Heutagogy Explained: Self-Determined Learning in Education

Heutagogy, otherwise known as self-determined learning, is a student-centered instructional strategy. It emphasizes the development of autonomy, capacity, and capability. The goal of heutagogy? To teach lifelong learning.  

As Lisa Marie Blaschke wrote in  The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, heutagogy can produce “learners who are well-prepared for the complexities of today’s workplace.” 

By nature, heutagogical learning isn’t necessarily linear or planned. It’s more informal. It parallels how people best learn outside a school setting. The teacher serves more like a coach. They’re valuable resources students can look to, if necessary, but they aren’t the primary knowledge source. 

Heutagogy is an exciting concept that can positively affect your students. Let’s dive in. 

The Etymology and Pronunciation of “Heutagogy” 

Heutagogy (pronounced hyoo-tuh-goh-jee) is derived from the Greek word heuriskein. According to Graham R. Parslow, “Heureskein is the Greek verb to discover and underlies the etymology of the word heuristic that is defined as a method of teaching by allowing students to discover for themselves. The term heutagogy derives from the same Greek root. Hase and Kenyon coined the term in 2000 to describe self-learning independent of formal teaching.” 

The Differences Between Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Heutagogy

While pedagogy is teacher-led learning and andragogy is self-directed learning, heutagogy takes a different approach. 

The heutagogical approach encourages students to find problems and questions to answer themselves. Instead of simply completing teacher-assigned tasks, students have voice and choice in seeking out areas of uncertainty and complexity in the subjects they study. Teachers help by supplying context to students’ learning. They also create opportunities to explore topics fully. 

Conversely, teachers decide what students will learn and how they’ll learn it in pedagogical environments. Students rely on their teachers and learn topics in the order they present them.

In contrast, students in andragogical environments use the teacher as a mentor or guide. Still, they aim to find solutions to the teacher’s tasks independently.

As the image below illustrates, heutagogy requires the most student maturity and the smallest amount of instructor control. Pedagogy is on the opposite end of the spectrum. 

Heutagogy in Education 

Consider this: the overall purpose of pedagogical-oriented teaching is scaffolding—or teaching basic skills as a foundation for future experiences. For andragogical oriented teaching, the goal is to set up some structure so learners can be self-directed. But for heutagogical oriented teaching, the purpose is to create an environment where learners figure out their own goals, learning paths, processes, and products. The learner is at the center of the learning process rather than the teacher or the curriculum. 

There are no barriers to knowledge in our current state of education. The skills required to be an effective learner today have changed dramatically. With the heutagogical approach, the learner evolves from passive recipient to analyst and synthesizer. These are some of the most valuable skills for students as they interact with a world where knowledge management—or curation—is more valuable than access. 

An essential concept in heutagogy is double-loop learning. In this learning style, students do more than think deeply about a problem and their actions to solve it. They also reflect on the problem-solving process itself. Students start to question their assumptions and gain insight into what they’re learning and how they learn. 

Heutagogy emphasizes a learner-centered environment supporting students in defining their learning path. It also equips students with skills to help them transition into the workforce. Employers need employees to have a wide range of cognitive and metacognitive skills. Employers look for innovativeness, creativity, self-directedness, and whether employees understand how they learn. These are all foundations of the heutagogical approach. 

Self-Determined Learning in Action: 4 Tips for Applying the Heutagogical Approach

One important note is you don’t need to go all in and make your entire course heutagogical. Students can realize benefits from a few lessons or units designed this way. 

So, if you or your institution is considering practicing heutagogy, here are four essential elements to help you implement the method: 

#1 Learner-Defined Learning Contracts 

Designing a learner-defined learning contract is step one for implementing a heutagogical approach. During this phase, the learner and teacher work together to find learning needs and intended outcomes.  

You’ll answer questions like: 

• What does the learner want to learn or achieve? 
• What results should we expect from the learning experience? 
• What specific curriculum objectives do you require? 

Learning contracts help students decide what they want to learn. They’ll shape their individual learning paths. Each student signs an individualized contract defining what they’ll learn, what learning methods and activities they’ll use, and how the teacher will assess their learning. 

#2 Flexible Curriculum 

A heutagogical approach is only possible when the curriculum is flexible and considers the learners’ questions, motivations, and thinking shifts because of what they’ve learned. Students must be able to create a curriculum for themselves. Ideally, they’ll craft an adaptable path aligned to their individual needs. 

Teachers may require students to build their plans based on defined learning objectives. Still, students have the freedom to figure out what and how they learn. This personalization helps students feel empowered and encourages greater engagement. 

#3 Flexible and Negotiated Assessment 

Assessment is an important part of all instructional approaches, including heutagogy. However, students design their assessments in this learning style rather than standard tests. Flexibility creates a less threatening environment for students. It can encourage deeper learning. 

Students must design assessments measuring content understanding and acquired skills. Ultimately, students need to demonstrate they’ve achieved agreed-upon outcomes.

#4 Collaborative Learning 

Due to its independent nature, learning in a heutagogical classroom can cause inner conflict for the learner. Students that haven’t had to take responsibility for their learning before are especially susceptible. However, once students get a taste for self-determined learning, few want to revert to the confines of a rigidly structured curriculum.

One way to ease the transition into heutagogy is to encourage collaboration in the classroom. By design, the heutagogical approach makes it easy for students to work together to share knowledge and reflect on progress.

Teachers using heutagogy encourage learners to work together—in person and digitally—to achieve a common goal. They can solve problems and reinforce their knowledge by sharing information and experiences, practicing concepts, and experimenting. These collaborative sessions are a chance for students to learn from each other and think about how they can apply their new skills in practice. 

Exploring Heutagogy with Your Students

Heutagogy is a powerful learning strategy. It gives students the tools to learn and grow throughout their lives. While you’ll often find this strategy in professional settings and graduate courses, heutagogy isn’t an all-or-nothing strategy. Teachers can weave it into environments where they may not want longer-term student autonomy.

Guiding your students, regardless of their grade level, through heutagogical lessons and projects introduces them to the power of self-determined learning. It allows them to practice with tools employers will look for after graduation.

Whatever your preferred instructional approach, your goal is to prepare students for successful learning outcomes. Students’ skills and experience from self-determined learning will set them on the right path.