Creating Multimedia-Based Vignettes with Embedded Evidence-Based Practices: A Tool for Supporting Struggling Learners

Most general education content area teachers teach classes that include students with disabilities. However, this can be a daily challenge, as most teachers in this group receive limited support for meeting the unique needs of those students in their respective disciplines. One tool used by many to help support learning for all students is multimedia-based instruction; however, the quality of available multimedia can be hit or miss, it can be difficult to find, and it is often a mismatch for student learning needs. In this study, an innovative multimedia-based intervention, Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs) are introduced and described in the context of teacher candidate capacity to create a sample video. CAPs contain a combination of evidence-based instructional design principles and practices for learning vocabulary terms and concepts. Forty master's degree students were taught to create CAPs, which were evaluated for adherence to established design principles and evidence-based instructional practices. Participants completed a satisfaction survey and participated in a focus group regarding their experience. Implications for practitioners and teacher educators are included and discussed.