Becoming an Innovative Teacher Educator : Designing & Developing a Successful Hybrid Course

Hybrid learning, an emerging, innovative method that integrates online technology into traditional classrooms, has the potential to provide pedagogical richness, increase active learning, foster collaboration, and support learner-centred strategies. However, many teacher educators who are used to teaching in traditional classrooms find it difficult to move beyond their comfort zone. To provide them with the much-needed directions, this book offers clear guidance on several important aspects of designing a hybrid course, including its theoretical foundations, learning environment, implementation procedures and assessment. In addition, changing roles and responsibilities of instructors and students in hybrid courses are discussed, and strategies to create online community are highlighted. This book offers not only the possibility of recapturing the traditional values of teacher education, but a careful analysis of what educators could expect from "hybrid learning". It covers the research, but also draws on the experiences of practitioners to address what may appear to be daunting challenges. The primary audience for this book is faculty in teacher education who are struggling to find the time and means to engage their students in meaningful learning activities. A wider audience, however, will find elements of pertinent, important, and timely information on hybrid learning. Certainly, faculty in all disciplines in higher education who are trying to integrate the Internet and communications technology into their courses will also find the book of considerable value. This book can be used by practitioners as a professional guide, or by researchers as a reference.