Abstract

This chapter examines the use of a web-based video conferencing tool, Zoom, and in particular, the use of breakout rooms as part of the online learning experience. We ask: what is it like for a learner to participate in a Zoom Breakout Room (ZBR) session? Using van Manen’s phenomenology of practice, we collected learners’ lived experience descriptions of participating in a ZBR, then reflected on them phenomenologically as a way to generate new insights into this now common online learning experience. The study highlights different moments in ZBRs where learners navigate a virtual space marked by heavy-handed technological controls, disorientating transitions, peer-surveillance and self-monitoring, and episodes of meaningful engagement. The ZBR is revealed as a virtual learning environment that may facilitate intimate communication and collaboration, yet simultaneously amplify feelings of isolation, vulnerability, and conversational disruption. We conclude by reflecting on the intricate balance between connectivity and alienation in networked learning environments, inviting further contemplation on the ethical and pedagogical complexities of online educational spaces.