Four models of the coworking concept to facilitate remote higher education

Purpose This study aims to resolve challenges associated with the increasing demand for remote higher education. The authors propose four plausible subtypes of coworking that address the need for remote yet collaborative scholarship. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper applying existing research and theory on coworking to the needs and constraints of higher education and remote scholarship. Findings Coworking facilities can offer high-quality infrastructure, foster remote collaboration and connect individuals beyond traditional educational boundaries. Four plausible coworking models are proposed that meet the conceptual criteria of coworking and the practical constraints of higher education. Practical implications Remote higher education has distinct costs and benefits relative to traditional campus-based models, like the costs and benefits of remote versus organization-based work more generally. In the corporate sector, coworking has helped maintain the benefits of organization-based work while reducing the costs of remote work. Coworking has the potential to do so for remote scholarship as well, maintaining face-to-face social relationships while improving flexibility, inclusiveness and interinstitutional collaboration. This is especially important as remote scholarship becomes increasingly common and necessary. Social implications The paper highlights coworking’s potential to improve well-being and performance when working remotely and to democratize and improve education by reducing geographic, institutional and disciplinary barriers to collaborative scholarship. Originality/value This paper reimagines coworking in the context of higher education, proposing innovative frameworks that could transform traditional learning, teaching and research.