Larry,
This is a great observation. In addition, students will need to have "structured" patterns of learning, so that they can assimilate to the workforce.
Tremayne Simpson
Students need structure to learn. They have been taught in a sequential fashion almost thier entire lives. The material i teach is based on carry forward knowledge and building on that requires the structure provided.
Sean,
Good observation. It is important to make sure that the daily class agenda is ultimately aligned with the course learning objects. This way students will know that each day of class, counts towards meeting the learning objectives.
Tremayne Simpson
Martha,
What is the procedure for revising/creating learning objectives at your institution? Do instructors have full authority to change the course learning objectives or must they be revise by committee?
Tremayne Simpson
This is very important because it gives the students an idea of what they will be learning on that day rather than just having aa "class agenda displayed
TERESITA,
I agree. It is also important to keep the "learning taxonomy" in mind when constructing learning objectives, in order to provide the students with the best "path" for understanding and retaining course information.
Tremayne Simpson
Martha,
It is very important that we collaborate with our fellow instructors, to ensure consistency in all sections of the course and for a universal acceptance and understanding of the learning objectives.
Tremayne Simpson
Caren,
As I mentioned earlier in the post, students are always wondering "what's in it for me?" when they begin a course. Making sure that they are able to see the reasoning behind course learning objectives, will enable them to be "vested" in the class.
Tremayne Simpson
Adel ,
Understanding the individual goals of your students is important. I assign a "student goals survey" activity (on the first day of class), to gage the individual interests of my students. Once I have reviewed them, I am able to inform them of how the course can be used to align with their goals, which generally has a positive effect on their class participation.
Tremayne Simpson
Learning to construct learning objectives is an important part of instructional planning because it will guide the students on what to expect about the subject matter, the knowledge they will gain and how to apply them in real life.
Totally agree.
I have had to adjust or even change previous teachers objectives in order to improve and balance what students need to learn throughout the course.
Constructing learning objectives is crucial and deserves attention because they serve as road maps and helps prepare students for the real world. They ensure student's have what it takes to not only go in the industry or field but also to survive in it. They measure the skill level student's must and will accomplish in order to complete, pass, and satisfy the course and even exceed expectations.
We need to be able to create a pathway for our students to take when they are in our course. The more solid the path, the more comfortable they will be in our class.
great point, its important to understand what the students' goals are and what they expect to get out of the class. that way you can bridge the gap, if any, between the curriculum and supplemental materials or to fill in when there is free time.
Ryan,
I also provide my students with these materials on the first day of the course and make sure to let them know that the schedule is "subject to change" based on additional materials that I may add to each individual lecture. It is important that this is done on the first day of the course, because it sets a professional precendence for the direction of the class.
Tremayne Simpson
We must write down clear and defined objectives for our students entering the industry that we are training them for. Without our understanding of our own learning objectives we are just repeating another persons information (which the students can see and hear) and setting our students up for failure!
On the first day of each course, each student is given a detailed course schedule. On it are the daily objectives, activities, and optional extra reading material to reinforce or expand upon what is to be covered in class. This gives the students an opportunity to know up front what they will be doing on any given day, and gives them the chance to study ahead of time so they have a better understanding when the lectures arrive.
Jeanne,
In addition, the learning objective verbiage has to be clear and measurable for the student and instructor.
Tremayne Simpson
eric,
Excellent observation. As I explained earlier in the post, it is important that the instructor is fully vested in the learning objectives of the course, if not they may not be able to create effective assessment tools and valid activities for the students.
Tremayne Simpson
It is extremely important to know how to effectively construct learning objectives. Without clear objectives, it will be difficult to cover all of the needed material in an organized fashion.
