Applying these frameworks to the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the Philippines requires a strategic, multi-faceted approach that can be most helpful in ALS program development.

1. Creative Curriculum Redesign and Policy Review

A traditional, one-size-fits-all curriculum may not be effective for ALS learners who have diverse backgrounds and learning needs. A reimagined curriculum should:

2. Embrace Heutagogy: Allow for personalized learning pathways where learners can select modules or topics that are most relevant to their personal and professional goals.

3. Integrate Peeragogy: Incorporate group projects, online forums, and peer-to-peer tutoring sessions. This not only deepens understanding but also builds a sense of community.

4. Leverage Cybergogy: Utilize mobile learning applications, open educational resources (OERs), and accessible learning management systems (LMS) that can be accessed offline.

This curriculum redesign must be supported by a robust policy and program review that ensures the flexibility and digital infrastructure needed for these changes.

Partnerships, curriculum, and professional development can be strengthened by leveraging a multifaceted approach based on heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy,

Success hinges on collaboration and capacity-building of the different sectors involved. Partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and private companies can provide learners with real-world experiences and job opportunities.

A robust training program for preservice and ALS teachers should focus on facilitating self-determined learning, moderating peer-to-peer collaboration, and utilizing educational technology effectively. By integrating these frameworks, ALS can become a dynamic, learner-centered system that empowers Filipinos with skills and mindset for lifelong learning.

From my experience teaching both Junior High School and now in college, I see how heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy can collectively reshape adult learning by making it more relevant and empowering—especially in lifelong learning contexts where learners bring with them not just academic needs, but also work, family, and personal responsibilities.

Heutagogy resonates with me most strongly in my current role as a college instructor. Many of my students juggle part-time work, financial struggles, and family duties. They need autonomy in how they learn, and when given the freedom to design their own pace or projects, they often take ownership of their learning more seriously. This echoes what I’ve seen in non-formal education contexts like ALS as well—where learners thrive when they are treated as self-directed individuals rather than passive recipients of instruction.

Peeragogy also plays an important role. In my Junior High School teaching years, I noticed how students learned deeply when they explained lessons to each other or collaborated in projects. Now in college, peer learning is even more powerful. My students often form study groups, share digital resources, and co-create knowledge through presentations and group work. This reflects how adult learners can act both as learners and teachers, valuing collective growth over individual competition.

Cybergogy connects directly to today’s realities of hybrid and digital education. During the pandemic and even now in blended setups, I observed that online learning was most effective when it went beyond just cognitive content delivery and also addressed the social and emotional side of learning. Digital spaces can give flexibility and access, but they must also build community so learners don’t feel isolated.

Taken together, I view these three frameworks as complementary, and not conflicting. For adult learners who have multiple roles in life, these approaches provide not just knowledge, but also the skills and resilience to keep learning beyond the classroom. The tension, however, lies in how educators must shift their role—from being sole authorities to becoming facilitators, mentors, and co-learners. This requires openness and adaptability, but it is a necessary change if lifelong learning is to be truly meaningful.

These are audacious modes of learning in the 21st where resource are readily available. The traditional teacher-student interaction may be fading due to work and time. Once the curriculum or syllabi spells out the objectives to adult learners, these are simply the way to go.

In teaching Senior High School learners in the Alternative Learning System (ALS), especially those in both Academic and TVL strands, heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy offer powerful ways to meet learners where they are and support their growth.

Many ALS learners juggle work, family, and education, so heutagogy encourages them to take control of their learning by setting goals that matter personally, like a learner in the TVL strand developing skills in welding to improve job prospects. Peeragogy comes into play when learners collaborate to solve problems or share experiences, such as Academic strand learners working together online to create presentations about community issues, each contributing unique insights. Cybergogy supports these efforts by providing digital platforms, like WhatsApp groups/group chats or learning management systems, where learners can interact anytime, making learning flexible and socially engaging despite their busy schedules.

