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Microteaching techniques have been used for teacher training since the mid 1960s. Despite its usefulness, as affirmed by pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), there are numerous criticisms on the shortcomings of microteaching activities. Specifically, it (a) oversimplifies the classroom learning and teaching nature, (b) encourages skill modelling on one or only few technique(s) demonstrated during training sessions, (c) involves costly human and technical resources for implementation, and most critically, (d) fails to provide instant and reusable feedback to improve classroom teaching skills. Addressing the inadequacies of traditional microteaching practice, this paper proposes an Extreme-Teaching-2 (XT[superscript 2]) framework based on the computer science literature. Originating from Extreme Programming (XP) methodology, XT[superscript 2] preserves the agility on teaching-feedback-teaching cycles with heavy peer and instructor involvement. With strong technological support, XT[superscript 2] allows specific, personalized, incremental, and constructive formative feedback to be given by peers and instructors during and after two classroom observation sessions. Through the XT[superscript 2] framework, teacher candidates are able to reuse feedback instantly (feedforward) and rapidly improve (a) confidence in identifying their weaknesses and strengths, (b) and their facilitating skills, while the administrative workload on instructors is significantly reduced.

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are front-line facilitators with first-hand contact with students. They play an important role in providing an engaging learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. However, most of them have not received adequate training and guidance in teaching. This paper reports on an intensive and compulsory education development course for postgraduate students, which aims to prepare them for their upcoming teaching role whilst they are still research students. The course provides an introduction to the basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills required before they begin to take up teaching responsibilities at the University, in a Chinese (Hong Kong/Mainland China) and English Medium Instruction context. Blended learning technologies, active learning strategies, formative assessment and an outcomes-based approach are extensively used throughout the course to enable and encourage participation and collaboration. To measure the outcome performance of the course in alignment with the University's strategic goals, a number of key performance indicators are assessed. The result shows that students found the course very useful and the blended instructional methods used facilitated the achievement of the Intended Learning Outcomes. (Contains 6 figures and 6 tables.)