Interplay of Humanisation and Critical Digital Pedagogy in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter examines humanization in education as a transformative strategy that reinstates critical consciousness,agency, inclusivity, and dignity in digital higher-education settings. Humanization is presented as an ongoing process of awareness, reflection, discourse, and practice. It is based on Paulo Freire's emancipatory philosophy and informed by Gloria Ladson-billings' culturally appropriate teaching. The chapter makes the case that education is fundamentally political and influenced by culture, power, and ideology, especially in digital settings where algorithmic prejudice, surveillance, and digital capitalism are prevalent. The study highlights a research vacuum in creating scalable, evidence-based, and useful frameworks that link social justice, ecological responsibility, and emerging technologies like generative AI to critical digital pedagogy. Although current research emphasizes care and resistance in digital instruction, it often lacks transferable models and quantifiable results across diverse international contexts. The chapter presents black twitter as a digital counter-public that platforms, by elevating underrepresented perspectives, questioning prevailing narratives, and encouraging dialogical engagement, embodies humanizing pedagogy. Critical media literacy, democratic agency, and global awareness can all be advanced by including such venues in online schooling.