In this article I endeavour to connect two major achievements of postmodernism which,
at first glance, may appear incompatible: deconstruction in literature and literary
criticism on the one hand and constructivism in educational theory and practice on
the other. Subverting traditional literary values such as authorial integrity and
power, linearity and logic of plot, consistency of character, the distance between
the reader and printed text as well as, above all, the death of the author,
poststructuralism has long been recognized as a rather embattled concept. This is
due to its evasiveness and hence relative inapplicability to literary criticism and
pedagogy. Venturing to overcome this dilemma, the article will investigate the
implications of educational constructivism. The chief aim is to link some of its
concepts with postmodern literature in such a way as to facilitate didactic
methodology in the field of poststructuralist literature. Literary hypertext- the
so-called incarnation of postmodern literary theory - will be used as a
stereotypical example of poststructuralist evasiveness. The article proposes that
literary hypertext has considerable educational potential. Not only does the genre
invite subjectcentred pedagogy, which allows students to learn according to their
own interests and prior knowledge, but, paradoxically, it also defies the
unviability of poststructuralist literature by resurrecting the dead author in
collectiveness. The proposal will be illustrated by a case study report, describing
the implementation of literary hypertext in an undergraduate German creative writing classroom.
Abrams, M.H.
(1993) The Norton Anthology of English Literature,
6th edn.New York and London: Norton
.
2.
America, Mark
(1998) Grammatron; available at
www.grammatron.com (downloaded 30 May 2003).
3.
Barthes, R.
(1974) S/Z, trans.
Richard Miller
.
New York: Hill and Wang
.
4.
Barthes, R.
(1977) ‘The Death of the
Author’, in
Stephen Heath
(ed. and trans.) Image, Music, Text, pp.
142-148.
London: Fontana
.
5.
Beale, A.
,
Carter, R.
,
Harrison, L.
,
Lambley-Steele, A.
and
Ross, P.
(2003) Sein und Schein. Ein Internetroman; available at
http://www.german.leeds.ac.uk/HTproject/admin/titel.htm (downloaded 5
October 2003).
6.
Bihler, K.
,
Osswald, H.
and
Drescher, A.H.
(2001) ‘Die zweite Fahrt’, in
R. Simanowski
(ed.) Literatur.digital. Formen und Wege einer neuen Literatur.
Munich: dtv
(CD-ROM).
7.
Bloom, B.S.
(1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the Classification
of Educational Goals - Handbook I: Cognitive Domain.
New York: McKay
.
8.
Brumfit, C.J.
and
Carter, R.
(1986) Literature and Language Teaching.
Oxford: Oxford University Press
.
9.
Bruner, J.
(1966) Toward a Theory of Instruction.
Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press
.
10.
Brunnauer, R.
(2002) ‘Zwei Tote’, in
Simanowski, R.
(ed.) Literatur. digital Formen und Wege einer neuen Lilteratur.
Munich: dtv
(CD-ROM).
11.
Bühler, K.
(1965) Sprachtheorie: Die Darstellungsform der Sprache.
Jena: G. Fischer
.
12.
Campbell, D.T.
(1974) ‘Evolutionary
Epistemology’, in
P.A. Schilpp
(ed.) The Philosophy of Karl Popper, pp.
413-463.
La Salle, IL: Open Court Publishers
.
13.
Canale, M.
and
Swain, M.
(1980)
‘Theoretical Bases of Communicative Approaches to Second Language
Teaching and Testing’
, Applied Linguistics1:
1-47
.
14.
Dam, L.
(1990) ‘Learner Autonomy in
Practice’, in
I. Gathercole
(ed.) Autonomy in Language Learning, pp.
16-37.
London: CILT
.
15.
de Beaugrande, R.
and
Dressler, W.U.
(1981) Einführung in die Textlinguistik.
Tübingen: Niemeyer
.
16.
Deleuze, G.
and
Guattari, F.
(1987) A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and
Schizophrenia, trans. and foreword by
B. Massumi
.
