‘Contracts’ require ‘two parties’ to agree to something and, in response to Stephen’s comment, it would not be imaginable for a teacher to agree to a student doing nothing during the course of a semester. In other words, under the terms Stephen describes, a contract would not even exist.
In a sense, we have always had learning contracts – with rewards and penalties – even though few of us have ever signed on the dotted line in formal written agreements as is described here. Going to school and passing courses has always been about fulfilling obligations / meeting expectations. What the ‘new learning agreement’ is doing is actively involving (even empowering) students in the evaluation process the learning experience. After having experienced years in the more traditional course structure, students, however, are not always comfortable with the ‘ball being thrown into their court’ in this way. I know that when I first encountered this system – as an adult – I initially felt somewhat lost. I am, therefore, interested in hearing more about your experience.