Introducing learning contracts: A flexible way to learn

The negotiated learning contract is potentially one of the most useful tools available to those interested in promoting flexible approaches to learning. A learning contract is able to address the diverse learning needs of different students and may be designed to suit a variety of purposes both on course and in the workplace. However, contracts need to be carefully introduced and supported and problems can arise if they are used in inflexible ways. This paper draws upon research conducted into the use of learning contracts to identify key issues which need to be considered before using them, and to suggest ways in which they may be developed. The authors make several recommendations for introducing contract learning and identify different styles of contracting in academic courses.