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minneapolis Press
.
17.
Dell, G.
and
Reich, P.A.
(1981)
‘Stages in Sentence Production: An Analysis of Speech Error Data’
, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior20:
611-629
.
18.
Derrida, J.
(1967) De la grammatologie.
Paris: Editions de Minuit
.
19.
Eagleton, T.
(1983) Literary Theory: An Introduction.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
.
20.
Ehlert, N.
and
Bauer, W.
(2001) ‘Jetzt? Oder der höchste
Augenblick’, in
R. Simanowski
(ed.) Literatur digital. Formen und Wege einer neuen Literatur.
Munich: dtv
(CD-ROM).
21.
Ensslin, A.
(2003) Leeds Literary Hypertext Project; available at
www.german.leeds.ac.uk/HTproject,htm (downloaded 24 September 2003).
22.
Fish, S.
(1980) Is There a Text in This Class? The Authority of
Interpretive Communities.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
.
23.
Foucault, M.
(1984) ‘What is an Author?’,
in
P. Rabinow
(ed.) The Foucault Reader, pp. 102-120.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul
.
24.
Fowles, John
(1969) The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
London: Pan Books
.
25.
Fry, H.
,
Ketteridge, S.
and
Marshall, S.
(1999) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education: Enhancing Academic Practice.
London: Kogan Page
.
26.
Groeben, N.
(1982) Leserpsychologie: Textverständnis -
Textverständlichkeit.
Münster: Aschendorff
.
27.
Groeben, N.
and
Hurrelmann, B.
(2002) Medienkompetenz: Voraussetzungen, Dimensionen, Funktionen.
Weinheim: Juventa
.
28.
Heibach, C.
(1999) ‘Creamus, Ergo Sumus’,
in
B. Suter
and
M. Böhler
(eds) Hyperfiction. Hyperliterarisches Lesebuch: Internet und
Literatur, pp. 101-112.
Frankfurt a.M. and Basle: Stroemfeld
.
29.
Holeton, Richard
(2001) Figurski at Findhorn.
Watertown, MA: Eastgate Systems
.
30.
Hymes, D.
(1972) ‘On Communicative
Competence’, in
J.B. Pride
and
J. Holmes
(eds) Sociolinguistics, pp. 269-293.
Harmondsworth: Penguin
.
31.
Iser, W.
(1978) The Act of Reading: A Theory of Aesthetic Response.
Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University
Press; London and Henley: Routledge
and Kegan Paul
.
32.
Jakobson, R.
(1960) ‘Linguistics and Poetics: Closing
Statement’, in
T. Sebeok
(ed.) Style in Language, pp. 350-377.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
.
33.
Joyce, Michael
(1987) afternoon, a story.
Watertown, MA: Eastgate Systems
.
34.
Kanjilal, Pratik
(1999) The Buddha Smiled; available at
www.nyupress.nyu.edu/hypertext/buddha (downloaded 12 June 2003).
35.
Kassung, C.
and
Witte, M.
(2001) ‘Between Code and Content: Media Competence
in Cultural Studies’; available at
http://webdoc.gwdg.de/edoc/ia/eese/artic21/kuehn2/10_2001.html
(downloaded 9 June 2003).
36.
Landow, G.P.
(1997) Hypertext 2.0: The Convergence of Contemporary
Critical Theory & Technology.
Baltimore, MD and London: Johns Hopkins
University Press
.
37.
Linke, Dorit
,
Trobisch, H.
and
Schröder, T.
(2001) ‘Der Apfel’, in
R. Simanowski
(ed.) Literatur.digital. Formen und Wege einer neuen Literatur.
Munich: dtv
(CD-ROM).
38.
Little, D.
(1995) Learner Autonomy: Definitions, Issues and Problems.
Dublin: Authentik
.
39.
McHale, B.
(1987) Postmodernist Fiction.
London: Routledge
.
40.
Marchioni, G.
