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Teacher understanding of phonological awareness (PA) and how to teach PA is related to student outcomes; however, many teachers have an inadequate understanding of PA. The purpose of this study is to describe an intervention intended to improve preservice teachers’ understanding of PA, using an example of instructional technology called Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs). In this study, teacher candidates randomly assigned to watch a CAP on PA significantly outperformed matched peers who read a practitioner-friendly article on the same topic. Findings hold important implications for the field of teacher education, support, and development in reading pedagogy.

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Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs), created using Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, are a form of instructional technology that can deliver critical course content and be used by teacher educators to conserve limited face-to-face instructional time. In this study, the authors investigate whether the sequence of instruction for CAP exposure (preview or review) paired with textbook reading affected knowledge gains on topics related to students with disabilities. They randomly assign preservice teacher candidates from two large public universities to one of three conditions: (a) CAP exposure preceding reading, (b) CAP exposure following reading, and (c) reading with graphic organizer/outline alone. A 40-item multiple-choice pre- and posttest measured participant knowledge of two topics: “Learning Disabilities” and “High-Functioning Autism.” Students in both CAP groups significantly outperformed students from the Text-Only group on both experiments, but order of CAP exposure did not result in significant differences in learning. The authors describe implications for teacher preparation programs regarding how to create and implement theoretically sound technology-based instructional materials, such as CAPs.