Overview
MDDE 651: Gender Issues in Distance Education uses feminist principles and theory to explore the practice of contemporary distance education. The course is written from a feminist perspective (i.e. it is women-centered). It explores and critiques feminist literature, which in turn is used to explore and critique distance education.
Outline
The course consists of four units:
Unit 1: Feminist Theory and Pedagogy
Unit 2: Overview of Gender Issues in Distance Education
Unit 3: Case Studies
Unit 4: Project
Learning outcomes
The course is designed to achieve the goals listed below.
- To apply feminist theory and research in order to explore the gendered impacts of technological innovation
- To examine how gender can inform distance education
- To reflect on how gender affects our ways of interacting, communicating, decision making, and educating
- To use feminist gender analysis to critique existing and planned educational programs
- To develop gender-inclusive educational content and delivery strategies within a distance educational context
- To integrate personal experience, feminist theory, and pedagogy and apply them to educational initiatives
Evaluation
Student grades will be based on three assignments and their participation in the course.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Based on the reading of articles, students will write an essay to present the synthesis of issues arising from the articles. | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Collaborative Case Study, students will work with a partner to develop a presentation on the issues about your chosen topic. | 30% |
| Assignment 3: Explore a significant educational - or training-related feature of your environment that relates to distance education. Develop a plan to transform that feature to make it more women-positive. | 40% |
| Course Participation: Students are expected to participate in the course forums. | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Bainbridge, S. & Wark, N. (2023). The Encyclopedia of Female Pioneers in Online Learning. Routledge.