(1990) ‘Evaluating Hypermedia-Based
Learning’, in
D.H. Jonassen
and
H. Mandl
(eds) Designing Hypertext/Hypermedia for Learning, pp.
355-373.
Heidelberg: Springer
.
41.
Maskiewicz, Stefan
(2001) Quadrego, in
R. Simanowski
(ed.) Literatur.digital. Formen und Wege einer neuen Literatur.
Munich: dtv
(CD-ROM). Also available at www.leeon.de/showroom/Quadrego
(downloaded 12 June 2003).
42.
Maturana, H.R.
(1980) ‘Man and Society’, in
F. Benseler
,
P.M. Hejl
and
W.K. Köck
(eds) Autopoiesis, Communication, and Society: The Theory of Autopoietic
Systems in the Social Sciences.
Frankfurt and New York: Campus
.
43.
Maturana, H.R.
and
Varela, F.J.
(1980) Autopoiesis and Cognition.
Boston, MA: D. Reidel
.
44.
Moulthrop, Stuart
(1991) Victory Garden.
Watertown, MA: Eastgate Systems
.
45.
Moulthrop, Stuart
(1994) ‘Rhizome and Resistance: Hypertext and
the Dreams of a New Culture’, in
G.P. Landow
(ed.) Hyper/Text/Theory, pp. 299-322.
Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press
.
Okopenko, Andreas
et al. (1990-8) ELEX. Libraries of the Mind (for Apple
Macintosh); available at www.essl.at/bibliogr/elex.html (downloaded 28
July 2003).
48.
Paefgen, E.K.
(1999) Einführung in die Literaturdidaktik.
Stuttgart: Metzler
.
49.
Piaget, J.
(1937) La construction du réel chez l’enfant.
Neuchâtel: Delachaux and Niestlé
.
50.
Popper, K.
(1963) Conjectures and Refutations.
New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul
.
51.
Reinfried, M.
(2000) ‘Can Radical Constructivism Achieve a Viable
Basis for Foreign Language Teaching? A Refutation of the “Wolff-Wendt
Theorem”’ (EESE 8/2000); available at
http://webdoc.gwdg.de/edoc/ia/eese/artic20/marcus/8_2000.html (downloaded
8 July 2003).
52.
Rimmon-Kenan, S.
(1983) Narrative Fiction: Contemporary Poetics.
London and New York: Routledge
.
53.
Ryman, Geoff
(1995) 253; available at www.ryman-novel.com
(downloaded 12 July 2003).
54.
Said, E.W.
(1985) Beginnings: Intention and Method.
New York: Columbia University Press
.
55.
Schmidt, S.J.
(1985) ‘Vom Text zum Literatursystem: Skizze
einer konstruktivistischen (empirischen)
Literaturwissenschaft’, in
H. von Foerster
,
E. von Glasersfeld
,
P.M. Hejl
,
S.J. Schmidt
and
P. Watzlawick
(eds) Einführung in den Konstruktivismus, pp.
147-166.
Munich and Zurich: Piper
.
Stemberger, J.P.
(1985) ‘An Interactive Model of Language
Production’, in
A.W. Ellis
(ed.) Progress in the Psychology of Language (I).
London: Erlbaum
.
58.
van Dijk, T.A.
(1980) Textwissenschaft.
Munich: dtv
.
59.
Varela, F.J.
(1979) Principles of Biological Autonomy.
New York: North Holland
.
60.
vom Scheidt, J.
(2003) Kreatives Schreiben: Texte als Wege zu sich selbst und
zu anderen.
Frankfurt: Fischer
.
61.
von Glasersfeld, E.
(1985) ‘Konstruktion der Wirklichkeit und des
Begriffs der Objektivität’, in
H. von Foerster
,
E. von Glasersfeld
,
P.M. Hejl
,
S.J. Schmidt
and
P.A. Watzlawick
(eds) Einführung in den Konstruktivismus, pp.
9-40.
Munich and Zurich: Piper
.
