Overview

The Blended Learning Course for Teacher Educators Between Asia and Europe (BL+TEAE) is a project funded by the European Union under the framework of ERASMUS+ programme. It is one of the initiatives under CBHE which aims to encourage cooperation between the European Union and Partner Countries in addressing challenges in the management and governance of their higher education institutions as well as to promote people to people contacts, intercultural awareness, and understanding.

BL_TEAE spans over a period of 3 years, commencing from 15th October 2016 and ending on 14th October 2019. The kick-off meeting took place in Marseille, France on 9th January 2017. Aix-Marseille University, France has been appointed as the overall coordinator of the project . The other participating countries are Malaysia, Denmark, Estonia, Belgium, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan. Malaysia is represented by Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang Campus and University of Technology Mara.

The project intends to support teacher educators' professional and learning development through blended learning and based on innovative constructivist theories (mainly, trialogical learning and knowledge building). The BL_TEAE course aims to build a collaborative community of European and Asian teacher educators. The main objective is to enhance teacher educators' skills in reflecting on their own practices with the support of ePortfolio and video as reflective tools.

 

Rationale

The role of a teacher is becoming more complex. As such, teachers need new pedagogical strategies and reflective tools to introduce innovation (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Vloet & Van Swet, 2010). In the BL_TEAE course , the choice of blended learning was made because it is an optimal combination of learning and online presence (Driscoll, 2002; DeLacey & Leonard, 2002; Garrison & Kanuka, 2004; Graham, Allen & Ure, 2003). Online activities give a platform for  teacher educators to learn, discuss, share and reflect about innovative teaching strategies. Blended learning provides direct access to information; the possibility of more varied social interactions; customization, flexibility and accountability (Osguthorpe and Graham, 2003) and encourages the development of critical thinking and reflective skills (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). It also helps in the development of a reflective approach helpful for identifying the weaknesses and strength of teaching practices, improving it and providing effective, applicable actions to increase skills in teacher professional development (Adler, 1991; Ahmed & Al-Khalili, 2013; Avalos, 2011; Cooper & Olson, 1996; Kerby, 1991, Korthagen, 2004; Tateo, 2012).

It is hoped that through the BL_TEAE course, teacher educators involved in the project will be supported to think about what they have learned, and re-evaluate these experiences to see them in new ways that might suggest new practices (Drew & Bingham, 2001; Farrell, 2007; Russell, 1999), which in turn may produce an impact on their teaching class (Korthagen & Vasalos, 2005). This process is made effective by using reflective tools which include e-Portfolio; video sharing about teaching practices and online community discussion and supported by meaningful collaborative (Simoncini, Lasen, & Rocco, 2014). The project is an answer to the call for a common European and Asiatic issue to promote the professionalization of teacher educators and revise teacher training programmes (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; De Kock, Sleegers, & Voeten, 2004; Escalie & Chalies, 2011).