Semiotic Theory of Learning asks what learning is and what brings it about, challenging the hegemony of psychological and sociological constructions of learning in order to develop a burgeoning literature in semiotics as an educational foundation. Drawing on theoretical research and its application in empirical studies, the book attempts to avoid the problematization of the distinction between theory and practice in semiotics. It covers topics such as signs, significance and semiosis; the ontology of learning; the limits of learning; ecosemiotics; ecology and sexuality.
The book is written by five of the key figures in the semiotics field, each committed to the belief that living is a process of interaction through acts of signification with a signifying environment. While the authors are agreed on the value of semiotic frameworks, the book aims not to present an entirely coherent line in every respect, but rather to reflect ongoing scholarship and debates in the area. In light of this, the book offers a range of possible interpretations of major semiotic theorists, unsettling assumptions while offering a fresh, and still developing, series of perspectives on learning from academics grounded in semiotics.
Semiotic Theory of Learning
is a timely and valuable text that will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduates working in the fields of educational studies, semiotics, psychology, philosophy, applied linguistics and media studies.
Arvustused
"An increasingly important and complex concept in society, "learning" is raising new questions and challenges within research. As partial as I may be, here, I feel that semiotics is properly equipped to crack at least a few answers which, alone, is a good reason to engage into the reading of this monograph. But there is more. The five authors reflect the current landscape of edusemiotics in diverse yet complementary ways, producing a "pentagon" of approaches that is convincing in terms of competence, originality and argumentation. An excellent piece of work!"
Prof. Dr. Dario Martinelli, Director of the International Semiotics Institute.
"[ In this review] we do hope to convey at least a sense of the multiform, complex, and insightful nature of this multivoiced editorial enterprise. Each of the five authors investigates different aspects of learning and education, at times even differing in their interpretation of major semiotic perspectives, but complementing each other and reflecting the live nature of current debate in this domain, united in their common quest for a semiotic grounding of learning and education, without hesitating to challenge traditional approaches from other disciplines such as psychology and sociology, when deemed necessary."
Susan Petrilli, 'Learning and education in the global sign network', Semiotica 2020; 234: 317-420.
Introduction
Andrew Stables, Winfried Nöth, Alin Olteanu, Sebastien Pesce and Eetu
Pikkarainen
Section 1: Andrew Stables
The Limits of Learning
Andrew Stables
The Semiotic Encounter
Andrew Stables
Semiosis, Education and Society: Affecting Encounters
Andrew Stables
Section 2: Winfried Nöth
Education in the Domain of Thirdness
Winfried Nöth
Education in the Domain of Secondness
Winfried Nöth
Education in the Domain of Firstness
Winfried Nöth
Section 3: Alin Olteanu
Ecosemiotics as a Theory of Learning
Alin Olteanu
Ecology, Love and Learning
Alin Olteanu
Sexuality as a Case of Ecological Learning
Alin Olteanu
Section 4: Sebastien Pesce
From Comprehensive Research to Semiotic Approaches to Education: A Subjective
Genealogy of Educational Semiotics
Sebastien Pesce
Signs, Significance and Semioses in the classroom: Multimodality,
Narrativity, Dialogism and Rhetoric as Cornerstones of a Fully Semiotic
Perspective on Teaching and Learning
Sebastien Pesce
Training Semiotically Wise Teachers: Rhetoric of Inquiry, Epistemology of
Action and Habit Change
Sebastien Pesce
Section 5: Eetu Pikkarainen
Learning and Semiotic Theory
Eetu Pikkarainen
Ontology of Learning (and Semiotics)
Eetu Pikkarainen
Human Learning: Education and Bildung
Eetu Pikkarainen
Andrew Stables is Professor Emeritus in Education and Philosophy at Roehampton University, London and a Senior Researcher at the International Semiotics Institute, Kaunas Technological University, Lithuania.
Winfried Nöth
is currently based at the University of Kassel in Germany. Alin Olteanu
is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. Eetu Pikkarainen
is currently a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Open University of University of Oulu, Finland. Sébastien Pesce
is Assistant Professor of Educational Studies at the University of Tours, France.
