Contract learning is an educational tool in which the student and the instructor agree on benchmark standards and long-term learning objectives. It provides a process learning plan as an alternative to a content learning plan. Participation of the student in the process can lay the groundwork for a lifelong love of learning.
Contract learning is most commonly used in self-directed learning, but it can also be found in traditional classroom settings. Contract learning teaches students to be more engaged in their educations and to identify the steps necessary to achieve their long-term learning objectives. A student who needs to learn about the universe, for example, might make a contract stating which planet he will study each week and by what benchmarks he will demonstrate that he has learned the material.
Each learning contract is unique, but they typically include the learning objective, how the objective will be met, a deadline for completion, and how the student will demonstrate the newly acquired knowledge. This is something that both the student and the instructor should be aware of. There should also be a clause specifying the grade or grade point the student will receive for each benchmark met.
If a student is studying plants, the contract might state that if he or she can name all plant parts, explain how plants pollinate, and discuss five plants native to his or her geographic area, he or she will receive the highest grade. If a student only completes part of these objectives, he or she will receive a lower grade or score. When the contract is written, all of these elements should be agreed upon.
The responsibility for learning is shifted back to the student through contract learning. Rather than a teacher deciding how a student will learn a concept, the student determines the steps and process that will be followed. This method of instruction is commonly used in homeschooling. Students who complete their contracts successfully are often able to continue their studies on their own throughout their lives.
Contract learning is a concept that is used from preschool to college. The student and the instructor both write and sign contracts. Contracts are sometimes subjected to an evaluation process in which other educators review them on a regular basis to ensure that they are properly written and judged fairly.