background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I want to introduce a concept that doesn’t seem to have been discussed much yet here: heutagogy, or self-determined learning. It sits beyond familiar ideas like project-based learning or inquiry learning. Those approaches already give students more freedom, but heutagogy takes it a step further by shifting full control of learning to the learner.

In simple terms, heutagogy is about learners deciding what they want to learn, how they will learn it, and how they will show what they know. The teacher’s role becomes less about delivering content and more about supporting, guiding, and asking good questions when needed. The idea is not just to learn content, but to build the ability to learn independently in changing situations (Hase & Kenyon, 2000).

A practical example could be an online course where there are no fixed final projects. Instead, learners design their own outcome based on personal or professional interests. One student might create a podcast series explaining course concepts in everyday language. Another might build a website or design a short video lesson. Even though they’re in the same course, their learning paths and outputs look very different because they are self-directed.

Another example is ePortfolios. Rather than just submitting assignments and moving on, learners collect their work over time, reflect on it, and decide how to present their learning journey. This reflection part is important because it helps learners understand not just what they learned, but how they learned it and what they want to improve next.

What makes heutagogy interesting is that it reflects how learning actually happens outside school. In real life, problems are not always clearly defined, and solutions are not handed to us. We often need to figure things out ourselves, choose resources, and adjust along the way. This approach helps build that kind of flexibility and confidence.

Overall, I see heutagogy as an important extension of active learning. It moves beyond participation and collaboration and puts learners in charge of shaping their own learning experience.

References:

Hase, S., & Kenyon, C. (2000). From andragogy to heutagogy. Ultibase Articles. https://epubs.scu.edu.au/gcm_pubs/99/

Blaschke, L. M. (2012). Heutagogy and lifelong learning: A review of heutagogical practice and self-determined learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(1), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v13i1.1076

Heutagogy: When Learners Start Driving Their Own Learning