satisfactory balance of per trainee cost and overall instructional benefit (i.e., the knowledge obtained by each learner). On the other hand, supervised teaching in the field is distributed over a geographical area defined by cooperating institutions and without much control of the nature or content of experiences. Creative solutions to this problem are important in order to improve the overall quality of professional preparation. The CASELINK modules attempt to address this issue using problem-based learning pedagogy along with multimedia web technologies.

Quite apart from the location of these diverse knowledge bases is the ever-present question of teacher learning. The traditional model of learning assumes that knowledge of practice is easily transmitted from text book or professor to student, the assumption being that the mind is representational, a mirror of some pre-defined ontological reality, and that once "transmitted" this knowledge is easily applied to real-life contexts (Cobb, 1994). Under this theory of learning there should be no conflict between what is learned in a lecture hall and its application in a school classroom. A plethora of writings by eminent researchers tells us that this is not the case. For example, McDiarmid (1990), reminds us that " beginning teachers tend to believe that they were not taught essential knowledge, such as how to manage a classroom, regardless of whether or not they were exposed to such knowledge." (p12).An alternative way of learning is based on constructivist theory, which sees knowledge as an adaptive function (Glasersfeld, 1989), in which a learner comes to know by responding to experience. According to Savery (1995), "we cannot talk about what is learned separately from how it is learned...rather, what we understand is a function of the content, the context, the activity of the learner" (p 31).\

The challenge is to find a means to link a constructivist theory of learning with viable a viable instructional method which links knowledge of practice to its situated version knowledge in practice. In an attempt to make this link, the CASELINK modules are grounded in the pedagogical theory of Problem Based Learning (PBL). Viewed simplistically, PBL involves teams of learners working in groups in order to solve difficult, real-life problems characteristic of those encountered in their chosen professional field. The collaborative work, usually undertaken over several weeks, results in a substantial "end-product" or solution. The deception in this description is the glossing over of very difficult epistemological issue of "How is knowledge-in-practice best mastered?" Applied to the context of teacher education we made the assumption that development of professional knowledge requires repeated need to apply knowledge to a range of real life messy problems.

CASELINK has developed a new pedagogical strategy for allowing access to professional knowledge by using a case/problem based learning program supported by interactive, multi-media, website case studies and associated data and documents. The CASE materials developed bring together information from school professionals (including regular and special educators, administrators, counselors and psychologists) in school site-oriented, co-operative teams as these professionals collaborate on real-life messy problems, in an attempt to capture knowledge-in-practice. The use of hypertext and was chosen as the appropriate forum for presenting the CASELINK materials to student users subsequently all of the CASELINK materials are mounted in a systematic way on CDs and the web. These multimedia materials include photos and video segments of different children, their parents, peers, teachers and other school professionals, along with IEP's, and professional publications such as journal articles and book chapters.

The concept of "situated knowledge-in-practice" contained within multimedia informational space contexts is integral to how student learners within a problem based learning format. The use of PBL CASE modules support the development of authentic and situated knowledge in the following ways: (1) The use of messy, open-ended problems stimulates the development of non-routine, complex solutions; (2) The group problem solving facilitates the social construction of knowledge which often occurs through disequilibrium and accommodation to non-familiar ideas (Von Glasersfeld, (1989); (3) The learning environment reflects the complexity of the environment in which the student user is to be able to function (Savery & Duffy, 1995). The use of the web as a modality for learning, further supports such development by allowing materials to be accessed in a non linear fashion and by allowing the use of hyperlinks to more or less specific information allows the student user to sift through non relevant information. The purpose of the remainder of this section is to walk the reader through the structure of a CASE module as it would be encountered by the student user in order to illustrate how the modules support the points discussed above.

Each Module can be viewed as having three main components: The problem framing component; the solution development component; and the reflective component.

The Problem. The process begins with a description of a core problem. Core problems will center around real school situations involving one or two disabled students. From the core problem, users will have several optional hypertext links to choose from, including links to role-specific individuals involved in the core problem. Examples of roles-specific individuals include parents, special education teacher, school psychologist, pupil, school administrator, general education teacher, etc. Role-specific experiences, perceptions, and opinions presented represent Embodied Knowledge. Discuss different views of problem(s) that must be solved to complete project. Frame the problem(s) in a mutually understandable manner that suggests concrete courses of action. What do you need to know? Develop and mutually assign tasks for information gathering and sharing

Meeting. Introduce each other, share relevant background information (your are resources to each other). Develop comfortable as well as efficient operating procedures (e.g., roles, responsibilities, notetaking/keeping). Discuss the project assigned to you. Student user then submit their understanding of the problem as a group, online through an interactive form on the module.

Stakeholders perspectives. The submission of the interactive form then opens a gateway to a video presentation of the Stakeholders view of how they see the problem. Often these views are in conflict from each other as in a real life situation.

Re-framing/reflection. Student users now are allowed an opportunity to reflect on differences between how they saw the problem and how the stakeholders saw it--with an opportunity to resubmit their problem statement if they so choose.

Role Strands. At this stage student users either choose or are assigned a role. Roles in most cases include parent, general education teacher, special education teacher, school psychologist, administrator, principal, and when appropriate the child with a disability. After determining which role they will adopt, the student researches all information within that stakeholders strand. This information can be obtained through video clips, reading assessments given, and accessing outside links on related topics on the world wide web. The student can choose to access and incorporate what information they choose through their independent investigation.

Team Meeting. After obtaining all information they deem relevant to represent their role, students bring their new knowledge to their team meeting at which point an agreement on a plan for the student in question must be reached.

3. Reflect on and discuss solutions. The final stage in the PBL module is the reflection and discussion regarding the submitted solution. In this stage student users are given a chance to compare their problem solution to that which was developed by the professional team in the case. As a team, the students sift, weigh, and integrate what information has been gathered. They discuss what differences exist between the professionals' solution and their own. They also reflect on the possibilities for these differences and the knowledge that they have gained from this unique process.

We believe that closing the gap between knowledge in practice and knowledge of practice requires prospective teachers and other education professionals in training to be brought as close to the reality of authentic school practice as possible. Knowledge-in-use is messy and is based upon the actions and interactions of teams of school professionals; it exists in on-the-fly decisions in classrooms--decisions that are grounded in years of experience; and it is always shaped by the context in which the specific problem-to-be-solved is situated. CASELINK attempts not to bring these aspects of knowledge to the traditional learning environment, but to recreate the learning space to more closely resemble an authentic school decision-making environment.