New Perspectives in Science Education

Educational theory has always assumed a stable definition of the learner. The educational frameworks which determine teaching methods and student learning processes were developed to support human brain functions which scientists have studied through developmental psychology and cognitive science during the last hundred years. The base which supports this belief now displays indications that it is breaking down. The upcoming technologies of Generative AI, brain-computer interfaces, cognitive augmentation and synthetic biology, will create learning environments which use entities that operate through mental processes that differ from human brain functions. The study presents Xenopedagogy as an educational framework which teaches students who have not developed their cognitive abilities yet. The framework unites evolutionary epistemology with speculative cognitive science and futures studies to develop a three-part model: (a) Xeno-Cognitive Futures describes the different structures which post-present minds could develop; (b) Xeno-Didactics actively seeks educational methods which demonstrate sufficient strength to function effectively between students who think differently at their most basic level; and (c) Xeno-Ethics examines the ethical implications which arise from teaching entities that will develop their own set of values, experience time differently and understand reality through completely distinct cognitive systems. The four instructional principles of meta-agency, recursive interpretation, self-modifying epistemic structures and environment-responsive reasoning, will continue to function effectively in future cognitive systems. The paper concludes with recommendations for three areas: curriculum development, teacher training, and AI governance.