Goals
Oftentimes, instructors lose sight of the fact that the overall course objective involves educating the students. The primary purpose when authoring a course should be to facilitate student learning and thinking. Additionally, we want to carry the goal even further by facilitating further learning.
Dr. Marcia L. Brown
Marek,
Right on. Keep making the connections for your students. It is essential. Thanks for your input.
I agree with what many folks have communicated in this thread. I teach general education courses, which appear to many students to not have a direct connection to the degree program that they are enrolled. Throughout the course I find it important to continually make the connection between their learning in my history/humanities courses with the big pircture. While the learning in my courses help them to be well-rounded it is also important to discuss how the research, communication, and critical thinking skills will help them in their new careers.
Giuseppe,
Integrating these principles into the learning is important. Keep it up.
In the field of Advanced Health and Fitness we want to establish Objectives or Principles with our students and then build off of those Principles into other areas of learning.
Leah,
Right on. We have to ensure student are set up for success, not set up for failure. Thanks for your input.
This is a great point especially for math courses. Many students leave the lower level math classes and must take future math courses. I think it is important that all instructors work together. Those that teach lower level math courses should be working with those who teach upper level courses to ensure that the objectives will carry over to the students future learning.
Mamie,
Definitely. The objective are of the utmost importance.
It's essential to keep the learning objectives at the forefront. I find when I manage the classroom using my objectives, it makes an easier or less challenging learning environment. Course objectives also gives me a sense of the big picture. If a student is at point A, objectives will help me guide them to point B and so on.
M. Allen
Lois,
How do you encourage students to learn more?
I'm not sure what you mean by distinguishing "further learning" from "student learning and thinking." Could you clarify?
Diana,
Right on. Thanks for bringing up Bloom's Taxonomy. We need to move students to higher levels of learning. Thanks!
As we create our courses, should we incorporate Bloom's Taxonomy or a similar hierarchy of learning within the structure of each class to encourage higher level thinking through every course?
Marcia,
Exactly. Helping students learn and meeting the learning outcomes should be connected. Thanks!
