BLENDED LEARNING AND PEER COLLABORATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION

As educators are changing their ideas about what constitutes exemplary inquiry-based learning, and recognizing that learning is an active process that encourages higher-order thinking and problem solving there is need to think and implement novel ways of reaching out to the learners. Recognising professionally preparing teachers to teach requires making choices and taking positions from among the multiple demands placed upon teacher educators. Demands from licensure agencies like NCTE, accreditation institutions like NAAC, and the positions of practicing teachers-collaborators in the teacher education process from various disciplines like philosophy, sociology, economics etc. add further complexity to the frameworks within which teachers are prepared to teach. Now a days technology has become very important and there are numerous implications for its adoption in the classroom and outside ( using blended learning) for enhancement and enrichment of learning. In this paper an attempt is made to share experiences of designing peer collaboration with the support of technology in classrooms and outside i.e in blended format to facilitate learning in terms of cognitive skills, motivation etc. of the learners. The intervention is part of action research that the authoress is implementing in Philosophy of Education classes at Post graduate teacher education course.