Doing Sociology In a Digital Era: Pedagogies, Public Engagement, and Possibilities

This session aims to trace the challenges and possibilities of digital resources for pedagogical innovation in global Sociology. The purpose of this session is twofold. (I) examine what the challenges to digital education are when education is increasingly witnessing privatisation (II) examine how digital resources offer an alternative for pedagogical purposes. Educators have been compelled to rethink and reorient their pedagogies in post-truth times. Digital tools like blogging and podcasting have emerged as pedagogical tools to create alternative spaces, within and beyond the classroom, to enhance knowledge production and access. As educators ourselves, we have actively used these digital tools both inside and outside the classroom to disseminate knowledge since the pandemic. We have included innovative ways to dialogue with scholars across the globe, some located in spaces of privilege and others of marginality. The session will bring together scholars from around the world to discuss a future that moves beyond distinctions between “online” and “offline” and deepens our understanding of the relationship between technology and people. The session will bring together scholars from around the world to discuss a future that moves beyond state boundaries, creating a global community and scholarship to understand the nuances of technology and pedagogy.

Objectives:

1. To locate the digital in the fast-changing landscape of higher education.
2. To explore the entanglements of online and offline across societies.
3. To examine the use of digital resources for pedagogical innovation in the practice of sociology.
4. To understand the challenges of teaching Sociology in a digital era.