Experiences of Feminist Pedagogy in Online Learning: The Student Perspective

• In Event: Critical Feminisms as Pedagogical Spaces for Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The typical online class envisioned (and experienced) by many is impersonal, characterized by bland content delivery, assessment, and some form of often-stilted mandatory interaction. This type of class design reinforces existing hierarchies related to education and knowledge and may feel much like an impersonal correspondence course (Chick & Hassel, 2009). Although it may conform to online course design standards such as Quality Matters (QM; www.qualitymatters.com), it may still lead to disengaged and disillusioned students. QM can be combined with frameworks like Community of Inquiry (Garrison et al., 2010) or active learning strategies to promote greater satisfaction (Gregory et al., 2020; Sadaf et al., 2019), but these forms of engagement may simply reinforce existing educational power structures that disenfranchise some students. In contrast, feminist pedagogy offers an alternative perspective on what online class experiences should be like. Shrewsbury (1987) describes three critical components of feminist pedagogy: empowerment, community, and leadership. Bailey (2017) further discusses four key values of feminist pedagogy: dismantling hierarchical structures, connecting with personal experience, rooting in praxis, and confronting elitism.

This paper reports findings from a study of online students, addressing the following research questions:
Which components and values of feminist pedagogy have students experienced in their online classes?
Which components and values of feminist pedagogy do students want to experience in their online classes?
Which pedagogical components and values do students consider most important to their learning success and satisfaction?

Combining surveys and interviews, this study also explores differences in values and preferences by demographic. Preliminary findings (data collection is ongoing) suggest that while community is familiar to online students, empowerment and leadership are less likely to be fostered. Similarly, connecting with personal experience and rooting in praxis is more familiar than dismantling hierarchical structures and confronting elitism.

Scholarly Significance:

This study has implications for identifying student expectations and desires in online classes and specific feminist pedagogical practices that might increase online learner power, engagement, and satisfaction.

References:

Bailey, C. (2017). Online feminist pedagogy: A new doorway into our brick-and-mortar classrooms? Feminist Teacher, 27(2-3), 253-266. https://doi.org/10.5406/femteacher.27.2-3.0253

Chick, N., & Hassel, H. (2009). "Don't hate me because I'm virtual": Feminist pedagogy in the online classroom. Feminist Teacher, 19(3), 195-215. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40546100

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2010). The first decade of the community of inquiry framework: A retrospective. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1-2), 5-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2009.10.003

Gregory, R. L., Rockinson-Szapkiw, A. J., & Cook, V. S. (2020). Community college faculty perceptions of the Quality Matters™ rubric. Online Learning, 24(2), 128-141.

Sadaf, A., Martin, F., & Ahlgrim-Delzell, L. (2019). Student perceptions of the impact of Quality Matters—certified online courses on their learning and engagement. Online Learning, 23(4), 214-233.

Shrewsbury, C. M. (1987). What is feminist pedagogy? Women's Studies Quarterly, 15(3/4), 6-14.

Authors

• Vanessa Dennen, Florida State University

• Omer Arslan, Florida State University