Plenary Speaker 2
From “New Normal” to “Next Normal” in Thai Higher Education: Lessons Learned from a Postgraduate Program in Language and Intercultural Communication
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Singhanat Nomnian
Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia
Mahidol University, Thailand
Abstract
This presentation responds to the global emergency brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impacts on teaching and learning in higher education worldwide. Drawing upon faculty staff’s and postgraduate students’ experiences and perceptions of emergency remote teaching and learning in the MA program in Language and Intercultural Communication at one research-based university in Thailand, the results informed by Akbana et al. (2021) consisted of four key components, including faculty staff, postgraduate students, instructional practices, and institutional support. These elements were interrelated and instrumental for transforming the “new normal” into the “next normal” higher education.
This study is relevant for not only researchers interested in exploring the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different aspects of faculty staff and postgraduate students in language and intercultural communication, but also program administrators and policymakers in recommending possible solutions for policy and pedagogical implications that can effectively support faculty staff and students during and beyond the pandemic. It highlights unexpected challenges and the lessons learned by postgraduate students and faculty staff to overcome the potential difficulties involved in developing appropriate instructional practices and institutional support.
“New normal” educational policies, processes, practices, and perspectives of all stakeholders in higher education worldwide can help successfully navigate the crisis, actively empower students and faculty staff for 21st century skills and digital literacy, and gradually prepare for the “next normal” in the post-pandemic era.