Reflections on the Value of the Classroom: Animated Narratives about Student Engagement and Learning Under Lockdown at an International College in Thailand

Abstract

Many in higher education are calling for a re-think of teaching and learning principles. The global pandemic de-stabilized foundational assumptions that guided pedagogy for many higher education practitioners. One such assumption is the value of the physical classroom for student engagement. Advances in educational technology and online learning practice have become immediately indispensable. And they have forced a reckoning for traditionalists. This qualitative narrative study examines the stories of undergraduates while studying online during the campus lockdown at a liberal arts college in Bangkok, Thailand. Their stories were produced into animated clips, which are featured in this article. They provide a uniquely vivid illustration of their learning engagement, as well as critical reflections on the value of the campus experience during a forced absence of it. While the study finds that students in some ways became more self-disciplined, it also reflects a refreshed awareness of the importance of ritual and shared physical space, in spite of the allure of educational technology.