Zhu personally took charge of reinvigorating the institution. Pedagogy was thereafter based on free-form lecturing and discussion that was not focused on official advancement. In his book of rules for the operations of the Bailudong Academy, Zhu emphasized that learning begins with discussion; moreover, besides exchanges of ideas between students and teachers, it was also necessary to rely on the students 'own doubts and judgements.
朱熹賦予有名的白鹿洞書院新的生命，除了不以仕宦為教育目的的自由講學，在「白鹿書院揭示」跋語中，他兩度指出學習的方式由討論開始，除了師生間的交談，還必須依賴學生自己的問辨探討。