Heutagogy for dynamic learning: lessons learned from an Innovation Fellowship

Abstract

The educational landscape is shifting toward learner-centered approaches, with heutagogy emerging as a framework. Heutagogy emphasizes self-determined learning, departing from traditional pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to explore how a heutagogical framework, applied within a faculty Innovation Fellowship, influenced participants’ development of innovation competencies, self-directed learning behaviors, and overall wellbeing in an academic healthcare setting. This paper focuses on the application of the heutagogy framework within an Innovation Fellowship, focusing on how it fosters innovation, wellbeing, and lifelong learning in healthcare education. We implemented a heutagogical framework by encouraging self-directed exploration of innovation concepts in a self-selected cohort of innovation fellows over the course of five years. A total of 48 fellows have engaged in flexible, collaborative learning. Thematic analysis revealed insights to ‘structure of fluidity’, where fellows highlighted the importance of balancing structured guidance with freedom for self-directed learning. The flexible approach fostered autonomy and creativity in learning. The integration of heutagogical principles enabled fellows to enhance innovation capacity while promoting personal wellbeing. The heutagogy framework shows transformative potential in fostering innovation, wellbeing, and lifelong learning within healthcare education. The ‘structure of fluidity’ underscores the necessity of integrating flexibility and guidance in heutagogical approaches.