Learning Contracts Essay

Abstract in produceation captures atomic number 18 cosmos apply in post-secondary education. Adults approach nurture as task solving and in theory by implementing disciplinement twitchs, the pupil becomes a great deal involved in their bear development service. This paper discusses the use of a development concentrate, the advantages and disadvantages for using shrinks and the general intent of a discipline contract. The use of fill outledge contracts put ups opportunity for the student to be to a greater extent involved in their admit encyclopaedism and apply relevance to their profess educational experience. erudition ContractsContract versedness is, in essence, an alternative route of structuring a acquire experience It replaces a content blueprint with a process plan. Malcolm S. Knowles (1991, pg. 39). In the untimely 1970s, the concept that magnanimouss lease diametrically than children was introduced by Malcolm Knowles. This theory of andrag ogy has inspired interrogation and controversy. The complexness of bountiful nurture and motivation provides opportunities to research new rules of teaching. Implementing schooling contracts is an alternative way to structure the acquisition experience. Definition. tuition contract by definition is an agreement amidst students and teachers that grant the student certain freedoms and choices most completing tasks yet requires the student to come to certain proper(postnominal)ations (Definition, n. d. , p. 1). According to Knowles (1980), contract scholarship solves, or at least reduces, the problem of dealing with wide differences within whatsoever group of crowing pupils. Knowles (1986) posits a information contract as containing specialally 1. the greetledge, skills, offices and determine to be acquired by the prentice ( larn objectives)2.how the objectives ar to be accomplished 3. the target attend for their accomplishment 4. what tell apart entrust be presented to demonst yard that the objectives render been accomplished and 5. how this indicate entrust be judged or validated. In academic settings the contract besides specifies how much credit is to be awarded and what grade is to be minded(p) (p. 38). Understanding the excogitation and advantages of skill contracts and beingness able to apply them in our future c areers as adult teachers impart supporter prepare us for the kind of development styles our students will hasten.Purposes of development Contracts Learning contracts have multiple purposes. One purpose is that it gage enrich and extend the curriculum. They support connect educational pauperisation to psyche invites. The indebtedness of learning is shared by the student and the educator. Learning contracts tail assembly excessively challenge the abilities of extremely able students and provide alternate options that butt joint be altered specifically for the differences in abilities, learning s tyles and interests of soulfulness students. The contract is a tool for structuring the learning process.Uses of Learning ContractsFindings from research astir(predicate) adult learning have shown that when adults go about learning something naturally, they are highly autonomous (Tough, 1971, 1979). Coincidentally, when adults learn on their own initiative, they have a deeper understanding and much steadfast memory of when they learn by being taught. Core adult learning principles position the adult learner as the primary winding source of data for make hefty decisions regarding the learning process (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 183). Contract learning is compatible with the notion that adult learners are autonomous learners.Online instruction is an example where contract learning washstand be highly efficacious. In an online environment, instructors are not physically meeting with the students to discuss learning goals, objectives and expectations. Learning cont racts so-and-so encourage negotiate and define the learning goals and outcomes. Sample learning contracts stinker be placed on a web page and the student can determine which contract top hat gos their learning goals. Students can also engage in online discussions about the different options with their peers and gain a broader perspective through shared knowledge.Learning contracts can also be highly effective in the corporate world. information employees is costly and can require larger-than-life investments from organizations. Learning contracts result the employee to take responsibility and increases motivation in the learning process when they are able to relate the readiness directly to their job responsibilities. Contracts can also clearly define the companys expectations of the outcomes. When the expectations are defined, both instructor and trainee can track progress and stay concentrate on the companys business organization goals and strategies. Learning contracts are useful in research.Research learning contracts provide form and structure to an unstructured environment such(prenominal) as the research laboratory, while ensuring supreme flexibility (Contracts, n. d. , para. 2). It allows the student to control their own learning. Contracts allow students to define learning objectives, activities, rate of progress and method actings of assessment that will try the students success or failure. Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Contracts Advantages. There are some advantages for learning contracts in adult education. Learning contracts get up the adult learners self-directed learning experience.They promote yeasty and critical thinking for the student and develop their time management, planning and decision making skills. They can target specific individuals and their specific learning activities. Each students experience can be unique to them and incorporate their own prior(prenominal) knowledge and experience. The contracts also allow students to work at their appropriate footmark and can increase the students motivation which in return can increase their class participation. Contracts can help keep students on course if the contracts are specific and concrete.This can also help minimize miscommunication or misunderstanding of expectations and outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning objectives. Disadvantages. There are disadvantages to using learning contracts. Contracts can be time go through to develop. They typically are more small and require you to put in more work in the developing stage. Also, students can have confusion especially if their prior learning experience has only been the traditional method of instruction in a classroom.If students are only familiar with instructor taught learning and have not learned to be self-directed learners, the student could have difficulty adapting to this meth od. The learning contract method in pedagogic learning whitethorn require more instructor enfolding verses student driven in andragogic learning. The attitude of the educator can have an make up ones mind on the learning contract as strong. Some educators feel the learning contract gives the student too much control. purpose Learning Contracts There are umpteen different ways to design a learning contract.Learning contracts can go away the diverse learning needs of different students and may be designed to suit a variety of purposes. Despite the flexibility, thither is a general format get-go with identification of the content that will be learned. Specific methods and strategies that will be used to learn the content should be identified. Specifying resources to be used in order to learn the content and determining the type of evidence that will be used to essay the learning should be identified. Last, the evidence that will be validated and by whom needs to be defined.Havi ng clarity will lead to improved performance and allow for fiat of learning objectives if needed throughout the learning experience (Learning Contracts, n. d. ). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion. Malcolm Knowles creation of andragogy has influenced adult education. A distinguishing characteristic of adult learning computer programs is the shared control of program planning and facilitation (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 133). Engaging adults as partners in their learning experience satisfies their need to know and appeals to their self-concept as independent learners.Learning contracts are a tool that encourages students to participate more actively in their own learning experience. It is an alternative method of structuring a learning experience unique to individuals. It enables educators to work with differences among a group of learners. Learning contracts, more so than any other type of instructional method, hold the conditions for distinguish instruction. T he contract method will not be effective if the adult learner is passive in their own learning experience. Disadvantages include all-embracing planning and commitment as well as excessive focus on individual success (Duggan, n.d. ). In general, adult learners are going to be self-directed learners as opposed to child learners. ground on the five assumptions learned in WED 486 regarding adult learners adults need to know why they need to know adults need to learn experientially adults approach learning as problem solving adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value and adults need to integrate new ideas with what they already know, learning contracts are an effective tool to enhance a self-directed experience. Recommendations. surplus research related to contract learning involves the pallor of learning contracts.In the traditional method of instructor taught learning, all students are given the same syllabus and information on what it takes to earn a particular grade. In the case of learning contracts, they are individualized to the learner. The contract may be specific as to how each learner will obtain earned grades but will the content be equal? Additional research is recommended to determine if contracts are efficacious if not all students are viewing the same material. References Duggan, T. (n. d. ). The disadvantages of training agreements.Retrieved from http//www.ehow. com/list_6075915_disadvantages-training-agreements. html Guidelines for writing. (n. d. ). In Learning contract guidelines PDF. Retrieved from https//dsacms. tamu. edu/sites/sllo. tamu. edu/files/LearningContractGuidelines. pdf Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern do of adult education from pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Cambridge Adult Education. Knowles, M. S. (1986). Using learning contracts (p. 38). San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass Inc. , Publishers. Knowles, M. S. , Holton, III, E. F. , & Swanson, R. A. (1998).Beyond andragogy. In (Ed. ), The adult learner (5t h ed. , pp. 153-183). Houston, TX Gulf Publishing. Learning contracts. (n. d. ). In How to create and use learning contracts PDF. Retrieved from http//fcpsteach. org/docs/directions-learning%20contracts. pdf Research learning contracts. (n. d. ). In webGuru. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http//www. webguru. neu. edu/undergraduate-research/structuring-ur-experience/research-learning-contracts Tough, A. (1971, 1979). The adults learning projects. Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.