Three education reform themes concerning the preparation. of teachers for the 21st Century converge in this study: teacher accountability to professional certification standards, authentic assessment, and the use of advanced technologies. The question of how to use technology effectively in the assessment of teacher candidates to demonstrate achievement of course objectives based on state certification standards led to the development of the electronic portfolio project in a small university teacher credential program. The process of preparing an electronic portfolio using computer and multimedia technology was examined from the perspective of twelve teacher candidates enrolled in a multiple subject reading methods classes. This research was a multiple case study in which qualitative data was obtained through open-ended interviews with the teacher candidates, the course professor, and the computer lab technician, as well as through analysis of the electronic portfolio product. Whether the electronic portfolio could be considered an effective tool for documenting teacher candidate performance and the achievement of course objectives was the primary question investigated in this study. Themes and patterns that emerged from interviews, portfolio reflections, and field records kept by the researcher were examined through Ethnograph, a qualitative data software analysis program, in order to gather information concerning the teacher candidate's experience of collecting and preserving digital artifacts to be used as evidence of demonstrating competencies. The teacher candidate's perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the software and hardware problems encountered during the electronic portfolio process, were explored. Written reflections within the electronic portfolio framework were examined to gain insight into the student's process of self-reflection and self-assessment. A computer literacy questionnaire was administered prior to the study in order to determine previous experience with and attitude toward technology. The researcher's process of creating templates in hypertext markup language (HTML) and Hyperstudio, a multimedia authoring software program, provided further insight into the design and implementation of the electronic portfolio project.

Falls are one of the leading causes of accidental death and injury in older people. Similarly, a fear of falling is extremely common in the elderly, with prevalence estimates upward of 90%. A fear of falling is associated with unnecessary activity restriction, avoidance, distress, an increased risk of falling, and a reduced quality of life. For all of these reasons, efforts to treat fear of falling and promote fall prevention are needed. In the present study, I investigated the effects of viewing a 15 min educational video about fall prevention on fear of falling and fall self efficacy in the elderly. While the video was developed to educate older individuals about practical steps they could take to avoid falling, the effects of the video on fear of falling and fall self-efficacy had not been investigated up to this point. Participants in the study consisted of 74 men and women over the age of 70 years who were recruited from several senior citizen groups. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) exposure to the video followed by a brief discussion, (b) exposure to the video alone, and (c) a waitlist control group. Measurements were taken 1 week before viewing the video and immediately after viewing the video. The dependent variables were scores on two self-report measures: The Falls Efficacy Scale and the Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly. Data were analyzed using a 2X3 ANOVA. Results showed no significant interaction effects, however a significant effect for trials was found for the Falls Efficacy Scale. Possible reasons for these findings were discussed.

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