Embracing the silence: introverted learning and the online classroom

In 2020, when teaching and learning went online in a great hurry, much of the initial emphasis was on matching the real-life experience as closely as possible. What has since become apparent, however, is that the online classroom is not merely transplanting the physical space into a virtual setting. On the contrary, it has challenged longstanding assumptions of what we mean by participation and active engagement. It presents immense transformational opportunities, which may lead to a more reflective and less pressured classroom pedagogy: one which is sympathetic to the (historically under-acknowledged) needs of introverted learners.