Exploring Equity and Power in Online Learning Environments

Virginia Byrne, an assistant professor of higher education at Morgan State University, a University of Illinois alumna and former University YMCA student board president, presented research on cyberbullying and online harassment among college students and how victimization produces a "chilling effect" that lowers social presence in online classrooms. She offered practical strategies for faculty: fostering an equitable climate, trauma-informed teaching, ground rules, syllabus language and mid-semester feedback. A Q&A followed. Spring 2021 series on technology's role in shaping society, held on Zoom. About 28 attended on Zoom.