Heutagogy and digital media networks

Setting students on the path to lifelong learning

Abstract

The combined trends of learner-centred teaching and ubiquitous technology use in the classroom have given instructors a unique opportunity to support students in developing lifelong learning skills. Heutagogy (or self-determined learning) provides a promising framework for capitalizing on these developing trends, drawing on established learner-centred education theories that strongly emphasize learner autonomy. The key principles of heutagogy – learner agency, self-efficacy and capability, reflection and metacognition, and non-linear learning – provide a foundation for designing and developing learning ecologies, the potential of which can be further maximized through the use of digital media. This article describes the theory of heutagogy and the learner-centred pedagogies on which the theory is founded, as well as providing an explanation of the pedagogy-andragogy-heutagogy (PAH) continuum and its use in developing student skills. It also explores the role of social media in supporting the development of those skills.