Let’s talk about webcams, and a pedagogy of kindness

With the move to online and blended learning, there has been much focus amongst educators on webcam use in online classes. Mandatory webcam policies and privileging use of webcams as the preferred form of engagement disregard the COVID-19 context – in which students have had limited choice about learning in blended or online modes – and significantly undermine trust. This piece argues for the adoption of a pedagogy of kindness, through teaching and learning practices that are sensitive to the material experience of diverse groups of students, and considers some of the complex reasons why insisting on webcam use may exacerbate inequalities.