Why we need a cyberfeminist perspective for quality online higher education

ABSTRACT

In this Point of Departure, we will present six key concepts, grouped into the following three dimensions which are salient for incorporating a cyberfeminist perspective into online higher education: Critical technologies (Platform capitalism and Digital gender gaps), Gendered gazes (Digital gender-based violence and Safer spaces) and Cyberfeminist pedagogies (Design justice and Cyberfeminist online teaching). This is relevant given the scarcity of quality literature on online higher education analysing aspects such as gender equity, inclusion and diversity. Incorporating a creative cyberfeminist perspective (CyberFem) contributes to enriching views on the quality of the modality of education, as well as giving visibility to conflicts and biases that can lurk behind the screens and physical distance inherent to this modality. Furthermore, it connects this modality of studies to current debates on ethics, data use, privacy, algorithmic biases and online violence. As a result, the quality of this modality of study will improve.

KEYWORDS:

• Cyberfeminist perspective
• online higher education
• distance education
• gender perspective
• quality

SUBJECT CLASSIFICATION CODES:

• Points of departure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 According to the Council of Europe, gender mainstreaming is "the (re)organisation, improvement, development and evaluation of policy processes, so that a gender equality perspective is incorporated in all policies at all levels and all stages, by the actors normally involved in policy-making". Source: https://www.coe.int/en/web/genderequality/what-is-gender-mainstreaming. From an institutional point of view, the incorporation of the gender perspective (GP) in the study plans could be observed through the following indicators: (i) diagnoses of GP in the study plans, (ii) gender competences in the degree objectives, (iii) learning objectives related to GP, (iv) subjects that incorporate GP as a transversal variable to address the contents, (v) subjects specialised in gender (minor, optional, etc.), (vi) training to develop end-of-degree or Master's degree projects with this perspective. Source: Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (2019).

2 These policies can be translated as protocols for the prevention, reporting and sanctioning of online gender-based violence, as codes of conduct for good online treatment and behaviour, or as recommendations for the responsible use of technologies, regarding security, privacy and also the impact of excessive use on mental and physical health.