What is Icebreaker Discussion

Digital gender inequality is well alive in online classrooms in U.S. higher education. The present study aimed to investigate this persistent issue and proposed a feminist pedagogy-inspired, student-led online discussion activity as a means to mitigate digital gender inequality. Specifically, the purpose of this chapter is threefold: (1) to expose and unravel the issue of digital gender disparity and inequality with a particular focus on its relevance to the online discussions, (2) to contextualize the feminist pedagogy within the postmodern technoculture and analyze its potential to sustain gender-equitable and empowered online education, and (3) to exemplify the feminist pedagogy through a student-led discussion activity implemented in an online undergraduate art history course. Reflecting on qualitative and learning survey data, this chapter is concluded with a diagnosis of the students' perceptions of the positive, challenging, and transformative aspects of the student-led discussion.