University of Tauranga

Online > Learning Contracts

A learning contract is developed at the start of study by the student connecting their own preferred learning style with the learning facilitators. This contract creates a bridge between them and the course facilitators and empowers both the facilitator in how to assist the student in their learning and empowers the student to be in control of how they learn and to ultimately keep them docused and on target. 

The contract specifies what will be learned, how the learning will be accomplished, the period of time involved, and the specific evaluation criteria to be used in mornitoring progress. Learning contracts help the educator and learner share the responsibility for learning.

Contract learning can bring about many practical benefits including deeper involvement of the learner in the learning activities which they themselves have been involved in planning. There is often confusion and anxiety at the start of a course as to what actually works for an indivudual so the learning contract is a lie document which will evolve over time to hone the contract to achieve the best results for the student. Another benefit of utilising contract learning is an increase of accountability, since the learning contract provides more functional and validated evidence of the learning outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning goals.

Because face-to-face meeting within the classroom environment does not happen in an e-learning environment learning contracts can be extremely effective, instructors must be very clear and concise in what they expect from the learner and likewise the learners can also be clear about what they expect from the instructor. A learning contract is a negotiated learning goals and outcomes document. Learning contract examples will be provided and the student will be assisted and guided through the whole process until a working contract is agreed.

Self-directed learning is learner-initiated and may also be called self-paced, independent, individualized learning, or self-instruction. Whatever term we use, self-directed learning places the responsibility for learning directly on the learner. In many ways, practically all learning is ultimately self-directed. Learners who take the initiative and are proactive learners learn more and better than passive (reactive) learners do. It can be very easy to drift when the onus is on the learner to motivate themself, the learning contracts helps focus the learner on achieving their goals with the support of the Tauranga learning center.

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