Emergent Learning is a pedagogical approach where learning objectives and directions arise naturally from the learning process itself, rather than being set beforehand by instructors or institutions. It’s a key principle of Rhizomatic Learning that embraces uncertainty and adaptation as core features of effective learning.
Core Concept
Traditional education typically begins with predetermined learning objectives: students will learn X, demonstrate Y, and achieve Z by the end of the course. Emergent Learning flips this sequence—objectives emerge from the learning process based on what learners discover they need to know and want to explore.
Key Characteristics
Adaptive Goals
Learning objectives shift and evolve based on what learners discover during their exploration. A research project that begins with one question might lead you into unexpected areas—your initial question about sustainable agriculture could branch into soil chemistry, indigenous farming practices, climate policy, and food justice as each connection reveals new dimensions worth exploring.
Process-Driven Learning
The journey of learning shapes the destination. How learners engage with material, what questions they ask, and what connections they make influence where the learning leads. This mirrors how a Digital Garden develops—you don’t predetermine all the links and categories, but let them emerge as your understanding grows.
Responsive to Discovery
New questions and interests redirect the learning path. Rather than seeing tangents as distractions, emergent learning treats them as potentially valuable directions to explore. This requires creating curiosity-driven environments where questions are valued more than answers, and where following interesting tangents is encouraged.
Organic Development
Learning unfolds like a conversation rather than following a script. Each interaction builds on previous ones, creating new possibilities for exploration and understanding. This works best with flexible structures that provide enough framework to support learning without constraining it, and with reflective practice to help learners notice emerging patterns and opportunities.
Connection to Digital Practices
Emergent Learning aligns naturally with how knowledge develops in digital environments. It works hand-in-hand with Community as Curriculum by creating conditions where learning directions arise from community interaction. Like Atomic Notes that connect in unexpected ways, emergent learning creates new pathways of understanding through networked exploration rather than predetermined curriculum.
Practical Application
For educators, this means designing flexible learning systems that can respond to emerging community needs while supporting peer-to-peer exploration. For learners, it requires embracing uncertainty and being more invested in objectives they help create, recognizing that the ability to adapt learning based on new discoveries is often more valuable than achieving predetermined goals.