Rhizomatic Learning - a great theory, but don't we still need to measure outcomes?

Activity 20 – Rhizomatic learning

Really enjoyed the video, it is captivating.

1. I’m absolutely convinced with Rhizomatic Learning as an approach.

2. Could I imagine implementing Rhizomatic Learning? Yes. I think the bit about differentiating different types of learning is very useful – Simple Learning, Complicated Learning, Complex Learning and Chaotic Learning. Cornier says that Rhizomatic Learning is most appropriate for Complex Learning – sounds right to me. You determine what it is you are trying to learn, and then decide whether Rhizomatic Learning is appropriate. There are a lot of complex areas to apply this to – where the ‘learning outcome’ is nebulous and constantly changing and uncertain – e.g. understanding how people respond to economic policies, understanding what drives ‘value’ in any market (art, shares), understanding how to cope with new diseases like bird flu – wherever knowledge is uncertain, we need to ‘probe, sense and respond’ – and Rhizomatic Learning is a great metaphor for that process.

3. How might Rhizomatic Learning differ from current approaches? Well, it’s a lot more flexible and less prescriptive than a lot of current approaches. Cornier says that in his online course, learners set their own curricula to achieve their own personal learning outcomes – that’s very different from most current approaches, which are based on pre-determined curricula and outcomes.

4. What issues would arise in implementing Rhizomatic learning? I think measuring outcomes is a big issue. Cornier’s response is that we should stop trying to measure outcomes. I think that’s a legitimate but purist response – when learning in realms of uncertainty, we can learn better if we stop obsessing about measurable outcomes. But if we want to maximise learning, don’t we need to recognize that a lot of people don’t learn for the sake of learning, they learn to earn an accreditation that will enable them to access new jobs or new salaries? I support learning for the sake of learning, but I recognise that a lot of energy and motivation comes from learning for the sake of accessing better opportunities for material reward. I don’t think that makes the learning any less valuable and I think we need to capture those energies and motivations. So I think we should always be trying accommodate learners who are motivated by the need to have a measurable outcome. I’m not arguing that learning needs to be exclusively about measurable outcomes, I’m arguing that we need to cater for all motivations – the desire to learn for the sake of learning can run in parallel to the desire to learn for measurable outcomes.