The mobility paradigm in higher education: a phenomenological study on the shift in learning space

Title

The mobility paradigm in higher education: a phenomenological study on the shift in learning space

Creator

Chattaraj D.; Vijayaraghavan A.P.

Description

The study, through the framework of mobility and space, explores the phenomenon of multiple shifts in learning spaces induced by COVID-19. The Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) is adopted to document the experiences and perceptions of learners caught within these spatial shiftsphysical, online, and hybrid. Online interviews were conducted with six first-year undergraduate and three first-year postgraduate students enrolled at the department of English and Cultural Studies in a Southern Indian University. Some of the dominant patterns emerging from the accounts of the participants are (1) the changing perception of conducive learning space, (2) the changing perceptions and roles of various classroom actors, and (3) the evolving nature of the learners and the learning process. The study utilizes the framework of mobility to locate the stage of embodied skill acquisition of the participants within the online learning space and illuminates the possibilities offered by this paradigm within the context of higher education. Some of the insights gained through the study include a changing perception of the conventional built classroom space, a notable preference towards a complete online or offline mode as opposed to the hybrid mode, and a transition towards self-directed learning. The study argues that these implications are highly pertinent and can significantly shape the way pedagogues and researchers engage with the various modes of learningphysical, online, and hybridand the future of higher education that is shaped by technology-enabled learning. 2021, The Author(s).

Source

Smart Learning Environments, Vol-8, No. 1

Date

2021-01-01

Publisher

Springer

Subject

COVID-19; Embodied skill acquisition; Higher education; Interpretive phenomenological study; Learning space; Mobility paradigm; Spatial shift

Coverage

Chattaraj D., Department of English and Cultural Studies, Christ University, Bangalore, India; Vijayaraghavan A.P., Department of English and Cultural Studies, Christ University, Bangalore, India

Rights

All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Relation

ISSN: 21967091

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-021-00162-x

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85113787048&doi=10.1186%2fs40561-021-00162-x&partnerID=40&md5=f630f8a408089764e27cb4851409064c