'Men, Boys and Masculinities' off to a flying start
Today at 12.00 UTC GRÓ GEST’s newest installment in its online course series in international gender studies launches on edX®. The course Men, Boys and Masculinities begins from the acknowledgment that an understanding of masculinity and the engagement of men and boys in gender issues is a key component to achieving global gender equality.
The course is taught by internationally acclaimed experts Jeff Hearn, Ann Phoenix, Kopano Ratele and Tamara Shefer. The course begins by introducing learners to the core theories of masculinity studies, followed by an examination of the roles and dynamics of men and boys in fields of education, media, innovation, science, and international politics.
On its first day, 355 people from 82 different countries are enrolled in the course, which will run until 8 April 2024 when learners can opt to take a final exam to receive a certificate of completion from edX and the University of Iceland. At the time of writing, 63% of learners are from low- and middle-income countries or conflict and post-conflict societies, which is GRÓ GEST’s demographic target group. At the moment countries like Kenya, Uganda, Congo, India and St Lucia represent the biggest learner groups in this category.
Course screenshots with examples of the learning flow.
The course is a synergy of professionally edited video material in harmonious interplay with short texts, open discussion fora, exercises, peer assessments, and other tools aimed at creating a natural learning flow. As such, GRÓ GEST’s online course series offers an engaging and interactive learning experience designed to strengthen the capacities of development practitioners and advocates in a way that allows them to better understand and integrate critical gender issues in their work. Anyone can sign up and take the courses, but they function as excellent starting points for those setting out on a career in international development or those who want to gain an edge in their development work.
Throughout its first run (26 February to 8 April), GRÓ GEST will post video teasers from each course module via social media.
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