ABSTRACT
As the concept of rhizomatic learning is gradually getting traction, it is perhaps time to undertake a critical and systematic appraisal. In this work I explore the concept of rhizome and its potential usefulness as a metaphor for learning in the 21st century. In particular, cultural-historical theory and its contemporary offspring (such as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Situated Cognition, Distributed Cognition) are used as a general backdrop against which I examine the potential of rhizomatic learning. I introduce the core concepts of rhizomatic thinking, identify similarities and differences between rhizomatic learning and cultural-historical theory, review applications of rhizomatic thinking in education, and outline what I perceive to be the pros and cons of Rhizomatic Learning.
