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| SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 9
| Issue : 1 | Page : 41-42 |
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Encouraging the practice of self-determined learning in medical education and clinical practice
Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava1, Prateek Shrivastava Saurabh2
1 Medical Education Unit Coordinator and Member of the Institute Research Council, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth – Deemed to be University, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India
| Date of Submission | 20-Oct-2020 |
| Date of Decision | 12-Dec-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 04-Jan-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 30-Mar-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Saurabh RamBihariLal Shrivastava
Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV) – Deemed to be University, Tiruporur - Guduvancherry Main Road, Ammapettai, Nellikuppam, Chengalpet District - 603108, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/mjhs.mjhs_3_20
The majority of the freshly joined medical students have limited knowledge of the topics which are being taught and predominantly depend on the knowledge which is passed on to them by the medical teachers. It has been acknowledged that professional doctors have different learning needs in their workplace settings and thus, we have to encourage them for more of self-directed or self-determined learning to ensure that they keep moving forward in their professional career. The term heutagogy refers to a form of self-determined learning, wherein the learner takes the decision about what they wish to learn based on their needs and the approach they wish to adopt for learning the same. In conclusion, heutagogy is the vision for today and tomorrow and all the teachers should facilitate the learning among professionals and medical graduates to improve their proficiency level in the workplace.
Keywords: Medical education, professional, self-determined learning
How to cite this article:
Shrivastava SR, Saurabh PS. Encouraging the practice of self-determined learning in medical education and clinical practice. MRIMS J Health Sci 2021;9:41-2 |
How to cite this URL:
Shrivastava SR, Saurabh PS. Encouraging the practice of self-determined learning in medical education and clinical practice. MRIMS J Health Sci [serial online] 2021 [cited 2023 Oct 3];9:41-2. Available from: http://www.mrimsjournal.com/text.asp?2021/9/1/41/312602 |
| Introduction | |  |
The majority of the freshly joined medical students have limited knowledge of the topics which are being taught and predominantly depend on the knowledge which is passed on to them by the medical teachers.[1] These students accept whatever is explained to them and generally do not question why a specific topic is being taught and how it will be useful to them in fulfilling the dream of a health-care professional.[1],[2] However, as these students move forward in their training period of under-graduation or even in the postgraduation period, they lose this attribute and start questioning the importance of the topic, its relevance, how will it be useful to them in the current scenario and practical application (adult learners). This is an important attribute as we aim for the medical students to become self-directed and lifelong learner.[2],[3]
Self-determined learning
It has been acknowledged that professional doctors have different learning needs in their workplace settings and thus we have to encourage them for more of self-directed or self-determined learning to ensure that they keep moving forward in their professional career.[3],[4] The term heutagogy refers to a form of self-determined learning, wherein the learner takes the decision about what they wish to learn based on their needs and the approach they wish to adopt for learning the same. This clearly is a form of student-centered learning, while the role of teachers is to guide or facilitate the students in their learning process, and if required, subject them to an appropriate assessment.[2],[4]
Learner attributes
However, the success of the heutagogy approach will be dependent on the learners and it is a must that they should be motivated and determined to improve their level of performance in the work settings.[3] This will help the learners to move to the stage of proficient or expert from the stage of being competent. It is important to note that the principles of heutagogy can also be implemented in the under-graduation or postgraduation period as well, mainly because it makes the process of learning interactive and interesting.[2] The early initiation of such an approach prepares them for future challenges in career and improves their capabilities to respond to the real-life scenarios.
Other considerations
It can be delivered to the learners in a multiple number of ways, like case-based learning, problem-based learning, flipped classrooms, e-learning, or in real life or simulated settings.[1],[4] Even though, we are making a case of self-determined learning, we duly acknowledge the role of andragogical and pedagogical methods in the making of a competent medical graduate.[2] The need of the hour is to encourage all the medical professionals and teachers to practice heutagogy and this will essentially require a change in the way medical education is delivered. At Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, a constituent college of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, self-directed learning has been encouraged for the topic which cannot be covered in regular teaching for the medical students who are admitted as a part of the competency-based undergraduate curriculum.
| Conclusion | | |
Heutagogy is the vision for today and tomorrow and all the teachers should facilitate the learning among professionals and medical graduates to improve their proficiency level in the workplace. It is high time that we encourage self-directed and self-determined learning among the learners to ensure that they acquire the trait of lifelong learners and stay abreast with the updates in the field of health care.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | | |
| 1. | Parslow GR. Commentary: Heutagogy, the practice of self-learning. Biochem Mol Biol Educ 2010;38:121.  |
| 2. | Chacko TV. Emerging pedagogies for effective adult learning: From andragogy to heutagogy. Arch Med Health Sci 2018;6:278-83. [Full text] |
| 3. | Bhoyrub J, Hurley J, Neilson GR, Ramsay M, Smith M. Heutagogy: An alternative practice based learning approach. Nurse Educ Pract 2010;10:322-6. |
| 4. | Shrivastava SR, Shrivastava PS. Flipped classrooms in medical education: Tool to encourage self-directed and active learning. BLDE Univ J Health Sci 2019;4:20-1. [Full text] |
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