In Search of Lost Space

The Changing Affordances of Physical and Virtual Teaching Spaces During the Pandemic

Abstract

In this reflection, I discuss the changing affordances of physical and virtual spaces in PGR seminar teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. I start by reviewing how physical space has been conceptualised in the pedagogical literature in terms of its material aspects, affordances, and interactions with users. I then translate the above concepts to virtual teaching spaces. I discuss how the affordances of both physical and virtual spaces have evolved throughout the different stages of the pandemic, exemplifying the process through my personal experience of seminar teaching. I conclude with a personal reflection on the challenges and unexpectedly positive consequences of having to dynamically adapt one’s pedagogy to changing affordances and constraints.