Clear goals and objectives help to communicate to students what they will be learning and the skills they will have acquired by the end of the class. Setting forth clear expectations and then providing the resources for students to meet course goals helps minimize confusion and frustration.
To show the students in which direction they are going and what they will learn and experience along the way. Clear goals and objectives will also provide me as the instructor a guide to assist me in covering the course contents.
Children need structure - so do students. Without structure, students do not know what to expect, what the requirements are for each assignment and how they will be graded on the work.
It is like providing the program for a play - without the program you won't know when the 'fat lady sings!'
Providing goals and objectives for the course during the first class will allow students to ask questions, review the course schedule, and find out what materials they need.
Hi Dianne,
You are right on with your comments about the need for clear and concise goals. Without them there will be frustration on the part of everyone. Most of us have had a course in our backgrounds where the instructor was disorganized and it was hard to tell exactly what was going on in the course as well as what it took to pass the course. We know how we felt then so we need to make sure that none of our students ever have to go through that type of experience.
Gary
I believe that developing clear goals is akin to the old adage "if you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?" Without goals a teacher, at best, flounders in the classroom. Without goals, objectives cannot be established; and without objectives there is no clear measurement to establish that learning has taken place or skills have been developed. In that event, both the student and the teacher have failed.
Not only does having clear goals help me to be prepared and stay on task it allows the student to see expectations and get excited about what they are learning. Different students enjoy different topics and I like to think that my courses included something for everyone.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives for your course so that the student has an understanding of what he/she will be learing and the expectations for the class. They will know exactly how they will be assessed and the timeline for which this goal should be completed. The expectations are set for the student so there is no guessing. These goals should also be formed to help the student understand its relevance to his/her future profession. This helps to increase motivation for a student to accomplish the goal when they can see how it will be necesary in the working world.
It is also important to have achievable goals or the students will not be motivated to continue on. Clear goals and objectives will aid in this.
The reason why it is important to have clear goals and objectives for the course is two-fold. It provides instructors with a means to evaluate the pacing of the course. It provides students with motivation as it demonstrates the competencies they can achieve after successfully completing the course.
Where the students know what will be exspected of them to know and do when the lesson is done.
Clear goals and objectives help to ease the anxiety of some new students in the class. I teach in a modular program, so I constantly have new students blending with more senior students. I believe it to be completely beneficial to all students when everyone understands what is expected of them.
As a Clinical Instructor the goals are well established. And the students understand that these are not arbitary. A succesful procedure with no breaks in technique is always the goal. Knowing how to fix a break in technique is the next best.
THis minimizes confusion and ambiguity.\
Students can align there patterns of preparation and studying knowing the goals and objectives to pass the course.
Hi Kathy,
Good way to refresh where the class has been and where it is going in the coming weeks. This way the students can see that they have accomplished a lot in the short time they have been in class.
Gary
I think it is very important to state clear, direct objectives and realistic goals on your syllabus. It helps the student understand what is expected of them throughout the course. Without, clear goals and objectices students become confused and discouraged to learn.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives for your students and yourself to know what will be learned in the course. At mid-term, I read off the objectives from the syllabus and have the class determine if we have covered each objective.
I think it is important for both the instructor as well as the student to understand, what it is were trying to achieve. Surprises are not fun once the grading starts.
I want to provide the students and myself a clear path to exactly what they are supposed to get out of my class and a way for all of us to get there.
By listing clear goals and objectives, you define for the student exactly what the contents of your course will be all about. They will have a tangible goal to move forward towards. It allows them to know what you expect of them, and more importantly, what they should expect from themselves in reaching those goals.
Hi June,
Great to hear about how you approach the classroom and the thought you are putting into how you can expand your instructional offerings. This is what makes good teachers great! Keep up your good work.
Gary
