Constructing interactional space across distant locations in a hybrid classroom

This single case analysis investigates how a geographically distributed dyad of pupils construct a shared interactional space during one of their first hybrid lessons, despite the constraints of the technological configuration, where the classroom and remote participants have no visual access to each other. The data come from a lesson in basic education during COVID-19, with participants both in a physical classroom and on a videoconferencing platform. The remote pupils only have aural access to (some) classroom interactions and visual access to materials shared by the teacher via videoconferencing and cannot be seen by the classroom participants. Drawing on multimodal conversation analysis, the study illustrates how a classroom pupil and a remote participant construct a hybrid interactional space despite the limited access to each other's embodied cues. This interactional accomplishment also draws the teacher's attention to the remote participants. The analysis demonstrates the asymmetric possibilities to participate in hybrid classrooms and highlights interactional spaces in these contexts as multimodal accomplishments. Furthermore, it reveals pupils' potential role in engaging remote participants. By focusing on the affordances and challenges for engagement in a hybrid classroom, the study offers timely insights into participation in changing educational environments.