I think that it is important to have a guide to keep you on track, not just as a student but as an instructor as well. I like that it lays out goals for the class and gives you a tentative schedule to follow. I am a very structured person and I live by the saying without organization and structure there is chaos.
Sarah,
Your last sentences really puts this value of clear goals and objectives in perspective. A definition of learning I like is "learning is like trying to take a drink out of a fire hose." You are helping through your goals and objectives students to see how they can take that drink and get the needed knowledge and skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important because they are the essentials steps in building the blueprint that creates a living, breathing, learning experience. Before I set my goals and objectives, I spoke with the Director of Education. I was developing a course for the Academic Department and I wanted to make it relevant to the culinary industry. We wanted to design a Verbal Communications Class that would foster teamwork, as well as help the individual student find their voice: they could explore their role on a team, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and explore and discover their uniqueness; that they can bring to the interview: how to match their talents with a company. It was a daunting tasks but I was up to the challenge.
First I thought of the end goal. What do I want their achievement to look like? What will the accomplishment be? Will it be the start of something they can build on in other classes?
I spoke with the academic classes that came after me, observed the progression of the culinary and baking and patisserie classes and what they needed students to do, and how the career services fit in to the mix. All of these components affected the goal making process. It was only then that I could break down the process into learning objectives. That was difficult because I also had to factor in the time limit: 28 days to impact and plant a seed of knowledge that can grow. That is not a lot of time so learning objectives have to be strong and implementation has to be even stronger.
So that the students fully understand what is expected of them throughout the course.
Sally,
What are some of the ways that they do in terms of your instructional planning?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Kareme,
Well said and I love the quote you used because as you have illustrated it is so true. The more we bring structure to our goals and objectives the more honed in our students will be in terms of outcomes. This sets up a win win situation for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Who was it that said that if you don't know where you are going that you'll probably end up somewhere else? I believe it was Yogi Berra.
At any rate, this is absolutely true in the classroom. But, having clear goals and objectives as an instructor doesn't equate to clear goals and objectives in students' minds. So, I would assert that it's not only important to deliberately design the goals and objectives of a course but to articulate those over and over and over again. And then, do it once more.
Developing clear goals and objectives also requires taking a moment to establish in students' awareness that markers along the way have been met. This helps all parties note the progress that is made. It also helps students to see that the promises made through the course have been fulfilled. Developing goals, meeting them, and acknowledging that they have been delivered are all part of this essential process.
Mark,
I agree and like this way of sharing the day's objectives and activities with students. I think this method gets their attention and helps them to focus on the contents of the class for that day.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Perhaps it was ingrained in my high school teacher training, but I write down the objectives of the day before each class. I feel that it not only informs the students of what we will accomplish that class, but it provides structure. There is also a component of guidance whereupon if a student arrives late or has to leave early, they are aware of what might be missed.
Kelly,
It gets everyone on the same level of understanding in terms of where the course is going to go and what the expectations are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having clear goals and objectives also shows the usefulness and relevance of the subject matter. It helps connect it to the career application.
I like having very clear goals and objectives. This helps the students understand exactly what I expect of them and what they should expect from the course. I break down a day by day included with my syllabus that outlines the whole class time including topics/chapters to be covered and break times. A lot less questions and this also helps if a student misses a day. They know what was missed and what homework is due upon their return.
SO the students and instructor have a clear path of direction on learning objective, content and time frames. Many people like to plan ahead or have direction.
I find this essential to learning and to a classroom environment. Clear goals allow the students to know exactly what is expected of them and where that will lead.
Bettye,
Right you are. Everyone needs to have an understanding of the goals and objectives for the course and then build from there in terms of course expectations and requirements.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Many students enters the classroom with a diverse background, we must take in comsideration of their understanding of the semantic verbage when developing goals and objectives. Every student should know what the learning expectations are in their class.
Tonya,
You used two great resources to gain insight on how to set goals and objectives for your courses. With clear and concise goals and objectives you create a learning path for your students and this will enhance their understanding of what the course expectations are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Setting clear goals and objectives allows students to accurately understand what is being taught and what they should be learning, and it allows the instructor to objectively and accurately measure learning.
I am in my first year of teaching and sometimes struggled to set clearly measurable objectives as learning objectives. I use Harvard's School of Education tools for instructing and Bloom's Taxonomy to help me along the way.
Katherine,
Right you are because clear goals and objectives gets everyone looking toward what will be and what it is going to take to achieve the shared goals and objectives.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