Together, these frameworks create a learner-centered environment that not only builds knowledge and skills but also nurtures autonomy, collaboration, and digital confidence essential for ALS learners’ success in both school and life. Ray Butch D. Mahinay

My perspective is not that of an adult educator, since, currently, I am teaching both key stage 1 & 2 in the Basic Education--rather, I'm speaking my insights as someone whose personally engage in the process of learning as an adult. While I have been applying aspects of these three learning approaches in my own learning journey for some time. It is through my PhD coursework that I have come to understand deeply as interconnected components of a broader, multi-dimensional learning framework.

Combining these three learning approaches will absolutely create an effective framework for lifelong learning. This framework transforms how an ADULT learns, by creating a decentralized (heutagogy), collaborative (peeragogy) and technology-driven (cybergogy) model that will empower to take ownership in as much as education is concern. In addition, this transformation, moves away from the primitive and traditional, teacher-led instruction into a system that is adaptable to change, less hierarchical, tech-enabled and flexible structure.

Moreover, these frameworks are largely complimentary because each addresses a different, but essential, dimension of modern learning. Heutagogy’s emphasis on learner autonomy, underscoring the adult learner’s intrinsic motivation and desire for control over their learning. Peeragogy offers collaborative dimension, learner’s form communities to support one another, share resources, and co-create knowledge. I think this “ogy” aligns with Lev Vygotsky’s social learning theory, wherein he put emphasis on scaffolding from a more knowledgeable other (MKO). This peer interaction eventually can up scale thru online forums, social media and collaborative documents such as goggle forms, allowing learners to connect, teach and learn from each other. Thus, Cybergogy, extends the reach of peeragogy far beyond isolation.

However, while this collective learning framework is basically synergistic, it does have its challenges like any other learning approaches. For me, navigating digital spaces, bring its own sets of challenges. The splurge and vastness of internet is overwhelming. Finding reliable and factual sources, navigating new trends in as far as information and communication technology is concern, is quite a burden, especially if its not free and needs subscription. Further, digital literacy and critical evaluation skills is also a basic requirement to effectively explore this learning environment effectively.

The emergent learning frameworks of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy can collectively reshape adult learning models in lifelong learning contexts. Lifelong learning is a continuous educational exercise and therefore requires autonomy, collaborative knowledge-building, and blended learning in different ways. This will help to enhance metacognitive development, balance emotions, and strengthen the social engagements of adult learners.

Since adult education is any kind of education given to adult learners to enable them adapt, adjust, and overcome their challenges, it becomes imperative that the frameworks of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy can complement each other, though they might also create tensions among adult educators and learners. The potential tensions might come from resistance to shifting from teacher to learner, difficulties in managing peer-based learning dynamics, and limitations in implementing tech-based models.

The reality of the 21st century in this knowledge-driven economy and 4th industrial revolution points to the challenges confronting adult learners who cannot utilize basic ICT tools in acquiring knowledge. On the other hand, some instructors cannot adequately use modern instructional learning tools to teach effectively or deliver services to the learners. Hence, the need to complement the three frameworks cannot be neglected.

As a SNED teacher deeply involved in supporting diverse learners, I see heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy as largely complementary frameworks, though they are not without their challenges. Each offers valuable insights that can significantly enrich adult learning especially in inclusive, lifelong learning contexts. Heutagogy, with its focus on self-determined learning, aligns with my belief in empowering learners to take charge of their educational journey, which is particularly meaningful for adult learners with disabilities who often feel disempowered in traditional settings. Peeragogy adds a collaborative layer that not only fosters shared knowledge but also builds a sense of belonging, an essential element for learners who may have experienced marginalization. Cybergogy, meanwhile, opens up flexible and accessible digital avenues for learning, making education more inclusive when implemented with universal design principles in mind.

However, I also recognize the tensions these frameworks can bring, particularly when applied in real-world contexts with learners who have diverse needs. For example, some of my learners may struggle with the high degree of autonomy that heutagogy assumes, especially if they need more structured support due to cognitive or emotional challenges. Peeragogy, while powerful, can be difficult to navigate when learners have varied communication styles or need accommodations in group settings. Cybergogy can also be a double-edged sword technology can empower, but only when accessibility tools and digital literacy training are in place. As a teacher, I find myself constantly balancing freedom with structure, independence with guidance, and technology with inclusivity. These frameworks inspire me to be more reflective, flexible, and creative in my practice, always adapting my methods to meet my learners where they are while guiding them toward where they want to be.

