ABSTRACT
The learning contract extracted from a student's contract describes the conflicting emotions common to many students' experiences. The views which have done most to inform the ideas are those communicated to people by students over a number of years by means of formal course evaluations, opinion surveys, informal discussions and written reflections. The major advantages as perceived by students are no pressure of competitive marks or examinations, motivation is higher, freedom to choose, and the advising process. Contracts promoting ownership and relevance expressed a strong sense of being in command of learning and undertaking a project they had personally initiated and in which they had a personal investment. In particular, setting objectives and determining assessment criteria proved most problematic. Advisers play a key role in the successful implementation of the method and need to discuss their expectations, particularly in regard to assessment criteria, very clearly with learners.
