Vulnerability in Learning

Vulnerability in learning refers to a learner’s acceptance of the sense of dissonance, resistance, and fears associated with the effort to learn, as well as efforts revolving around self-efficacy. The concept of vulnerability within the learning process and the learning environment is relevant to the topic of educational technology. Vulnerability is directly affected by the social presence of the learner within a learning community, with social engagement being a vital component in more fully understanding the knowledge. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky argued that social presence was important for a sense of community and creativity. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein argued that communicating with others was essential for developing understanding.

Social cognitive effort may be described as the impact of the social environment on the way a person understands information and thinks about it. As such, vulnerability in learning may be perceived as a social cognitive effort wherein the self-efficacy associated with a learner’s confidence and conviction directly affects the “stay-with-it-ness” of a learner—the learner’s capabilities and capacity to succeed within particular conditions, circumstances, and states of being. Educator Malcolm Knowles suggested that learners may find the process of learning to be frightening, so a supportive environment and accepting climate are necessary. As well, Knowles emphasizes the importance of learner accountability, which should also be a component of any supportive environment and accepting learning climate. In turn, psychologist Albert Bandura argued that vulnerability within the learning environment supports both self-efficacy and social cognitive effort and includes an individual’s sense of safety and the ability to allow oneself to be vulnerable with the subject matter and with learning colleagues in a creative and inspirational manner.

In exploring the role of vulnerability in education, this entry discusses learning as a process of understanding, considers the role of motivation in learning, and explores learning as a social endeavor in which all members of the learning community contribute to the nature of an individual’s learning experience. Vulnerability directly relates to educational technology in that learners must be open and willing to engage in an educational process that may engage them in thinking about knowledge in new and different ways. As such, vulnerability in learning may be suggested as a learner’s underlying cognitive sense of safety within a community of learners, which supports the ability of learners to think “outside the box” and to accept different and new ways of thinking about knowledge without a fear of negative judgment and criticism. Just as educational technology frames knowledge acquisition and information in new ways, vulnerability in learning emphasizes a respect for the learner’s progressive knowledge acquisition, analytic abilities, and understanding of information in fresh and novel ways. In an environment in which vulnerable learners are not negatively judged and criticized in a way that would deplete their sense of self-efficacy and engagement, they are better able to engage creatively in the educational process.