Within the Alternative Learning System (ALS), adult learners present diverse experiences, challenges, and aspirations. Emergent frameworks such as heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy offer innovative approaches to lifelong learning in the Philippine context.

Heutagogy, or self-determined learning, aligns with the experiences of ALS learners who frequently balance education with livelihood, family, and community responsibilities. Structuring learning around autonomy and capability-building enables learners to assume responsibility for their progress, shifting from passive recipients of instruction to active participants in their educational development.

Peeragogy aligns with the Filipino cultural value of bayanihan, emphasizing collective effort and mutual support. In many ALS learning groups, learners assist one another, share experiences, and collaboratively construct knowledge. This co-learning approach enhances academic skills, confidence, solidarity, and a sense of community belonging.

Cybergogy addresses the increasing significance of digital learning in education. The Department of Education's (DepEd) implementation of ALS 2.0 and the adoption of flexible, technology-enabled platforms present opportunities for online and blended learning approaches. However, the digital divide remains a significant challenge, particularly for learners in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. ALS must identify strategies to integrate technology effectively while ensuring equitable access for all learners.

Collectively, these frameworks present a complementary vision of adult learning that is self-directed (heutagogy), community-based (peeragogy), and digitally enabled (cybergogy). Tensions may arise, such as balancing learner autonomy with collaborative learning or implementing learner-centered approaches within systems accustomed to traditional, teacher-led methods. These challenges, however, create opportunities for dialogue, adaptation, and innovation.

For someone working on ALS research, the relevance is clear. By drawing on heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy, we can strengthen not only the academic preparation of learners but also their life skills, sense of community, and readiness to engage in a rapidly changing, technology-driven society. More importantly, these frameworks remind us that lifelong learning is not a one-size-fits-all journey—it must be flexible, inclusive, and rooted in the lived realities of the learners we serve.

Heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy build on andragogical principles by deepening the focus on autonomy, collaboration, and digital engagement. Heutagogy frames learners as self-determined, capable of reflective and adaptive learning. Peeragogy highlights the co-construction of knowledge within participatory communities, while cybergogy situates learning in digital contexts that integrate cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions.

These models reinforce one another: heutagogy’s learner autonomy thrives in peeragogical collaboration and is supported by the digital affordances of cybergogy. Yet, key issues remain present, between learner freedom and institutional assessment demands, equal participation and peer dynamics, and opportunities versus barriers in digital access. These tensions, however, invite critical inquiry and innovation.

Together, the three frameworks reconceptualize lifelong learning as self-directed, socially connected, and technologically mediated. The challenge for educators and researchers lies in designing systems that leverage their complementarities while carefully navigating the complexities they introduce.

The emerging frameworks heutatogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy are very helpful in shaping adult learning models as it becomes an extension of the principles of andragogy by emphasizing learner autonomy, collaborative knowledge construction, and technology-enhanced engagement.

In an article written by Blaschke (2012) published in the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, it tells us that heutagogy emphasizes that learners are self-determined agents in which learners have more autonomy over what they are learning and that it requires them minimal or less need for instructors to structure or control what they learn and how to learn. This is an extension of how Knowles define Andragogy which is self-directed learning.

Peeragogy also extends this concept of adult-learning. Although andragogy puts more emphasis on the readiness of adults to learn, their life experiences, and autonomy, peeragogy allows learners to learn and foster knowledge through social interactions wherein adults are able to simultaneously teach and learn from each other. With this framework, they are not only self-determined agents as what heutagogy emphasizes but they also become learners to engage collaboratively which can be critical in lifelong learning contexts in which social learning is essential.

The emerging framework of cybergogy provides opportunities for all these pedagogies to be actualized as it allows self-directed learning and social interactions to happen in a digital and virtual learning environments (Amiruddin, Baharuddin, Setialaksana, Takbir, & Hasim, 2023). It utilizes technology for learners to engage in social interactions and provides a more flexible way of learning which strengthens the need of autonomy for adult learning.

