COVID-19 as a game changer in a Thai university: a self-reflection

Abstract

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the 'rules of the game' significantly in organisations and educational institutions worldwide. Many schools and universities have switched classes from a face-to-face interaction to an online setting due to the imposition of lockdowns. However, in developing and middle-income countries, the guidelines pertaining to online teaching and learning are insufficient. In Thailand, which is the focus of this paper, the transition has been met with numerous constraints, even in elite universities. However, few studies have analysed the issues involved in this transition. The first author, who works at one of the leading universities in Thailand, reflects on how her workplace was impacted. This reflective paper aims to discuss three challenges that the first author observed, namely: in (1) transition to online learning, (2) reversed hierarchy, and (3) impacts on the students.