The Learning Table

Abstract of Presentation / Poster

The Learning Table: Rhizomes, Methods, and Collaboration in Education 

As a UWC Atlantic College alumna, founder of Paleophenomenology and Deleuzian aficionado, I have observed the transformative potential of interdisciplinary dialogue in education. Inspired by the words of Kurt Hahn and L.B. Pearson [How can there be peace without people understanding each other; and how can this be if they don’t know each other?], I propose a structured framework for recurring, multidisciplinary sessions where students and academics bring their own methodologies, tools, and theories to work collaboratively on shared problems. The focus is not on show-and-tell, but on genuine horizontal and rhizomatic knowledge exchange: exploring a literary text through mathematical reasoning, approaching an archaeological problem through phenomenological analysis, or an engineering conundrum through the lens of Jungian analysis. 

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Just as knowledge in Palaeolithic communities was shared collaboratively for survival and innovation, this framework seeks to cultivate co-created understanding across disciplines today. This approach wants to foster humility, lateral and critical thinking, creativity, and mutual respect, breaking academic hierarchical barriers and cultivating rhizomatic networks of learning. By integrating disciplines in this way, education can develop analytical thinkers who are adaptable, collaborative, and capable of addressing complex global challenges and to find solutions in inventive and resourceful way.  

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My recommendation to educational authorities, local councils, and relevant academic institutions is to implement pilot programs of recurring, cross-disciplinary seminars and workshops, structured around active contribution and peer learning. These programs should include measurable outcomes for participants’ collaborative problem-solving, reflective practice, and innovation skills.  

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This initiative directly aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and with its measurable targets, specifically 4.4, 4.5, 4.7 and 4.C. By embedding collaborative, methodology-driven exchanges into curricula, we can create educational environments where knowledge is co-produced, students are empowered to engage across disciplines, and learning becomes a dynamic, participatory process.