The pedagogy–andragogy–heutagogy continuum and technology-supported personal learning environments

Abstract

How do we as educators best equip our students for tomorrow’s workforce and a world in which lifelong learning is the rule rather than the exception? One approach is to strive toward developing self-determined, autonomous learners who are capable of acquiring and building upon their knowledge through online personal learning environments (PLEs). With its rich history of educating self-directed adults, online and distance education (ODE) is uniquely positioned to lead the way in using technology for developing lifelong and self-determined learners. This chapter introduces the theory of heutagogy—or the study of self-determined learning—and discusses the pedagogy–andragogy–heutagogy (PAH) continuum, and how it can be used for guiding students toward becoming self-determined learners through the building of technology-supported personal learning environments (PLEs).