I feel that it is definitely important to have clear goals and objectives before starting every new class. This will allow the students to understand exactly what is expected of them in regards to academics as well as school policy. This will help with the problems that might crop up later if you gave them a clear understanding.This will also ease their minds as to what is expected of them.
Nothing like knowing which bowling pins need to be knocked down!
Nothing like knowing which mountain peak to climb in the mountain range!
Students really need to know where the class/course is going and how they are going to get there. Clear goals/objectives is the "map" of how they can successfully completed the course.
Hi Gayle,
This is why a well prepared syllabus is so important. It is a win for the students, a win for the instructor and a win for the college when clear and concise information has been shared.
Gary
I manage a dental assisting program that was just evaluated by an accrediting agency. Having clear goals and objectives listed on the syllabi were very important to them. The rationale is the students must be aware of what is expected of them as far as which course material they will be responsible for, how they are to be evaluated, what the retake policy is and what the passing grade percentages measuring proficiency are. Students need to have this outline as a roadmap to their continued success.
Goals can help students do better, they know whats coming and can better plan for what they need.
Providing this type of insight is essential for the student's success. They need a clear path to success. Providing them the knowledge of the skills and materials they must master is essential.
Providing this type of insight is essential for the student's success. They need a clear path to success. Providing them the knowledge of the skills and materials they must master is essential.
It is important to keep focused. With clear goals and objectives one can focus on the tasks at hand and not meander. This is especially true when we want to share experiences with the students. The goals and objectives help keep us on task.
I believe you mean "why" instead of "what". It is important because it focuses the students on what is important to take away from the course they are attending. Without them, a student may focus on the wrong information; information that is not necessarily important to what the instructor is trying to teach.
Hi Stephanie,
Sorry to hear about the loss of the position as a result of not having the complete course content available to you as a student. The up side of this is that you have a great opportunity to share your example/life experience with your students and reinforce that what you are teaching them is content and skills that they will need to succeed.
Gary
Having goals will also help students to understand why it is important to retain the things we teach. I explain to my students that it is very important for them to understand the blow flow of the heart because I did not learn it as a MA student and it actually costs me a position in a cardiology office.
I believe that having goals set forth is to inform the student the content to be covered within the course. What is expected from each student, & the "black & white" of passing the course. It also arms the student with the knowledge of what he/she needs to better prepare themselves
In order to constantly give context to each component of the project as to how it affects other aspects that may come much later in the process.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives for the course because the students need to understant what is expected of them. It is also very important that they understand the subject matter.
It gives students more clarity of what is expected of the course and make them stay on the right track.
If I don't have a clear goal for myself, I would never be able to get a point across in class.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably end up someplace else.†(Laurence J. Peter)
You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.†(Yogi Berra). Just think for a minute how these little sentences make a huge difference and how they reflect you as an instructor?
Developing clear goals and objectives can significantly help not only your students to learn better and have clear understanding about the subject, but also it helps you stay on track, but knowing how to develop clear goals and objectives is not an innate skill, it is something that come with experience and hard work.
Everyon not only needs a roadmap to get to one's destination, but one needs to make sure that they have the right roadmap. It would be very difficult to get around Dallas, TX if I only have a map of Los Angeles, CA.
So the students have a clear path of what is expected of them and keep the class on track in the allotted time. It also acts as a check-off for the instructor to meet all the goals expected.
