The Learning Contract

The learning contract is a formal document, which is registered in the student's academic folder. It is to field placement what the syllabus is to the classroom and becomes the basis for the student's end-of-the-quarter written evaluation.

The field experience is focused on achievement of a core set of goals with different objectives for each quarter (refer to "Field Education Goals" in this manual). The objectives vary depending on the student's level of study (undergraduate, first-year graduate, and second-year or advanced-standing graduate). The learning contract is jointly developed by the field instructor and the student and is submitted to the field liaison for input and concurrence. As outlined previously in this manual, the augmented field instructor is also involved in submitting elements and in reviewing and approving the learning contract.

As stated above, the Department of Social Work has stated goals and objectives for the focus of the field experience. Taking into account the student's individual learning needs, the field instructor matches these goals and objectives with agency projects and learning opportunities available at that particular site. This becomes the foundation for the learning contract document.

The learning contract must include the following components:

• Seven Goals of Field Education
• Outcome objectives as developed by the Field Office
• Learning tasks associated with each stated objective
• Role of the student in completing each learning task
• Roles others will take in helping to design, coordinate, or assist the student with the learning tasks
• Targeted time period for task completion
• Method, criteria, and responsibility for evaluation of the student's work

The learning contract may be developed to span one quarter at a time, or it may be developed for the academic year with specific learning tasks for each quarter. Either way, it must be submitted (or modified and resubmitted) to the field liaison each quarter.

The learning contract serves as a basis for the quarterly evaluation of the student (refer to "Evaluation of Student Performance in the Field Practicum").

Procedures: For each quarter, by the date listed in the field calendar in this manual, the student, in collaboration with his or her field instructor(s), must prepare a formal learning contract, which contains the components outlined above. The process of completing the learning contract document is as follows:

1. It is anticipated that the student will have discussions with the field instructor and will take thorough notes regarding agency projects, expected student roles, supervisory roles, timeframes, and evaluation procedures. The student will then put together a formal document that includes descriptive elements and detailed expectations regarding his or her work and performance while in the field placement.
2. The learning contract is a mutually agreed upon contract and is submitted to the field liaison after both the student and the field instructor are satisfied with its contents. Therefore, a follow-up conference between the student and the field instructor may be necessary, prior to that submittal, in order to incorporate refinements and details that come to mind as the student progresses in his or her understanding of the agency.
3. When the augmented field instructor is involved with a student's learning, the student will request that he or she review the learning contract and provide suggestions or additions.
4. Finally, the field liaison will review the learning contract and may request clarifications regarding the student's activities, the student's role, or the evaluation methods.
5. The student is responsible for typing the learning contract and for obtaining all required signatures. The learning contract pages should be numbered and stapled together. The student makes two copies, one for self and one for the field instructor.
6. The student submits the final learning contract document to the field liaison with the previous draft attached. After the student submits the final learning contract to the field liaison, she will review it, sign off, and submit it to the student's academic record maintained in the department.
7. The student and the field instructor, in collaboration, may amend the learning contract throughout the quarter, as changes in the agency situation occur. The student should notify the field liaison of significant changes.
8. All should consider the learning contract as a tool to structure the field experience and to keep track of essential learning experiences for the student for the quarter. In this way, it could become an outline or a checklist for structuring the weekly supervision experiences between the student and the field instructor.
9. The learning contract becomes the foundation for the student's evaluation, which will be completed at the end of the quarter (refer to "Evaluation of Student Performance in the Field Practicum").

Learning Contract Elements: The following presents a list of the elements of the learning contract document:

1. The title: "Learning Contract".
2. At the left-hand margin, include the student's name, the agency name, and the academic quarter.
3. Type in the appropriate field learning goals and objectives for the quarter or download from the field website or from an e-mail from the department administrator. The seven field goals are the same for all student levels and all quarters. However, the objectives are different for each student level and for each quarter, and the student should use the correct objectives for his or her level of study and for the current quarter.
4. For each objective, describe a learning task or project, emphasizing the student's role; a description of the roles of the field instructor or other agency personnel; a target date for completion; and a description of the evaluation method, criteria, and person responsible.
5. Create signature and date lines for the field instructor, augmented field instructor (if applicable), field liaison, and student.

See Sample Learning Contracts