Improving on Perfect as You Are: The Commensurability of "Learning as Becoming" and "Dependent Origination"

• In Event: Eastern Philosophy and Curriculum Studies: Tao, I-Ching, and Confucian Learning

Abstract

This paper puts an ontological theory of learning, namely learning as becoming, into conversation with the Buddhist ontology of dependent origination. The impetus for this work stems from the authors’ desire to rectify what we do as educators and learning designers with what we believe as Buddhist practitioners and the inherent perfection of all beings. We present our theoretical account of learning and detail its commensurability with the ontological relationality between all things. Using an empirical example of instructional failure, we highlight how our perspective of learning reframes the incident and reinforces our holistic, anti-deficit perspective of students. Such reframing is a reminder that educators bear unique ethical responsibilities to their students in line with this year’s conference theme.

Authors

• Joanna Weidler-Lewis, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Shulong Yan, The Pennsylvania State University - University Park