Heutagogy

While doing my weekend web surfing, I came across a blog posting called, "i am huetagogynous" (link) by Alexandra Pickett. The term was new to me. Another blogger (Amy Varano - link) provided more information about a related concept, "heutagogy learning environment". Heutagogy is the study of self-determined learning. It may be seen as an evolution from teacher-directed studies into more student-directed studies and connectivism. Connectivism is a progressive teaching method that can be viewed as an iteration of constructivism thanks to Web2.0 technologies. Constructivism is a pedagogy where students construct their own understanding of knowledge. It is heavily activity-based and often draws upon personal affinities. Connectivism is a pedagogy where students rely on information and collaboration from other to construct their own understanding. It is important because most people do not create new information at their job. Rather, they manage and analyze information. The explosion in digital content makes this skill like finding a needle in a haystack. The American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD) estimates that the amount of knowledge in the world is now doubling every 18 months!! Not to long ago, information doubled every ten or twenty years. Information management is a critical skill that should be taught in school. And Connectivism should considered as the primary pedagogy.

Resources:
From Andragogy to Heutagogy by Stewart Hase and Chris Kenyon (link)
Introduction to Connectivism (link)
Image from Flickr and used under Creative Commons (link)