Philosophy, Constructivism And Asynchronous E-Learning: Part II

While we are indeed individuals, we exist as part of a society and, thus, other people, it could be argued, are integral to our own “journeys” and sense of self.

  Philosophy of Self and Other

Philosopher Paul Ricoeur, ‘consistently asserts the relational and dialogical nature of human existence, he rejects the fantasy of individual self-sufficiency in an acknowledgement of the realities of human interdependence’ (O’Dwyer, 2009). For Ricoeur, this dialectic between self and the other is fundamental to individual identity (thus, one is not more important than the other). In fact, in the introduction to his book, Oneself as Another, Ricoeur (1994) states that otherness ‘is not (or not merely) the result of comparison...[but] can be constitutive of selfhood’. Thus, he presents a critique of the common construction of a dichotomous relationship between self and other, which can be seen in, for example, Hegel’s master-slave dialectic or Levinas’ assertion that self can ‘can only exist in a meaningful way when it “answers” to the call of the other’ (O’Dwyer, 2009).  Contrary to these polarised perspectives that require comparison and difference to be realised, Ricoeur (1994), believes that ‘selfhood of oneself implies otherness to such an intimate degree that one cannot be thought of without the other’ (emphasis mine).

Creating the social constructivist learning environment

If we are to accept Ricoeur’s conception of selfhood (which, indeed, we may not!), then we can begin to see why it is that not only is engagement with the other a vital aspect of the learning experience, but more importantly, willing encounter with the other. Thus, there is a “moral” aspect to the way in which we construct learning environments that can impact on the way our students conceive of themselves as individuals and/or as part of a community. Asynchronous e-learning provides greater opportunities for individualistic approaches to, and experiences of, learning. Yet, at this point, I need to make clear that I would not argue that asynchronous e-learning is individualistic in essence. I would merely put forward the view that there is not the constructivist philosophy built into its “DNA” as there may well be in the case of synchronous e-learning.  But the point is, then, that educators need to take greater care to consider this when setting guidelines in asynchronous e-learning to ensure a positive, constructivist environment.