How to Use Contract Grading for College Students

All but two of the individuals who took their seat the first night of class were older than 25. After agreeing to teach this and a second journalism class, I learned that most of my students were working adults. It was the perfect opportunity to use contract grading for college students.

What is Contract Grading?

This type of student evaluation has its roots in the pass/fail euphoria found in colleges and universities in the 1960s and 1970s. According to Michigan State University Professor Joseph R. Codde, learning contracts represent an alternative way to structure the educational experience. The contract represents a process versus a content plan.

One of the most common types agreements used in contract grading at the college or university level is the multiple-option grade contract, former high school and college instructor Ron Partin reports. Each student receives a written description of his or her grade options. The work required typically includes a mix of activities such as weekly assignments, class attendance, achievement on quizzes and exams, overall class participation, and independent projects.

The unit of measurement for a multiple-option grade contract is usually points. For example, the contract might require achieving 500 points for an A, 400 for a B, or 300 for a C. Very few include any provision for a D. All contracts should specify the consequences for failing to meet the terms to which the student and the educator have agreed.

Advantages of Contract Grading

For college students working full time, contract grading provides the option to take courses outside the major and other classes in which earning an A isn't the most important concern. Many are busy parents who are perfectly willing to accept a B or even a C to either earn enough hours to graduate or to experience a new academic area.

There's no question about fairness. All students know what they need to do to fulfill their respective contracts. They also know they're responsible for the grades they earn. They have little incentive to cheat or "brown nose" the instructor.

Contract grading encourages individualized assignments and instruction. Not every botany student has to pull leaves off the same campus trees for a project. This individualized approach sometimes also surprises students when they perceive they have specific academic shortcomings. It also allows them to incorporate occupational experiences into the course.

Each student competes with himself, not his peers. This builds confidence. If everybody scores 95 percent on a test, most likely the class understood the material. No hair pulling at the end of the term to "curve" the grades is necessary.

Educators must apply high standards to preparation. The instructor or professor needs to focus on the most important goals for the course. As a result, he or she has a clear idea before the first class meeting as to exactly how students will be different by the last session.

Disadvantages of Contract Grading

The flip side of offering an objective way of evaluating students is that such a standard requires a lot of effort on the part of the educator. There's typically a significant amount of recordkeeping and very little subjective evaluation at the end of the term. This takes time.

In certain advanced courses where projects are completed as a team, it can be difficult to discern the level of achievement of each team member.

In addition, students tend to perceive their instructor as more of a resource than an authority figure. This can be uncomfortable for some educators.

Contract Content

A good contract grading document should reveal the specific measures for each grade option and the target date for each accomplishment. It should detail the specific learning objectives and indicate what the student will need to present as evidence that he or she has accomplished them.

The contract should also describe how the evidence will be evaluated, how much credit is linked to it, and how this relates to the grade option selected.

Many college educators have used this form of evaluation for independent studies for decades. However, contract grading for college students can be used just as successfully in the traditional classroom setting or with online learning.

Sources:

https://www.msu.edu/user/coddejos/contract.htm

http://ronpartin.com/pdf_files/grades.pdf