Rhizomatic learning is a variety of pedagogical practices informed by the work of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. It takes its name from the rhizome—an underground stem in which various plants asexually reproduce via budding.
In contrast to goal-directed and hierarchical theories of learning, rhizomatic learning posits that learning is most effective when it allows participants to react to evolving circumstances, preserving lines of flight that allow a fluid and continually evolving redefinition of the task at hand. In such a structure, the community becomes the curriculum, subverting traditional notions of instructional design where objectives pre-exist student involvement.
Core Principles
Non-Linear Connections
Unlike traditional education that follows predetermined pathways, rhizomatic learning embraces multiple entry points and connections. Knowledge doesn’t flow from teacher to student in a hierarchical manner, but emerges from the network of interactions between all participants.
Multiplicity and Diversity
Rhizomatic learning celebrates multiple perspectives and ways of knowing. There’s no single “correct” interpretation or approach—diversity of thought and experience strengthens the learning network.
Autopoietic Renewal
Learning systems continuously regenerate themselves through interaction and growth, much like a rhizome extends and renews at its growing tips. Each learning experience creates a new map of knowledge rather than copying existing structures.
From Deleuze, Education, and Becoming.
“The underground sprout of a rhizome does not have a traditional root. There is a stem there, the oldest part of which dies off while simultaneously rejuvenating itself at the tip. The rhizome’s renewal of itself proceeds autopoietically: the new relations generated via rhizomatic connections are not copies, but each and every time a new map, a cartography. A rhizome does not consist of units, but of dimensions and directions.” — Inna Semetsky
Connection to Digital Gardening
Rhizomatic learning principles align closely with Digital Garden practices. Both embrace:
- Non-linear exploration: Ideas connect in unexpected ways rather than following predetermined structures
- Emergent organization: Categories and connections develop organically rather than being imposed from the start
- Community cultivation: Knowledge grows through sharing and interaction with others
- Continuous evolution: Understanding deepens and changes over time through ongoing engagement
The practice of maintaining Atomic Notes reflects rhizomatic thinking—each note can connect to any other, creating new pathways and relationships as your understanding develops. Like a rhizome, your digital garden grows through multiple entry points and connections rather than following a single hierarchical structure.
Modern Relevance
In an era of rapid change and information abundance, rhizomatic learning offers valuable approaches for lifelong learning, complex problem solving, and navigating networked information environments. The principles become increasingly relevant as traditional hierarchical structures prove inadequate for addressing complex, interconnected challenges in our rapidly changing world.
The community as curriculum approach and emergent learning objectives provide frameworks for more adaptive and responsive educational experiences.