With all of these out there, it would lead me to answer the next question: Are these frameworks complementary or do they present tensions that educators must navigate? I believe that they are all complementary but at the same time, may also create some “tensions” that educators must recognize. Allow me to elaborate:

All these three are essential in satisfying the needs for adult learners to become lifelong learners in a digital world. Heutagogy enriches lifelong learning by allowing learners to control the pace at which they learn that fosters the concept of autonomy in adult learning. Peeragogy supports this by creating a space for adult learners to collaborate and learn from each other that may improve their motivation in learning. Lastly, cybergogy gives opportunities for these approaches to be actualized in digital and virtual spaces. It allows for a more learner-centered, socially engaging, and technologically supported environment for adult learners to continuously thrive.

Although as ideal as this may be, tensions may also be created in a variety of aspects. This may cause problems in the balance of autonomy and guidance. This may happen because not all learners are the same, and adult learners are not exempted from this mindset. There are others who can work well independently while others require some more scaffolding and guidance in their learning process. This brings us back to our previous discussion on the need to profile for us to better understand the needs of the learners. This way, teachers can provide them a space for independent learning while also being ready to guide them when the needs arise. Moreover, on the issue of technology and digital spaces for learning, in a country like the Philippines, the problem of accessibility to technology and quality gadgets can be a big one as not all have the resources to purchase these products that would help in their learning process. Another tension that aligns with the cybergogy framework is the digital literacy of educators and learners alike. This may pose as a problem as digital literacy is important for educators and learners to navigate the important features of learning management systems to provide an environment to maintain engagement and learning effectiveness.

References:

Amiruddin, A., Baharuddin, F. R., Takbir, T., Setialaksana, W., & Hasim, M. (2023). Pedagogy -Andragogy Continuum with Cybergogy to Promote Self-Regulated Learning: A Structural Equation Model Approach. European Journal of Educational Research, volume–12 –2023(volume–12–issue–2–april–2023), 811–824. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.12.2.811

Blaschke, L. M. & Oldenburg University and University of Maryland University College (UMUC). (2012). Heutagogy and Lifelong Learning: A review of Heutagogical Practice and Self-Determined Learning. In Blaschke (Vols. 13–13, Issue 1) [Research Articles]. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ979639.pdf

In my perspective, heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy can really transform adult learning, especially in the context of lifelong learning. Heutagogy, with its focus on learner autonomy and capability development, shifts the responsibility for learning from the teacher to the learner. This allows us, as learners, to take control of our learning processes and seek deeper understanding through reflection and double-loop learning. For me, it feels like a move towards a more individualized approach to learning where I can decide what I need to know and how I want to learn it.

Peeragogy, on the other hand, emphasizes collaboration. In a way, it turns the traditional classroom upside down, where everyone can contribute their knowledge and expertise. This model makes learning feel more democratic, as we are not just absorbing information, but actively engaging in a co-creation process. I think it fosters a sense of community and mutual respect, where everyone has something valuable to offer.

Then there’s cybergogy, which integrates the use of technology in learning. In today’s digital world, it seems essential for us to embrace learning in blended or online environments. Cybergogy not only addresses cognitive engagement but also the emotional and social aspects of learning, which is crucial in an online or remote setting. For me, this framework means learning is not just about memorizing facts but also about staying engaged, connected, and supported in a digital environment.

I think these frameworks can definitely complement each other. Heutagogy empowers learners to take control, peeragogy fosters collaboration and shared knowledge, and cybergogy integrates the power of digital tools to enhance learning experiences. Together, they create a holistic, learner-centered model that encourages lifelong learning in ways that adapt to our evolving needs.

However, I also think there are potential tensions. For example, balancing autonomy (heutagogy) with collaboration (peeragogy) might be challenging, especially in an online setting where some learners may prefer to work alone. Additionally, while cybergogy embraces technology, not all learners may have the digital literacy or access needed to fully engage with technology-rich environments. Educators will need to navigate these tensions carefully to ensure that all learners can thrive within these frameworks.