Gender equity in higher education

I continue to share brief lessons from the modules in Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching. Session 1, 2024 started February 12th and runs until June 30th, 2024. Enrolment is open now. You can sign up at https://canvas.instructure.com/register and use the following join code: FPXJJW.

Gender equity in higher education is Module 24 and part of the Leading learning and teaching pathway through the course. This is the final module in the course! Developed by Gail Crimmins (University of the Sunshine Coast), this module explores the sociocultural and economic contexts of gender equity and the implications for higher education.

Gender equity approaches recognise and address the social and historical disadvantages that prevent women and gender-diverse people from benefitting equally from society’s resources and opportunities (including educational opportunities). it is important to adopt an intersectional approach to gender equity – women and/or gender-diverse people are not one homogenous group.

The module begins: We all want a world where everyone enjoys equal rights, resources, and opportunities, regardless of gender. But in reality, women and gender-diverse people are disadvantaged and discriminated against in our workplaces and communities.

Participants are invited to reflect on these words, watch a series of scholarly videos, and identify practical strategies for incorporating and supporting gender equity in and through learning and teaching.

Reflect on your own learning environment

As a starting point, which of the following do you commit to employing when establishing your learning environment?

• Acknowledging the Elders and custodians of the Indigenous Land on which you are teaching.
• Introducing your name and pronouns.
• Asking students to introduce themselves and their pronouns.
• Collaboratively establishing classroom/learning space expectations.
• Explicating your use of gender-inclusive language and ideas and how you will address the use of language that marginalises others.
• Scheduling teaching, drop ins, consults and assessment submissions at times that suit parents/carers.
• Establishing screen etiquette that is considerate and inclusive.
• Using images and case studies that disrupt gendered stereotypes.

And which of the strategies do you feel require further consideration/reflection?

The module goes further, inviting participants to audit their curriculum and pedagogy, and take an epistemological justice approach through the inclusion of a diversity of knowledge/s, forms of knowing, and knowers.

This invaluable module completes the Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching course.

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But wait, there’s more! The course also offers three resources:

1. A guide for librarians on the usefulness of each module from Michelle Matheson and Christine Ruddy (RMIT)
2. Your professional wellbeing from Nina Fotinatos (Federation University), and
3. Generative artificial intelligence in higher education from Mathew Hillier (Macquarie University).

To explore these resources – and all of the modules – register for the course.

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Enrol in the MOOC to explore this topic further (and access all the resources)

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Resources

• Gender and groupwork
• Be a pronoun ally
• Where to start with an inclusive teaching approach
• Set the right tone for your unit
• Demystifying generative AI for teaching

Previous posts in this MOOC series

Banner image: Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash