Abstract
This commentary reflects on teaching during and after COVID-era remote instruction, when the classroom moved into students’ homes and “presence” became equated with visibility. Drawing from a course-based study conducted with students, I describe how patterned differences in men’s and women’s experiences of online participation illuminated the unequal costs of being seen—costs shaped by privacy, domestic constraints, and the risks of interpretation. I argue that feminist pedagogy requires decoupling engagement from visual exposure and designing participation around those most vulnerable to surveillance and stigma in online spaces. The essay outlines practical shifts—camera-optional norms, modality-equivalent participation, structured breaks, and low-stakes entry ramps—that pursue connection without extraction. Finally, it situates camera expectations in a post-COVID context by noting emerging research on the environmental footprint of sustained video, suggesting that resisting “video-by-default” is not only more equitable for students but also more aligned with collective responsibility and environmental justice.
Recommended Citation
Kelly, Kristy
(2026)
"Presence Without Exposure: Feminist Pedagogy in the Home-as-Classroom,"
Feminist Pedagogy: Vol. 7:
Iss.
3, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/feministpedagogy/vol7/iss3/5
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