“But I am not a machine” – Reflecting epistemic metaphors for learning in higher education

The aim of this article is to raise awareness of and reflect on the epistemic significance of metaphors for learning in higher education. These metaphors convey psychological paradigms of learning that shape us. However, we are often not aware of their beneficial or restrictive influences. Imagining learning as machine-based information processing, knowledge acquisition, participation or dialogue has an influence on the self-image of learners and teachers, the shift from teaching to learning and on how we re-cognize ourselves, each other and the world. Language-psychological recommendations are offered for dialogical higher education with a heightened awareness for epistemic metaphors.