Using and Developing Learning Contracts

Learning contracts are widely used in adult education, but they can also be effective in the business evironment.

A UK Training News exclusive, written by Dick James.

The use of learning contracts with adult learners has become almost standard practice during the past decade. All trainers can make use of them to engage the trainees and help to develop the most effective training programmes.

What is a Learning Contract?

A learning contract is a written document that draws the trainer and trainee together in taking equal responsibility for the training and development. Trainees must be involved in the development of their own individual learning contract. Training needs, objectives, resources and strategies are identified in a partnership between trainer and trainee and written into the contract. In this way, the trainee develops a sense of ownership and commitment of their own training. If appropriate, the employees line manager should also be involved in the process and sign the contract.

Purpose of a Learning Contract.

A learning contract is multipurpose tool that benefits both the trainee and the trainer. It can lead to more effective employee training because it provides:

• Essential information to the developers of the training program about the trainees needs and expectations.
• An opportunity for trainees to clarify what they want to accomplish prior to, during, and after the training.
• Pre-event preparation for a training course, highlighting objectives and methods.

How to develop a Learning Contract.

Provide the trainee a blank contract form, like in the example below. The trainer or manager should outline what his or her objectives for the training and allow plenty of time for the trainee to complete the form. Emphasise the need to set realistic goals and objectives. As painstaking as writing objectives can be, there is a reason for doing so: learning is enhanced by establishing a clear vision of what you want to learn and by creating indicators that can be used as evidence of accomplishment. The forms should be completed by the trainee and signed by both the trainee and the trainer before the commencement of any formal training course.

A good learning contract should contain the following sections:

1. Competency Areas - an opportunity to for the trainee to identify the areas of their job they could improve with particular skills. It is probably best to focus on no more than three skill areas at a time.
2. Knowledge / Abilities Needed - this section of the contract helps trainees focus on exactly what it is about the identified skill areas that they want to learn. This should be stated on the contract in the form of specific objectives.
3. Resources and Strategies - a valuable section, which the trainer can use to determine an appropriate mix of training techniques. Would the trainee find formal training, reading materials or practical experience more useful?
4. Barriers - often there are situations, events, or attitudes that interfere with learning. Giving space to identify those problems here will lead to more effective training later on.
5. Settings - identify the settings which the trainee expects to apply and/or practice the skills they wish to learn. Using these "real life" examples in the training makes it much more meaningful.
6. Evidence of Accomplishment - For each skill area, the trainee should list indicators they can use as evidence that they have mastered the skill. The more specific the indicators, the easier it will be to evaluate whether or not they have accomplished what they set out to learn.

 

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