Fifteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

For at least forty years scholars from many disciplines have brought a gendered lens to instructional design theory and practice, the design of physical learning environments, and learning processes from multiple perspectives, including access, accessibility, usability, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and sociocultural and political perspectives (c.f. Ball, 2007; Littlejohn, Foss & Oetzel, 2017). More recently, critical scholars have become interested in intersectionality, in which “multiple oppressions” influence each other and create learning environments that exclude or marginalize various learning communities of women and girls, among them adults and youth whose native language is not English, who are living in poverty and/or in rural areas with limited access, indigenous females, and so on (c.f. Belkhir & McNair Barnett, 2001; Morse, 2003; Li & Kirkup, 2007; National Science Foundation, 2004). Using gender as a defining lens, we must also consider gender identity, a political, social, and cultural challenge that becomes a design consideration. What do we know about gender and learning with technology, and what questions still need to be asked? Has new research identified new challenges, new understandings; new directions? Has this knowledge affected how we design learning environments? This paper provides a quick review of research since 1990, and contrasting more recent research addressing questions and implications of intersectionality and design such as inclusion of sociocultural factors such as first language, geopolitical context, gender identity, and indigeneity.