An examination of the 6 principles that govern rhizomes and how it can be applied to learning. All images were made by Mary Ann Reilly.

2. Standardized Learning
 In the past:
 “Learning is treated as a series of steps to be
mastered, as if students were being taught how to
operate a machine or even in some cases, as if the
students themselves were machines being programmed
to accomplish certain tasks. The ultimate endpoint of a
mechanstic perspective is efficiency: the goal is to learn
as much as you can as fast as you can.”
 Expert-centered curriculum.

3. Mechanistic vs. Rhizomatic
Learning
 Knowledge is defined by  Knowledge is composed.
expert and limited to lists.
 Focuses on learning
 Focuses on teaching through engagement
learner about the world. within the world.
 Students must prove that  In rhizomatic learning the
they have received the point is to embrace what
information transferred to we don’t know. Come up
them. with better questions
about it, and continue to
ask those questions in
order to learn more.

4. Principles of Rhizomatic
Learning
1. Connection 4. . Asignifying Rupture
2. Heterogeneity  ”A rhizome may be broken, shattered at a given spot,
but it will start up again on one of its old lines, or on
new lines” (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987, p. 9).
 ”[A]ny point of a rhizome can be connected to
anything other, and must be. This is very different
from the tree or the root, which plots a point, fixes an
order” (p. 7).
5. Cartography (maps) a map produces an organization
of reality rather than reproducing some prior
representation of reality
3. Multiplicity
 There are no points or positions in a rhizome, such as
those found in a structure, tree, or root. There are 6. Decalcomania (tracing)
only lines” (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987, p. 8),
”A rhizome is not amenable to any structural or
generative model. It is a stranger to any idea of
genetic axis or deep structure” (Deleuze&Guattari,
1987, p. 12).

5. A rhizomatic system is comprised of a
multiplicity of lines and connections.

6. Connection & Heterogeneity: “Any point in a
rhizome can be connected to anything
other, and must be.” ( D & G, p. 7)

7. Multiplicity: “There are no points or
positions in a rhizome.” ( D & G, p.8)

8. Asignifying Rupture: “A rhizome may be broken, shattered at a
given spot, but it will start up again on one of its old lines, or on
new lines.” ( D & G, p.9).

9. Cartography & Decalcomania: “…rhizome is not amenable to
any structural or generative model. It is a stranger to any idea
of genetic axis or deep structure” (D & G, p. 12)

10. Rhizome
is made
up of
lines.
3 types
of lines:
Rigid, Su
pple, and
Line of
Flight.