What can we learn from COVID-19 as a form of public pedagogy?

Stefan Bengtsson,Katrien Van Poeck

doi:10.3384/rela.2000-7426.3386

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the corona-crisis as a large-scale, unplanned and unintended global experiment of ‘public pedagogy’. An investigation is focused on touching upon emergent questions such as: What does our experience of the crisis brought about by the emergence of this specific virus tell us about our assumptions of learning and of public engagement with an issue as a form of public pedagogy? We bring into play transactional theory of teaching and learning, as well as Jan Masschelein’s notion of pedagogical milieu of study and Timothy Morton’s concept of hyperobject to conceptualize what we can learn from COVID-19 in terms of teaching and learning.

Highlights

With the diffusion of COVID-19, we are facing a problem that suddenly and severely disturbs our customary ways of behaving
What can we learn from the last couple of months for a future which we see as increasingly uncertain? What can we learn from COVID-19 as a form of public pedagogy?
We engage with the question: What does our experience of the crisis brought about by the emergence of this specific virus tell us about our assumptions of learning and of public engagement with an issue as a form of public pedagogy?

Summary

Introduction

With the diffusion of COVID-19, we are facing a problem that suddenly and severely disturbs our customary ways of behaving. It calls into question many of our individual habits, but it creates an impasse for a wide range of collective customs. As our changing environment increasingly emerges as a crisis that disturbs our habits, we are faced with the challenge of finding new ways of inhabiting the world. In such situations, ‘learning’ is often seen as a vital means to find a way out of the crisis. What can we learn from the last couple of months for a future which we see as increasingly uncertain? What can we learn from COVID-19 as a form of public pedagogy?

Objectives

Conclusion