Hi Dr. Viar,
I agree with your comments. Starting a new course is stressful enough without having to try to interpret what the instructor is saying in relation to how to pass the course. By having a well developed syllabus the requirements, expectations and policies of the course can be spelled out and the students can start to see how they can be successful in the course. This reduces anxiety and fear and increases confidence in student ability.
Gary
I agree that the learner and the instructor should be able to have the information on what to expect from each other. I give them a syllabus with objectives, a class "itinerary", and in front of each powerpoint I place what the objectives are for that class. I go over the objectives before I begin the lecture. However, I am still finding students having difficulty with the learning process. In the non-traditional classroom the lack of or poor study habits are quite pronounced. Any suggestions on how I can help these students?
Personally, I do not believe it is the task of the learner to try to interpret what the course is about, but rather to concentrate on the course content and objectives. For many learners, at least initially, the beginning of a new course is stressful, therefore, why not reduce the amount of stress as much as possible and clearly spell out what is expected from the learners as well as what the learners can expect from the instructor. In addition, this will help to further nurture the learning environment and working relationship between the learner and instructor. What are your thoughts on this? I look forward to your feedback.
It is very important because when you are clear and concise in your goals/objectives for the course. There will be no misunderstandings on what to do and it eliminates alot of confusion with the students. I find that being upfront and frank about what the class objectives are from the start alleviates alot of course assignment misconceptions.
Hi John,
Well said. By keeping your eye on the end result you are able to guide your students through the course. They know the outcomes of the course will be information and skill is they invest the time and effort to acquire both.
Gary
So that your students understand specifically what they are suppose to be learning, and how each unit builds on the previous one.
To remain motivated, and feel that the course is valuable to them in both their degree plans and in their future careers, I believe that students need to clearly understand what they are working toward in the course.
Lack of clear goals and objectives will make the student feel unsure about what they are supposed to be doing in the course, and what they are working toward.
In addition to the importance of clear goals and objectives for students, it is also important for the instructor. By staying focused on the goals and objectives of the course, the instructor can stay on the right path with preparation and delivery of content, assessment of the student's work, etc.
John Ragan
I noticed that student get confused if there isnt any clear goals. I have tried to make sure the goals are clear. I am new to teaching. Love seeing how I can improve.
As Lewis Carroll said in "Alice in Wonderland" (believe me, I'm paraphrasing here), "If you don't know where you're going, then it doesn't matter how you get there." Or, to put it another way, "If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you've gotten there?" The goals and objectives are the roadmaps for the course or the learning activity. If they're not clear, how will the student (or the instructor) know when/if s/he got there? It's always best to use active verbs too--meaning, "the student will demonstrate how to..." When I see words like "recognize" or "feel" I'm wondering how will I know if the goal has been met?
It is important to have clear goals and objectives for my course because it serves as a check and balance to make sure I am covering all necessary areas so that my students leave the course more knowledgeable and experienced than when they first started
Hi Gerald,
What are some of the strategies you use to get your students to understand the goals and objectives of your course?
Gary
In anything one attempts, it is imperative that one has clear goals and objectives so one can measure progress. It also stimulates the need to succeed.
Hi Ming-Ning,
This is so important because through clear goals and objectives the students know what the course expectations, requirements and polices are. This helps to get them settled into and comfortable with the course.
Gary
Like almost everything we do, if there are no clearly defined goals and objectives, we are likely to either miss the target or take the long routes to get there. Same for the course, it is teacher’s responsibility to define and clarify the objectives for the students so they can achieve the goals in the most direct fashion.
If you don't give your students a clear, measurable objective than they don't have a way of knowing if they are at the level they should be in the course. It is also needed to measure the competancy of the material presented.
It is important to have clear goals so that the students know what they are accountable for. I use the objectives for the topic of each day to stress to the students that they need to know specific terms or concepts for their test. This provides the student with confidence by knowing what to expect on exams and how to appropriatley study for them.
Having direction is very important for students. Feeling lost will take away from the learning experience. Learning is also more effective when the plan is better understood. With adult learners, especially, knowing what you are expected to learn is something that also allows buy in to the purpose of the course.
Hi Sabrina,
Grading rubric are extremely valuable to and for students. They know where the points are located and how they are going to be evaluated in each section of the test, project or assignment. Your method of tying the rubric back to the objectives makes it very clear as to what they have learned and how they have been evaluated. I am sure this reduces a lot of complaining and increases the value of what they students have accomplished.
Gary
I find that they must be clear, but to make sure, I review them at the beginning od each class...
I want to take this a bit beyond the question. We all know what the Course Objectives are all about and why they must be measurable, what is important is imparting that to students in a usable format.
Taking grading criteria for individual assignments and linking various sections to Objectives helps a student focus on what s/he has mastered along the way. If an objective for a course is so far removed from the course, how can a student use them to measure progress?
Here is a how grading criteria and TCOs are being linked:
XXX 000 Unit 1 Individual Project -- Possible/Earned Points
**********************************************
(TCO 8) RESEARCH: Brief Definition of Marketing Plan (from text)) : x/10***
**********************************************
(TCO 1, 6, 8) FULL-TEXT RESEARCH: Example of Success using Marketing Plan : x/20***
**********************************************
(TCO 1, 6, 8) FULL-TEXT RESEARCH: Example of Failure using Marketing Plan : x/20***
**********************************************
(TCO 1, 6, 8) ANALYSIS of difference in 2 examples : x/30***
**********************************************
(TCO 8) Internet Research: Quick Overview of a Movie that Flopped : x/10***
**********************************************
(TCO 1, 6, 8) MARKETING ANALYSIS: What went wrong? : x/60***
**********************************************
Grade for Unit 1 Individual Project: x/150
**********************************************
Points are assigned to each assignment component based on Content, Application, Research, Mechanics (APA format, spelling grammar, punctuation) and Style – (Organization, readability, using your own words) (see Rubric for XXX 000).
**********************************************
The Measurable Terminal Course Objectives for the Unit 1 Individual Project:
• Discuss the implications of the xxx. (TCO 1)
• Analyze cases that focus on xxx. (TCO 6)
• Use effective communication techniques. (TCO 8)
**********************************************
