Abstract

Students and faculty are struggling with malaise fueled by contemporary polycrises and the aftermath of higher education’s COVID-19 pivot to technology-mediated instruction. Feelings of disconnection and alienation interfere with learning and affect individual well-being. Although many students have physically returned to classrooms, it remains clear that online education, which predates the pandemic and expanded massively in 2020, is here to stay. This article attempts to answer the question, “how can education be ‘rooted’ in place when place itself is increasingly ephemeral, non-existent, or untethered to a geolocation?” This call to (teaching) action presents an argument for using place-based pedagogy adapted for the digital context to promote student connectedness, well-being, and engagement with curricular materials and describes strategies to incorporate place-based pedagogy-inspired materials and assignments in online classes across the curriculum. The practices described in this article can foster a place-based educational approach that supports learners’ connections to place and growth as citizens and scholars.