Philosophical Aspects of Virtual Learning

Author(s):

Tobias Hölterhof

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

13. Philosophy of Education - Standard submissions

Format:

Paper

Session Information

13 SES 06B, Philosophy of Learning.

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-11

10:30-12:00

Room:

B3 336

Chair:

Leena Maria Kakkori

Contribution

The Internet is “virtual”. Communities which communicate via the Internet are called “virtual communities” and learning via the Internet is called “virtual learning”. Several concepts of virtuality have been developed in the history of philosophy but it seems as if they don't suit the usage of “virtual” in modern educational contexts. The word “virtual” raises to a conglomeration of inconsistent ontological and epistemological ideas. It is used to describe learning scenarios and within these descriptions it crosses different established usages of the word. One often supposes that it is clear what the word means but an analysis of the common language shows the obscurity. Talking about “virtual learning”, as Theo Hug notices, we can proceed much more differentiated. Based on this critical approach what can it stand for to learn “virtually”? The word “virtual” has got a philosophical background. It is often traced back to the Aristotelian “potentia” but due to its Latin origin it is not mentioned in ancient and Greek philosophy. It has been translated from Greek to Latin for example by Thomas Aquinas who was influenced by Aristotle and used it as a synonym to “potential”. The Thomistic concept of “virtual”, as Pierre Lévy claims, is well transferable to the modern usage but implicates that the opposite of “virtual” is not “real” like often assumed. Something “virtual” is “real” as well but not “actual”. In a Thomistic understanding, as Edith Stein describes, it is also enclosed into an ontological continuity of becoming “actual”; but a “virtual classroom” for example is something terminated. Another interesting philosopher using the term “virtual” is Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. He does not only use “virtual” in an ontological context as referring to a different order, i.e. an order behind the language, but also in an epistemological context. In his dispute with John Locke he claims the existence of “virtual knowledge” and mentions Locke as a philosopher who denies the existence of something virtual in his thesis of mind as a “blank slate”. Especially the term “virtual knowledge” shows an appliance of “virtual” in a contrary sense than some modern authors. The above mentioned philosophical concepts of “virtual” are examples and not an entire draft of the philosophical development of that term. They have been selected exemplary to demonstrate philosophical concepts of “virtual” that can be used to analyze the practice of that word in educational contexts and to show that “virtual” has been used prior to the Internet.

Method

My work discusses the usage of the word “virtual” based on an analysis of the common language in educational literature from a philosophical point of view. Therefore it is firstly necessary to demonstrate philosophical understandings of the term. The sources used here are the above mentioned philosophers. Furthermore the analysis is guided by different established usages of the term “virtual” as Wolfgang Welsch observed them. It identifies philosophical aspects in the meaning of that term in a particular occurrence and draws out its implications for “virtual learning”.

Expected Outcomes

The results of this investigation consists in two points. At first inconsistencies in the usage of “virtual” are exposed resulting in suggestions on how to speak about “virtual learning”. At second it identifies primary elements about the conjunction of “learning” and “virtual” that tries to understand “virtual” in a more comprehensive way than as a synonym for the Internet.

References

Adams, Robert M. «Predication, Truth and Transworld Identity in Leibniz.» How Things Are: Studies in Predication and the Histoy of Philosophy and Science. Hrsg. von Bogen, James; McGuire, James E. Dordrecht: Reidel (1985). Hug, Theo; Hipfl, Brigitte. «Medien-Gemeinschaften: Aktuelle Diskurse und konzeptionelle Analysen.» Medienpädagogik (2006): http://www.medienpaed.com/2006/hug_hipfl0604.pdf (07.01.2007). Kaltenborn, Olaf. «Der große Karneval: Im Cyberspace ist das ganze Jahr Fasching.» Journal Phänomenologie 15 (2001). 10-14. Kerres, Michael; de Witt, Claudia. «Quo vadis Mediendidaktik? Zur theoretischen Fundierung von Mediendidaktik.» MedienPädagogik (2002): http://www.medienpaed.com/2006/hug_hipfl0604.pdf (07.01.2008). Knebel, S. K.. «Virtuell.» Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie. Hrsg. von Ritter, Joachim. Darmstadt: Wiss. Buchges., 2001. 1062-1066. Leibniz, Gottfried W.. Die philosophischen Schriften von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Hrsg. von Gerhardt, C. I. Hildesheim: Olms, 1960. Leibniz, Gottfried W.. Philosophische Schriften. Hrsg. von Engelhardt, Wolf; Holz, Hans H. Darmstadt: Wiss. Buchgesellschaft, 1961. Lévy, Pierre. Qu'est-ce que le virtuel?. Paris: La Découverte, 1998. Locke, John. Versuch über den menschlichen Verstand. Hamburg: Meiner, 1981. Mader, Günter; Stöckl, Walter. Virtuelles Lernen: Begriffsbestimmung und aktuelle empirische Befunde. Innsbruck: Studien-Verlag, 1999. Münker, Stefan. «Was heißt eigentlich: „Virtuelle Realität“? Ein philosophischer Kommentar zum neuesten Versuch der Verdopplung der Welt.» Mythos Internet. Hrsg. von Münker, Stefan; Roesler, Alexander. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1997. 108-127. Reid, Elizabeth. «The Self and the Internet: Variations on the Illusion of One Self.» Psychology and the Internet - Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and Transpersonal Implications. Hrsg. von Gackenbach, Jayne. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998. 29-42. Schindler, Wolfgang. «Virtuelle Wirklichkeit. Abschied vom Wunsch nach Objektivität.» Bildung in virtuellen Welten. Hrsg. von Schindler, Wolfgang; Bader, Roland; Eckmann, Bernhard. Frankfurt am Main: Gep Buch, 2001. 318-326. Schulmeister, Rolf. Lernplattformen für das virtuelle Lernen: Evaluation und Didaktik. München: Oldenbourg, 2003. Schütz, Ludwig. Thomas-Lexikon. Stuttgart: Frommann-Holzboog , 1958. Stein, Edith. Potenz und Akt: Studie einer Philosophie des Seins. Freiburg: Herder, 2005. Thomas von Aquin. Die deutsche Thomas-Ausgabe: Summa Theologica.. Hrsg. von Christmann, Heinrich M. Salzburg: Pustet, 1951. Turkle, Sherry. Leben im Netz. Reinbek: Rowolt Taschenbuch Verlag, 1999. Welsch, Wolfgang. «Virtual to Begin with?.» Subjektivität und Öffentlichkeit: Kulturwissenschaftliche Grundlagenprobleme virtueller Welten. Hrsg. von Sandbothe, Mike; Marotzki, Winfried. Köln: Harlem, 2000. 25-60.

Author Information

Tobias Hölterhof

University of Duisburg-Essen

Department of Educational Sciences

Duisburg

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