How Experts Learn: Charting a Course for Advanced Practice Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Context Changes in the healthcare landscape include a burgeoning gig economy, large-scale job vacancies, remote learning, and a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) marketplace, which requires reevaluating our approach to education. These changes fundamentally alter the nature and assumptions of education. Objective To generate dialogue on the relevance of heutagogy, a self-determined learning model, in contrast to traditional pedagogical and andragogical methods. Background The healthcare industry is experiencing a workforce exodus. The gig economy, characterized by flexible, freelance work, is on the rise and reshaping the job market. Heutagogy, as a holistic self-determined learning approach, equips learners with the skills to thrive in this evolving landscape. Synthesis Heutagogy emphasizes learners’ proactive roles in their education, fostering autonomy and adaptability. It complements the flexibility demanded by a VUCA marketplace and empowers individuals to navigate unpredictable dynamics. It empowers learners to identify knowledge gaps, navigate complexity, and continuously grow, focusing on learner capability and autonomy. Heutagogy is particularly relevant where professionals must adapt rapidly and meet evolving patient expectations. Results This article delineates the progression from pedagogy to andragogy to heutagogy, highlighting heutagogy’s proactive learning facilitation. Heutagogy benefits advanced-practice learners and professionals entering a dynamic environment, fostering adaptability, personalized learning, and collaborative exploration. Recommendations The integration of heutagogy into formal education should strike a balance between autonomy and structured guidance. Faculty roles must shift to become informal mentors and learner advocates, supporting learners and equipping them for a self-determined career trajectory. Conclusions Involving heutagogy in athletic training education will not be easy. However, as educators embrace heutagogy, they must redefine their roles as facilitators of self-determined learning, ensuring that learners are prepared to navigate the uncertainties of the modern marketplace.