Bodies online: a narrative inquiry-based critique of online learning

Blakey, Jennifer Helene (2003) Bodies online: a narrative inquiry-based critique of online learning. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Through the use of autobiographical narrative, this thesis argues that the Cartesian mind/body split characterizes the distance-learning environment, where learners and instructors are separated by distance and technology, with the resulting interaction focusing primarily on content, thereby making physical and emotional connections less likely to occur. In such situations, learners who rely on their entire bodies for learning, women in particular, may be disadvantaged. Because knowledge of the body is already devalued by the mind/body binary, online learning environments may serve to preserve traditional power relationships by excluding the body and embodied knowledge. Drawing on autobiographical data from teaching and learning experiences in online contexts, and from participation in online communities, this thesis seeks to increase awareness of the experiences of online learners and to propose suggestions for the creation of more inclusive situations.

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