Using Heutagogy to Address the Needs of Online Learners

In 2002, approximately 1,680 institutions offered over 54,000 online courses (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2003). While there has been a dramatic increase in the number of such courses, the real question is, how effective are they? Are we, in fact, developing capable people who possess an ‘all round’ capacity centered on the characteristics of: high self-efficacy, knowing how to learn, creativity, the ability to use competencies in novel as well as familiar situations, possessing appropriate values, and working well with others (Hase, 2004)? Hase and Kenyon (2000) suggest that our education systems (especially higher education) need to develop proactive, rather than reactive learners. We must develop learners who can be ‘more-involved citizens’ (paragraph 25). This will only happen by changing our paradigm in which we teach and learn.