Abstract
The purpose of this Banded Dissertation is to ground online MSW education in a theoretical perspective, which best represents student demographics as well as illuminate student success factors. This three-part Dissertation is grounded in critical feminist pedagogy as a basis for online social work education delivery. Product one of this three-part Dissertation is the application of a critical feminist lens to the development of an educational framework to deliver a curriculum that centers on the unique needs of nontraditional learners that overwhelmingly represent women and their varying intersecting identities. Product two of this Banded Dissertation examines success factors on an online MSW program through case study research. The final product is a presentation regarding the implementation of a critical feminist framework. Together, this three-part Banded Dissertation makes a compelling case for the importance of a theoretical basis for online MSW programs as well as factors that make these programs successful. Implications for social work education are discussed as well as the need for research to strengthen the knowledge base surrounding online programs.