Innovation report touts rhizomatic learning

Last summer the Open University released a report titled, Innovating Pedagogy, a series of concise two-page looks at ten current trends and technologies expected to have a profound influence on education:

1. New pedagogy for e-books
2. Publisher-led short courses
3. Assessment for learning
4. Badges to accredit learning
5. MOOCs
6. Rebirth of academic publishing
7. Seamless learning
8. Learning analytics
9. Personal inquiry learning
10. Rhizomatic learning

The last item on the list is an interesting notion first promoted by Dave Cormier at the University of Prince Edward Island. A rhizomatic plant sends out roots and shoots, allowing it to propagate through organic growth. Rhizomatic Education is a metaphor for the interconnectedness of ideas, as well as exploration across diverse areas.

This series of reports explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation.

The goal of this document is similar to that of the annual Horizon Report but this piece is not as detailed. It comprises a series of short essays with links to additional resources. The website makes clear that there will be additional reports. I look forward to reading them!