Civic Engagement, Cyberfeminism, and Online Learning: Activism and Service Learning in Women's and Gender Studies Courses

Abstract

Over the past fifteen years, both online education and civic engagement have experienced exponential growth in postsecondary settings. Many studies have addressed the ways in which feminist pedagogies can be successfully utilized in online learning environments, and the activist groundings of women’s and gender studies have positioned the interdisciplinary field as one of the most committed proponents of civic engagement through service-learning and activist projects (Balliet and Heffernan; Naples and Bojar; Orr). Recent scholarship has also expanded understanding of cyberfeminisms, and the ways in which increased access to and use of technologies has enhanced the reach, scope, and quality of feminist activism in virtual and real/face-to-face settings (Puotinen and Falcon; Schweitzer). In this article I will explore the intersections of civic engagement, online learning, and cyberfeminisms, drawing upon recommended practices and examples from my work teaching online women’s and gender studies courses. A review of literature and my own teaching experiences demonstrates that the social justice aims of civic engagement can readily be achieved within online courses, especially when utilizing feminist pedagogies.