Task-based Autoethnographic Pedagogical Approach: a phenomenological inquiry into online learning of Critical Food Studies courses

Abstract

The disengaging experiences reported in the online mode of learning have resulted in considerable deliberations highlighting the need for pedagogical innovations. Therefore, it is crucial to rethink these ideas and develop pedagogical approaches that accommodate a dynamic understanding of learning spaces and meet the demands of the teaching–learning environment of the contemporary period. This study discusses the various steps through which the task-based autoethnographic pedagogical approach (TAPA) was implemented in an undergraduate-level Critical Food Studies course and proposes it as an effective approach to administering certain courses by enabling active learning in the online mode. The study captures learners’ perceptions of meaningful online learning experiences by using an interpretative phenomenological approach, mapping the aspects that contribute to a sense of rekindled interest and involvement in the course. Some of the dominant patterns that emerge from this phenomenological study are (1) appreciation towards praxis-based online learning, (2) recognition of lived space as a ripe site for inquiry and learning, (3) a heightened sense of engagement with lived contexts, and identity discourses, (4) learners’ negotiations with TAPA, and (5) learner as an active agent and curator of knowledge. Thus, while situating TAPA as an effective pedagogical approach for online learning and Critical Food Studies curriculum, it is also posited as an approach that initiates negotiation with the epistemic hierarchies within academia.