Page 60 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 5-6: Teaching Feminism, ed. Valerija Vendramin
P. 60
šolsko polje, letnik xxxi, številka 5–6
flexible positioning of the knowledgeable and powered subject(s). Or, as
argued in the discourse of post-structural linguistics, the meanings pro-
duced in class are the product of the “floating signifier”. The students are
invited and stimulated to express conflicting and opposite arguments, and
the studying literature is analysed critically in a comparison of contradic-
tory theses in a text, and among texts.
The Transformative Studying Praxes in the Virtual Lecturing
of the Anti-Covid-19 Regime
The transition from lecturing in the lecturing room to conducting study
meetings in a Zoom personal room leads from initial discomfort to liber-
ating effects. The experience of personal pedagogic enhancement has also
been realised by the unique situation of working together with only five
postgraduate students in different study courses at the Faculty, and exe-
cuting a new subject Ethics and Morals in Science for the first time. In
retrospect, I recognised numerous web references to feminist pedagogy,
blossoming from the first Covid-19 wave. In spite of well justified criti-
cism of virtual studying practices, there obviously are certain stimulating
moments in the evolutions of pedagogies as the sub-discipline is becom-
ing even more pluralised. The problems and questions of feminist peda-
gogy have for many feminists been tackled with the new enthusiasm in-
duced by the virtual space.
One must permanently question the possibility of establishing
equality and equity in the two-way transfer of experiences, knowledges
and skills. Institutionalised positions of teachers and students, socio-cul-
tural expectations of role-related behaviour, and personal inhibitors of
freeing and enriching the study are the challenges experienced. A related
problem is co-construing the object of an emotionally-charged interpreta-
tion of experiences. My desire in trying to obtain the embodied, forceful
interpretation of the experience is challenging despite the successes. The
third issue in my use of feminist pedagogy is the constant doubt in the
possibility of a transformative impact. All of these problems were high-
lighted from another angle defined by the virtual space. The most usual
approaches to befriending students, described in the first segment of the
present discussion could be sustained (e.g. addressing practice, two-way
transfer of knowledge and experiences, benevolent and individualised as-
sessment etc.). The materiality which seemed to be lost with the non-hi-
erarchical reorganisation of the class appeared behind the screen already
domesticated, and non-hierarchical as we all appear in the gallery of fac-
es without any special position. The class has become cosier due to anoth-
er factor: image. Students – a lot of them usually wearing heavy make-up
58
flexible positioning of the knowledgeable and powered subject(s). Or, as
argued in the discourse of post-structural linguistics, the meanings pro-
duced in class are the product of the “floating signifier”. The students are
invited and stimulated to express conflicting and opposite arguments, and
the studying literature is analysed critically in a comparison of contradic-
tory theses in a text, and among texts.
The Transformative Studying Praxes in the Virtual Lecturing
of the Anti-Covid-19 Regime
The transition from lecturing in the lecturing room to conducting study
meetings in a Zoom personal room leads from initial discomfort to liber-
ating effects. The experience of personal pedagogic enhancement has also
been realised by the unique situation of working together with only five
postgraduate students in different study courses at the Faculty, and exe-
cuting a new subject Ethics and Morals in Science for the first time. In
retrospect, I recognised numerous web references to feminist pedagogy,
blossoming from the first Covid-19 wave. In spite of well justified criti-
cism of virtual studying practices, there obviously are certain stimulating
moments in the evolutions of pedagogies as the sub-discipline is becom-
ing even more pluralised. The problems and questions of feminist peda-
gogy have for many feminists been tackled with the new enthusiasm in-
duced by the virtual space.
One must permanently question the possibility of establishing
equality and equity in the two-way transfer of experiences, knowledges
and skills. Institutionalised positions of teachers and students, socio-cul-
tural expectations of role-related behaviour, and personal inhibitors of
freeing and enriching the study are the challenges experienced. A related
problem is co-construing the object of an emotionally-charged interpreta-
tion of experiences. My desire in trying to obtain the embodied, forceful
interpretation of the experience is challenging despite the successes. The
third issue in my use of feminist pedagogy is the constant doubt in the
possibility of a transformative impact. All of these problems were high-
lighted from another angle defined by the virtual space. The most usual
approaches to befriending students, described in the first segment of the
present discussion could be sustained (e.g. addressing practice, two-way
transfer of knowledge and experiences, benevolent and individualised as-
sessment etc.). The materiality which seemed to be lost with the non-hi-
erarchical reorganisation of the class appeared behind the screen already
domesticated, and non-hierarchical as we all appear in the gallery of fac-
es without any special position. The class has become cosier due to anoth-
er factor: image. Students – a lot of them usually wearing heavy make-up
58
