Combining feminist pedagogy and transactional distance to create gender-sensitive technology-enhanced learning

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we argue for a new synthesis of two pedagogic theories: feminist pedagogy and transactional distance, which explain why and how distance education has been such a positive system for women in a national distance learning university. We illustrate this with examples of positive action initiatives for women. The concept of transactional distance allows us to explore distance as a form of psychological and communication space, not simply of geographical distance. Feminist pedagogy, on the other hand, has recognised the importance of gender in structuring disciplines as well as teaching strategies. Both theories implicitly position the face-to-face classroom as the ideal learning environment, with the implication that distance learning has to produce a deficient environment. We argue that the evidence for women does not support this and present examples of feminist distance learning provision that has offered successful technology-enhanced learning and educational opportunities.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers/educators
• women
• higher education
• science and technology
• critical pedagogies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See more about Anna Ticknor on the website of the Ticknor Society: http://www.ticknor.org/Anna.shtml (accessed 16.06.2015).

2. Garrison (1985) was the first person to differentiate ‘generations’ in distance education systems, the first being that of correspondence-only education. The second generation is characterised by the use of mass broadcast media. The third generation incorporates online, interactive, that is, two way and more, communication systems.

3. See national survey analysis from 2005 onwards: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/lt/nss/results/.

4. The Sex Discrimination Act allows training organisations to take positive action measures to advertise women-only or men-only training courses for work where it can be shown that few or no people of that gender have done that kind of work in the previous year – http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/.