© 2011 Naughton & Roder Conference Presentation © 2011Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia 1 Heidegger’s Reinscription of Paideia in the Context of Online Learning Christopher Naughton & John Roder New Zealand Tertiary College The University of Auckland Abstract One of the questions that Heidegger presents in his paper, ‘Plato’s Doctrine on Truth’ (1998), is the distortion as he sees is it of paideia, that is the loss of the essential elements in education. This is characterised according to Heidegger by a misconception of Plato’s concept of teaching and learning. By undertaking an historical examination Heidegger provides a means to rectify this loss. With reference to the past, present and future philosophical perspectives of teaching and learning as particular spaces within online learning, an attempt is made in this paper to examine Heidegger’s reading of paideia within this context. For many contemporary writers on education the encounter with new literacies, new knowledge and the adoption of an online environment encapsulates practice that challenges the hegemonic order of the institution as the purveyors of knowledge. Teachers within this new environment are however still constituted as experts and their knowledge is seen as ultimately inviolate. Heidegger in his re- interpretation of Plato sees the teacher as leading the students back to their essential being, where they might develop their ability to make intelligible themselves within the space in which they are. This alignment forms an acceptance and a challenge to the metaphysical concepts of uniformity of being and place that limits the potential of knowledge as something that is fixed and complete (Thomson, 2002, p.136). The experience of the social web or Web 2.0 has seen a shift in learning premised upon dialogue, exchange and constantly shifting horizons. Within this context the teacher is recast as a craftsman, creating learning opportunity within dialogic exchange. The heightened sense of involvement that is revealed in this context lays the ground for a future visioning of education where emergence is seen as essential, unlike a re-working of authorization to learn that inhibits student and teacher alike in new attempts at revitalising education. Introduction When student teachers embark on their first degree qualification there is a sense that this will eventuate in teaching and learning practices that can be differentiated from their experience of schooling (Joint Information Systems Committee, 2007). The aspiration may remain just that, for tertiary institutions, under pressure from central government, seek to ensure systems being efficient in retaining students and improving completion rates rather than encourage any change in pedagogy (Guardian, 2011). This is contrary to the trend in online learning where due to increased investment a revitalization of teaching and learning in higher education has emerged. While the arguments surrounding technology, neo-liberalism and education have been well rehearsed (Peters, 2007) the development and refinement of online pedagogy has continued to progress (Anderson, 2008). Such developments as discussion forums, peer to peer learning and communities of practice, appear in course descriptions implying online learning adopting significant changes in educational practice. While this is encouraging, the widespread adoption of these terms has led to a form of branding by association, so that while advances are made in learning in some institutions, others assume change without re- examining the implications for their pedagogical practice. The advent of online learning has had a powerful impact in opening a space designated for discussion, debate, social enhancement and exchange of ideas. It has led to a shift in thinking about what it is to learn and engage with others in the nexus of theory and practice. Through advances in this learning environment, a need to distinguish new work against claims for new work arises. This paper undertakes an analysis of online learning in relation to Heidegger’s writing on Plato, with direct reference to the cave allegory. This is undertaken in an attempt to reveal the potential that may lie in online learning built on foundations that capture student potential as learners and subsequently teachers. Heidegger invites the online educator to re-evaluate how engagement might through practical engagement benefit students to the extent that they can develop their capacity for re-interpreting their ideas in the real world setting. Plato, Heidegger and the Cave Allegory For Heidegger, Plato’s paideia or truth or education that emerged from ‘Pythagorean obscurity’ and ‘Orphic mystery’ (Thomson, 2007, p. 124), had unparalleled influence over western understanding of education. Heidegger believed that many aspects of Plato’s original intention of paideia have been either misinterpreted or forgotten. In his paper ‘Plato’s