Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 8 | Page 12

12 | JADE
ARTICLE #1 | 13
PHILIP DEVINE
Below is a micro sample of #edcmooc participants’ ‘tweet’ comments
that objectify the hypothetical internal cognitive symbol of the
educator, as evidence of idealised experience:
“Watching
live
Hangout
with
profs
in
#EDCMOOC”
“The #edcmooc is really fantastic. Terrific to hear all the
profs, read the live-tweeting, see the highlighted content.
http://t.co/NSpu5vf2!” “RT @adarel: The #edcmooc is really
fantastic. Terrific to hear all the profs, read the live-tweeting,
see the highlighted content. http: ...” “@cibliste me too
- hearing from ‘the #edcmooc profs’ in real time really helps
me lots :)” “Hearing from the profs is a great way to wrap
up week 1! Loving it. #edcmooc” “Appreciate all 5 of profs in
#EDCMOOC doing Hangout ... Interesting example of ““teaching
presence”” w 40K students” “Agree! RT @bwatwood: Appreciate
all 5 of profs in #EDCMOOC doing Hangout ... Interesting
example of ““teaching presence”” w 40K students” “RT
@flittleton: Agree! RT @bwatwood: Appreciate all 5 of
profs in #EDCMOOC doing Hangout ... Interesting example
of ““teaching presence””
...” “RT @christinepwr2: RT
@bwatwood: Appreciate all 5 of profs in #EDCMOOC doing
Hangout ... Interesting example of ““teaching presence”” w 40 ...”
(B) “I think this #edcmooc hangout really conveys the personality
of the profs & makes the course more fun & engaging
than ppt-style teaching” “#edcmooc Thankyou Sian, Christine,
Jeremy, Hamish, Jen! Now I truly feel I have shared a class with
thousands listening eagerly to our profs” (A) “#edcmooc Thank you
so much profs very well done! It enhances motivation! motivation”
(#edcmooc Twitter comment sample, 01.02.13, time period 17:00 to 18:00)
The twitter comments above represent an objectification of
information in human experience (hypothetical idealised human
experience) in learning culture. The culture and cultivation of
#edcmooc participants is gained through experience of the agency
of external forms (objects) as defined by Simmel (1910-11). I have
highlighted in bold specific words in comments, that represent, in
my opinion, subjective ‘experience’ which I would suggest hint at
‘idealised experience’ and the possible presence of a Mythology; an
individual’s attempt at “control strategies” to “define boundaries”
that are not based on the “integrity of natural objects” (Haraway,
2007, p 44). For instance the word ‘profs’ (as an example) gains
traction throughout the twitter conversation, yet I understand
that no Professors were present during the time period identified...
possibly reflecting Berger’s point of view, that “we live within a
spectacle of empty clothes and unworn masks” and thus defining
a possible “virtual mythology”. Does the word ‘Profs’ denote an
INTERCONNECTED MOTIONS:
AGENCY OF INFORMATION IN CULTURE & LEARNING (VIRTUAL MYTHOLOGY)
elevation of the objectification of information, through heightened
sense perceptions in the massification of education, indicating “that
reality is never present to us as such; rather, our sense perceptions
are self-organising processes that construct the world we know
from the unmediated flux, unknowable in itself” (Hayles 2001, p.
145)? If so, this gives credibility to the notion that the objectification
of information within the digital domain is being raised to the
status of icon, with relation to iconography; iconography being the
interpretation of image (or object). If I accept this argument I can
begin to understand a notion of ‘idealised experience’ located in an
objectification of information within the digital domain as ‘agency’,
as suggested by tweet comment (A) “#edcmooc Thank you so
much profs very well done! It enhances motivation! motivation”, and
Tweet comment (B) “I think this #edcmooc hangout really conveys
the personality of the profs & makes the course more fun & engaging
than ppt-style teaching”.
This interesting (possibly challenging) interpretation of the agency
of information in culture and learning, especially with relation to
icon and iconography, may I believe, help to uncover the potential
of digital education and enhance student learning experience.
Iconic experience is guided by metaphor, with Lakoff and Johnson
(1980) arguing that “speech, thoughts and actions are based upon
metaphors” and that “we only understand reality through metaphor”
(cited in Johnson, 2009). Hayles (2001, p. 144) supports this, stating
that “Metaphor performs essential functions in orienting and guiding
thought; it connects abstraction and embodiment”. This connects
ideas and objects, making notion concrete. If heightened sense
perception is located in idealised experience in the digital domain,
resulting in more motivated, and inspired students, the notion of
‘virtual mythology’ may be able to be designed into the learning
experience. I can then ask the question, how would a ‘virtual
mythology’ become apparent in digital education? My discussion
to this point, has in part, set out a theoretical argument to support
a pedagogy for virtual mythology, helped by the identification of
idealised experience in digital phenomena (#edcmooc), thus leaving
my argument, to now describe a practical interpretation of pedagogy
in virtual mythology for digital education.
Note: It is beyond the practical remit of this paper to fully document
and describe pedagogy in Virtual Mythology, but it is possible for
this paper to begin to sketch out and propose a direction of travel.
What is key to pedagogy in virtual mythology? I would suggest that
what is key is an “idealised experience to establish in behavioural
models” in pedagogy, enhanced by what Urry and Sheller define
as “sorting systems” a creativity that is found in the re-ordering