Problem-Based Unit

What's the Theory?

The education bill signed by President Bush in January, 2002, No Child Left Behind, has over 100 references to the term "scientifically-based research" to emphasize that educational practice must be based on sound theory and objective evidence of effectiveness (actually, there may be other reasons for this excess, but let's take it at face value for purposes of this case). This law is being implemented just as you have begun working for an on-line professional development company that produces web-based video cases of effective teaching, and the first case that you are assigned to work on is a case on ESL instruction already under development.

The video materials for this case has already been filmed and edited, and there are many references in it already to research. However, if this material is to be attractive to educational agencies that are trying to be consistent with the law, it is important to emphasize the extent to which the points and examples regarding ESL instruction is research-based. So your boss asks you to take a fresh look at the video footage, and to draw up the outline of a manual that would link some key points made on the video to research on second language acquisition.

You remember some basic theory on second language acquisition from that course you took at Stanford, Education 188/388. The readings you remember are Krashen, Cummins, some chapters from the NRC report and Crawford's book, a paper by Hakuta on how long it takes kids to learn a second language, and a papers by Wong Fillmore and Snow, and another by Rhodes et al on academic language. Use these sources, as well as any others that you may have come across, in coming up with the points from the videos that are supported by theory and research.

In your outline, when you make reference to a video segment, please refer to it by the video segment (Intro, Chapter 1, etc.) as well as by the time stamp. Likewise, be specific about the research source that you are using. Note: you will not be able to see the time stamp using the streaming video. To view the time stamp, you will have to "trick" the computer by launching QuickTime separately, and then go to the -> File ->Open URL menu and paste the url for the appropriate video into the dialog box that appears.

The videos appear at:

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_INTRO.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_CH101.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_CH2.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_CH3.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_CH4.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_CONCL.mov

http://suse-www.stanford.edu/~mrdean/QuickTimeStreaming/TechnicalFiles/EL01_TONGREFL.mov \