How can a conversational personal contract improve self-directed learning? week5

I read reading materials of week 5 twice. At first I something happened and I just did not have time to write reading reflection. When I started to write this blog I realised that to understand my own comments I have to read it once again.
What I liked in this week reading was the practical guidance was practical part: quite a lot practical samples how to write/create learning contract.

First some thought about/ from material:

Self-directed learning requires intrinsic motivation and this can not be underestimated. But we are not alone in this world. Learning takes place in social environment. If this environment does not support intrinsic motivation then adults don’t want to take the responsibility. In the middle of learning process almost everybody need support: from relatives, friends, facilitators, learning environment, …
So we can not count only on students intrinsic motivation - they do have a lot of influencies from outside. So we have to talk about external motivation at the same time.


"Self and self-direction are the subjective concepts influenced by many factors. Self-directed learning activities take always place in a certain social context and cannot be separated from that social setting and other people (Brockett & Hiemstra 1991). Thus, we cannot talk about pure autonomy and absolute freedom, rather self-direction is framed by other individuals and groups (Lindeman, 1926). Furthermore, environment and surrounding culture, social spaces and communities we create and belong to, people we communicate determine our consciousness and dictate our self-directed activities."


I really liked efficiency matrix.

Conversational contract

"Learner defined contracts (e.g. in ePortfolios) are facilitated and periodically evaluated by other knowledgeable persons when learning proceeds. Conversational contracts presume that, as learning procedure continues the contracts should be updated according to facilitators comments. "

In my opinion conversational contracts are just feedback and they influence self-directed learning in the same way any feedback influences learning. This offers to the learners the possibility to review their learning and improve their aims, expected outcomes, resources required. Facilitator can support learners development and (intrinsic) motivation, give some suggestions/ directions how to move forward. Conversational contract supports interaction/discussion between learner and facilitator and therefore can
• increase the quality of learning and
• be a basis for mutual learning (facilitator from learner and learner from facilitator).