Posthuman Action Orientation
Algorithmic Actors and Distributed Agency in Media Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21243/mi-03-25-16Keywords:
posthuman pedagogy, algorithmic agency, distributed agency, media education, Actor-Network Theory, new materialism, action-oriented learning, educational technology, critical media literacyAbstract
This paper develops ‘posthuman action orientation’ as a theoretical framework for understanding media education in an era where algorithmic systems function as active educational agents rather than passive tools. Drawing on posthuman critical theory (Rosi Braidotti), Actor-Network Theory (Bruno Latour), and new materialism (Karen Barad), this investigation demonstrates how algorithmic systems fundamentally transform traditional action-oriented pedagogy. The central finding reveals that educational agency no longer resides solely in human subjects but emerges from complex assemblages of human and non-human actors. Through detailed examination of AI tutoring systems, learning analytics, and algorithmic governance in education, the paper demonstrates how traditional pedagogical frameworks – including John Dewey's experiential learning, Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, and German Reformpädagogik – require fundamental reconceptualization. The proposed posthuman action orientation recognizes educational action as emergent properties of human-machine assemblages, thereby demanding new approaches to pedagogical responsibility, democratic education, and critical media literacy. Practically, the framework offers concrete strategies including assemblage pedagogies, algorithmic co-design, and sympoietic learning while simultaneously addressing ethical implications of distributed agency in educational contexts. The paper concludes that posthuman action orientation provides essential resources for navigating educational futures that neither uncritically embrace nor wholesale reject algorithmic participation, but instead foster productive human-machine collaborations that enhance educational possibilities while maintaining commitments to justice and human flourishing.
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