Adult learners in higher education and training

Malcolm Knowles was an expert adult educator who worked very hard on the theory of Andragogy, which is an art and science of helping adults learn (Warnick & Straquadine). According to him, the learning contract deals with the fundamental principles of adult learning. Specifically;
1) Adults feel the responsibility for their own learning and assessment.
2) Every person has his own set of experiences which he brought with himself while learning. This can be very useful as it can help in developing a useful intellectual pool.
3) Adults are more eager to learn something when they can see an opportunity for satisfying their personal goals.
4) Every individual is different; their way of understanding, their learning pace and styles. All of this contributes in incorporating various different outside goals, pressures and circumstances.
Wherever these basic principles can be spotted, contract-learning tool can be effectively put to use. According to Knowles, students that are used to more conventional style of learning may have troubles in adjusting with contract learning. They will need to reorient themselves to get the most out of their learning contract. These students are usually those who have a habit of following orders and directions from others (Boak, 1998).
Contract learning demands from the students to demonstrate conceptual skills to establish evidence or proof of their learning. Contract learning allows adults to choose the area of learning that they are more interested in. This option of exercising personal choice in learning appears to contribute towards productive learning. As a result, individuals develop their own learning skills through contract learning (Boak, 1998).

LEARNING CONTRACT
LEARNER ________________ LEARNING EXPERIENCE Human Resource Management
OBJECTIVES
(What are you going to learn?)
RESOURCES & STRATEGIES
(How are you going to learn?)
EVIDENCE
(How will you know you learned it?)
VALIDATION
(How will you prove that you learned it?)
TARGET DATES
(When will it be completed?)
Strategic Management
Business Proposals
General Management
Employee Motivation
Reviewing prescribed material on the subject time and again. Practicing score card approach to practice strategic management.
Reading and mastering at least two scholarly books on this subject
Taking all the tasks of life as a challenge and trying to be as organized as possible. The material I read in the books on the subject of management should be applied in daily life.
At this point, learning motivational skills from books is the only source of learning. Later I would join the HR department to learn employee motivation on the job
By answering questions on my own given at the end of each chapter of the book. The more I get right, the more I learn.
By writing business proposals professionally. The moment I will get paid to write a business proposal will be a good indication that I have learned it.
By attaining that position where managing becomes a habit and integral part of me.
Currently taking online quizzes on employee motivation and scoring satisfactorily is a good indication
Developing a strategy for all of everyday problems of life. Making an effective studying strategy.
One of my professionally written business proposals brings business to my client.
Handling difficult tasks with efficiency and completing them within available time.
By motivating my friends and colleagues in their respective professional fields
April 2012
April 2012
April 2012
Dec 2012
References
Boak, G. (1998). A complete guide to learning contracts. (p. 6, 39). Gower Publishing, Ltd. Retrieved from http://books. google. com. pk/books? hl= en&lr=&id= kMiIW9UrSuUC&oi= fnd&pg= PP13&dq= learning contracts, Knowles&ots= zMKsGkVeF-&sig= 2KKYSiQzx3fCQf6zXah5qjGIzcU
Warnick, B., & Straquadine, G. (n. d.). Andragogy: Application for higher education. Informally published manuscript, Agricultural Systems Technology and Educatio, Utah State University. Retrieved from http://www. teach-usda. ahnrit. vt. edu/best_practice/presentations/pdfs/Andragogy. pdf
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). Using the balanced score card as the strategic management system . Harvard Business Review, 75-85. Retrieved from http://mtweb. mtsu. edu/jclark/698/articles/698-UsingtheBalancedScorecard. pdf
Wikipedia contributors. (2011). Proposal (business). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Proposal_(business)