Transcript Learning Contracts

Learning Contracts
A Presentation by Jason Jennings
for Curriculum in Practise I
(Prof. Robert Sargent, MSVU)
November 2005
What is a learning contract?
•a written agreement between teachers and students that
outline what students will learn, how they will learn it, in what
period of time, and how they will be evaluated (Parke, 1989,
pp.70-71).
•a.k.a
learning plans
learning commitments
study plans
learning agreements
self-development plans
•
secondary education can seek to move from pedagogy
(teacher-directed learning) to androgogy (student-directed
learning)  adult education
•
androgogy theorist: Malcolm S. Knowles
•
many post-secondary institutions employ learning contracts
to adhere to androgogical ideals
•
Knowles outlines need of self-directed learner:
•

The need to know.

The need to be self-directing.

The need to have the learners' unique experiences taken into
account.

The need to gear learning to the learners' readiness to learn.

The need to organize learning around life tasks or life
problems.

The need to promote intrinsic motivations.
learning contracts can meet these needs
•
informal, understood contracts already exist in traditional
education:
 student agrees to attend class
 teacher set expectations and activities for achievement
of outcomes
 student performs activities for reward of grades, skills,
knowledge, greater understanding
 teacher agrees to assess activities based on a predetermined scale or rubric
What are the benefits of a learning contract?
•
allow students to engage actively in the decision-making
process, directing their course of study
•
helps students to set daily and weekly work goals and develop
management skills
•
allows students to work independently
•
allows students to work at an appropriate pace
•
targets learning styles and multiple intelligences
•
eliminates unnecessary skill practice
•
helps teacher keep track of each student’s progress
•
can be used for enrichment or whole-class activities
•
could be used a part of curriculum compaction
•
varies learning by content, process and product
What are the hazards of a learning contract?
• Discomfort, insecurity about reaching desired
academic goals/grade, fear because idea is
unfamiliar to many students
• Tensions: honesty in grading, autonomy vs.
heteronomy, illusion of vs. real empowerment
(ownership of learning)
• Time commitment
What are the issues of implementations of a learning
contract?
• Importance, nature & extent of teacher guidance
• Flexibility & freedom vs. structure & limitations
(Scope & quantity of decisions initially to be made
by student, idea of amendment to contract)
• Trust between teacher and student
• Class size & time commitment
• Comfort and teaching experience
"Contract learning is, in essence, an alternative way of
structuring a learning experience: It replaces a
content plan with a process plan."
-Malcolm S. Knowles
What are the components a learning contract?
•what will be learned (ie. outcomes, knowledge,
skills)
•how it will be learned (ie. activities, projects,
readings, learning behaviours)
•amount of time for learning (ie. due dates,
recommended duration periods for activites)
•how the work will be evaluated (ie. grading based on
pre-test results, total-point structure, rubrics posted
in advance, self-correction)
•signatures of student, teacher and possibly
parent/guardian (optional)
“..contract grading allows the instructor to incorporate
a number of learning principles into grade contracts.”
-Thompson and Poppen
What are the guidelines of a learning contract?
•ensure that student has mastered basic concepts (ie. pretesting)
•match the skills to the readiness of the learner
•match the content to readiness, interest, and learning profile
(ie. learning styles, multiple intelligences) of the student
•allow student choice, especially in the content-based topics
•provide rules for contract in writing
•establish clear and challenging standards for success
•blend both skills and content-based learning in the contract
•vary the levels of independence and time span to match student
readiness
What are the guidelines of a learning contract?
(cont’d)
•prepare enrichment activities and assemble materials (these
should require students to respond at more advanced levels of
cognitive domain theories (ie. Bloom’s Taxonomy, Ebel’s
Relevance Guide, Six Facets of Understanding [Wiggins &
McTighe])
•install a schedule for re-examining/revising contract with
individual student (if necessary)
•define what evidence will be presented to demonstrate that the
outcomes have been accomplished
•clearly explain how evidence will be evaluated
•specify how much credit is to be awarded and what grade is to
be given
What are the guidelines of a learning contract?
(cont’d)
•
refrain from giving excessive directions as instructor
•
emphasize self-competition & de-emphasize competition with
others (encouraging cooperative, peer learning activities)
•
develop with students a sense of freedom from the threat of
failure
•
provide feedback to student on the appropriateness of her or
his efforts through self-evaluation of student
•
generalize learning to other life situations
•
provide physical space for students on contracts to work
•
allow students to present products to whole class or smaller
group
•
allow students to return to non-contracted student group if
expectations of individual contracts not being met
“Instruction begins where the students are, not at the
front of the curriculum guide.”
-Carol Ann Tomlinson
What are the “DO”s of learning contracts?
•help students set realistic deadlines
•explain the role and function of contracts
•renegotiate the contract when it isn’t working
•involve students gradually in contract development
•start small, ie. 1- or 2-day contracts
What are the “DON’T”s of learning contracts?
•do not expect all students to be able to or want to
use contracts
•do not expect all students to like contracts
•do not assume contracts can take the place of
regular instruction
•do not use contracts without a good classroom
management system
"Allowing students to decide which grade they wish to
strive for, which activities they will engage in, and
how they will demonstrate that they have
satisfactorily completed their studies permits a
teacher to seize upon powerful motivating forces
within individual students.”
-Frymier
Questions for further discussion:
•What are consequences for off-task behaviour of
contracted students?
•Does contract learning increase paperwork for
teacher?
•How does a teacher reckon a grades for contracted
and non-contracted students in the same class?
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•
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BIBLIOGRAPHY & FURTHER READING:
•Caffarella, R. S., & Caffarella, E. P. (1986). Self-directedness and learning contracts in adult
education. Adult Education Quarterly, 36(4), 226 - 234.
•Cross, K. P. (1981). Adults as Learners. San Francisco, CA
•Knowles, M. S. (1975). Self-Directed Learning. New York: Cambridge, The Adult Education
Company.
•Knowles, M. S. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education From Pedagogy to Andragogy.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.
•Knowles, M. S. (1986). Using Learning Contracts. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.,
Publishers.
•Parke, B. N. (1989). Gifted Students in Regular Classrooms. Needam Heights, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
•Thompson, C. & Poppen, W. (1972). For Those Who Care: Ways of Relating to Youth.
Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.
•Tomlinson, C. (1995a). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
•Tomlinson, Carol Ann (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All
Learners. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
•Winebrenner, Susan (1992). Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom. Minneapolis, MA:
Free Spirit Publishing Inc.
•URL: http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiating_article.html. “Enhanced
Learning with Technology”
•URL: http://www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/readingdifferentiation.asp. “The
Access Center: Differentiated Instruction”
•URL: http://www.southlakecarroll.edu/index.htm. “Carroll Independent School District:
Differentiated Instruction”
•URL: http://www.ucd.ie/teaching/assess/as11.htm. “Learning Contracts”