The New Learning Compact

Why a New Learning Compact? Why Now?

The New Learning Compact (NLC) is designed to advance a new educational change framework, one that focuses central and unifying attention on professional learning – the nexus of teaching, learning, professional development, and institutional change. This continuous improvement model necessitates a paradigm shift, a fundamental change in the way that institutions and systems of higher education currently function, and in turn, the way that change efforts interact with those institutions and systems. The New Learning Compact Framework is grounded in the premise that neither change in individual practice nor structural change are by themselves sufficient. Transformational change requires an ecosystemic approach that links processes of individual change with institutional culture and structure, and individual institutions with networks and systems, through the involvement of external stakeholders and change initiatives.

The New Learning Compact Framework is developed by a group of leading educators and stakeholders and based on the best new research. It aims to strategically and effectively link change in individual practice with essential issues of community, institutional structure and systemic policy. This report is designed for use by institutions and educational improvement networks.

The NLC Framework is a cohesive resource that includes: Core Values, Core Principles, Inquiry Questions for Self-assessment and Planning, and Guidelines for Implementation and Evaluation. You’ll find not only an overview of its development, but also exercises designed specifically to guide you and your institution in developing a strategy for supporting professional development and learning.