This document discusses combining feminist and critical perspectives in digital pedagogy. It notes that while feminist pedagogy focuses on gender and critical pedagogy focuses on power, they share student-centered, collaborative, democratized, and empowering approaches. The document questions how these perspectives could be combined to provide a more nuanced approach to technology creation and use. It suggests this combined approach could help students feel greater agency in online courses through discussions and influencing future learning directions.

1. Feminist and critical
perspectives on digital
pedagogy:
Separate and distinct?
Jennifer Englund | CI 8133 | Spring 2016

2. Recap and overview
● Feminist and critical perspectives in
online teaching
● Impetus for combining both
perspectives
● What are examples of how this new
framework might look like in practice?

3. Areas of overlap and distinction
Critical
pedagogy
Feminist
pedagogy
focus on gender focus on power
[Chick & Hassel, 2009; Murray et al,
2013; Turpin, 2007]
[Caruthers & Friend, 2014; Stommel,
2014; Wang & Torrisi-Steele, 2015]

4. Technology is not
value-neutral
[Lane, 2009]

5. “
What happens when gender is placed at the
forefront of technology creation and use?

6. Rise of the Twitter bots
Peng! Collective

8. Feminist perspectives
● Student-centered
● Collaborative
● Democratized
● Action-oriented
● Empowering
● Focus on gender as a key conceptual
means of structuring worldview
[Chick & Hassel, 2009; Murray et al, 2013; Turpin,
2007]

9. Critical perspectives
● Student-centered
● Collaborative
● Democratized
● Action-oriented
● Empowering
● Focus on power as a key conceptual
means of structuring worldview
[Caruthers & Friend, 2014; Stommel, 2014; Wang &
Torrisi-Steele, 2015]

10. Feminist critical digital pedagogy
Jennifer Englund | CI 8133 | Spring 2016
Assumptions
Feminist and critical
perspectives in online
teaching are regarded as
separate and distinct
spheres.
The technologies that we
use for personal and
professional uses are
imbued with the
qualities of their
creators, and are
inherently gendered.
Guiding questions
How could feminist and
critical perspectives be
combined to provide a
more nuanced approach
to the creation, use, and
application of online
teaching?
Why might this be
needed, at this time, in
this way?
Future direction
In what ways might
students feel a greater
sense of agency in
courses that use feminist
critical pedagogy? How
do students demonstrate
agency in course
discussions and future
learning directions?

11. Caruthers, L. & Friend, J. (2014). Critical pedagogy in online environments as thirdspace: A
narrative analysis of voices of candidates in educational preparatory programs.
Educational Studies, 50(1), 8-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131946.2013.866953
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.
Lane, L.M. (2009). Insidious pedagogy: How course management systems affect teaching. First
Monday, 14(10). doi:10.5210/fm.v14i10.2530
Murray, J.; Byrne, D.; Koenig-Visagie, L. (2013). Teaching gender studies via open and
distance learning in South Africa. Distance Education, 34(3), 339–352.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2013.835775
Rosser, S.V. (2005). Through the lenses of feminist theory: Focus on women and information
technology. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 26(1), 1-23. Retrieved from
https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/frontiers/v026/26.1rosser.html#FOOT6
Stommel, J. (2014, November 18). Critical digital pedagogy: A definition. Retrieved from
http://www.hybridpedagogy.com/journal/critical-digital-pedagogy-definition/
Wang, V.C.X. & Torrisi-Steele, G. (2015). Online Teaching, Change, and Critical Theory. New
Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 27(3), 18-26.