Abstract
This book has come out of the work of the European ‘ATHENA’ Thematic Network, which is a network of higher education institutions involved in feminist research and in delivering Women’s Studies and Gender Studies programmes.
Women’s Studies have developed a particular pedagogic focus that values both recognition of the ‘personal’ and critical reflective thinking in learning communities. Feminist epistemology holds a sophisticated critical perspective on the relationship between technology and gender. These two factors combined with the pragmatic constraints of being a poorly resourced academic discipline have made Women’s/Gender Studies at times circumspect about taking up opportunities for using ICTs in teaching. The contributors to this book believe that there are productive opportunities for ICTs and that ICTs can, if used well, expand our students’ learning opportunities, as well as provide University teachers with opportunities to develop our feminist pedagogic praxis. If used badly they can restrict learning, and be a source of frustration and exploitation for staff.
The book focuses on thinking and practice in Europe, and Western Europe in particular. This is because it is grounded in the experience of the contributors. It is a book by and for practitioners. There are no enthusiastic generalisations here from experts who never encounter real students, or struggle with obstructive hardware, less than helpful technical support, and Kafkaesque University bureaucracy. We believe the experience described here, and the advice that arises out of it will contribute to the next stage of critical debates about the educational uses of ICTs. This is when as educators we move beyond the first stage of the innovation cycle; where enthusiasts and early adopters have set the agenda for debating ICTs and education, to the second stage where more critical users put it into practice and test its potential in real contexts.
Women’s Studies have developed a particular pedagogic focus that values both recognition of the ‘personal’ and critical reflective thinking in learning communities. Feminist epistemology holds a sophisticated critical perspective on the relationship between technology and gender. These two factors combined with the pragmatic constraints of being a poorly resourced academic discipline have made Women’s/Gender Studies at times circumspect about taking up opportunities for using ICTs in teaching. The contributors to this book believe that there are productive opportunities for ICTs and that ICTs can, if used well, expand our students’ learning opportunities, as well as provide University teachers with opportunities to develop our feminist pedagogic praxis. If used badly they can restrict learning, and be a source of frustration and exploitation for staff.
The book focuses on thinking and practice in Europe, and Western Europe in particular. This is because it is grounded in the experience of the contributors. It is a book by and for practitioners. There are no enthusiastic generalisations here from experts who never encounter real students, or struggle with obstructive hardware, less than helpful technical support, and Kafkaesque University bureaucracy. We believe the experience described here, and the advice that arises out of it will contribute to the next stage of critical debates about the educational uses of ICTs. This is when as educators we move beyond the first stage of the innovation cycle; where enthusiasts and early adopters have set the agenda for debating ICTs and education, to the second stage where more critical users put it into practice and test its potential in real contexts.
Original language | English |
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Publisher | Centre for Gender Studies Lund University and ATHENA Thematic Network, Utrecht |
Number of pages | 158 |
ISBN (Print) | 91-631-2434-3 |
Publication status | Published - 2003 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Gender Studies
Free keywords
- IT
- ICT
- gender
- feminism
- learning
- women's studies
- pedagogy
- teaching
- European gender studies
- elearning
- information and communication technologies