Learning in the Open, Aesthetic Alignment, and the Pedagogy of Simultaneity

This paper explores a broader concept of open learning than what is generally used, referring to learning that takes place in the open spaces of our natural, lived worlds. Open as defined this way includes the layered realities of our existence, the physical, social, environmental, and technological spaces where we experience phenomena and engage with that phenomena to make meaning. Learning in the open is a sophisticated process of identifying significance in our open landscapes, aligning ourselves to receive or generate meaning from that significance, and to circulate that meaning socially and compositionally.
The view of open learning places pressure on existing pedagogy by emphasizing process over output. It identifies the need to pedagogically address the role of alignment in the learning process. This critical first step in open learning is often missing in existing pedagogies. In this paper, we explore pedagogical approaches that attempt to make this process of alignment visible to the learner through a centering on the distinctly human aspects of trust, discussion, and collage. The pedagogical approach described in this paper is called the Pedagogy of Simultaneity (PoS); PoS acknowledges that there are simultaneous layers of activity and materials that are constantly jostling to generate context for the learner. By emphasizing alignment over output, PoS ensures that learning approaches are always matched to the ephemeral context of the learner.