I am finally learning that finite objectives are best; this course is supporting the instinct I have that I may know more about some topics, but I cannot bring everthing I know into every class session.
Nothing is more frustrating then trying to discover the mystery of what is expected of you as a student. Clear goals and objectives removes the mystery!!
So the students know exactly what is expected of them and also what I need to teach the students.
Hi Joel,
You are right on with your comments about the need for clarity. If the students have a clear understanding of what the expectations, requirements and polices of the course are then they can focus their efforts on completing the course rather than wondering what the instructor wants.
Gary
It is important to have clear goals and objective for both you and your students in a course so that everyone is on the same page and know exactly what is expected upon completion of the course. It is also helpful to have a set of grading rubrics and an outlined syllabus. With these tools in place, you and your student can always refer back to those tools and any questions or confusion that your student may have, can be cleared up very easily.
All too often the terms goal and objective are confused. They must not be if students are to have a solid framework at the beginning of a course regarding where they are headed concept-wise and then how they will get there. The course goals provide the broad brush stokes that give students the master plan of what they will learn; the objectives provide the details about how they will execute that master plan.
Hi Anwar,
This is a good way to show your students the topics that are going to be covered in the course. By sharing at the beginning of the course it is like you marking the path you are going to follow on map while on vacation or a print out of MapQuest.
Gary
Hello Dr. Meers,
I teach Accounting. I think it is important to have course outline delivered to student in advance will help them prepare for the class. Also, the outline will serve as a guideline or a map for each chapter that I will cover. Thank you.
Anwar
Hi Sharon,
Good points. What you have outlined is the instructor's version of a GPS for teaching. Just like the GPS through preparation and planning you can chart a course that will result in student learning and satisfaction from having a well prepared and presented lesson.
Gary
It is important so you stay on track with the objectives of the course.
If we don't have a clear idea of where we are going it will be nearly impossible to get there. Concrete goals are where we plan to go, the objectives are the "specific" directions of how to get there. Objectives with no clear goal in mind become random and serve no real purpose. It is busiwork that achieves little.
If the teacher, as the leader of the class expedition, is unsure of the end goal as well as the directions of how to get there it will be difficult for the students to have any confidence
in his own or the classes ability to accomplish anything.
Clear goals and objectives make for an easy journey. Where we are going is clear and how to get there is defined. It makes for a much more pleasant journey for all involved.
Clear goals and objectives are fundamental to the outcome of a class. They allow students to monitor their progress and correct their efforts as necessary.
It is important for the students to be aware of what is important for them to learn in the course and why. The goals and objectives also help the instructor focus on the most relevant material from the textbook to make sure the students learn what is important.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives so the learner knows exactly what they are going to get out of the class. I am currently working on revising course objectives(outcomes) for a series of classes. The most important thing I have learned is it make sure that the objective is measureable. This is something that can be difficult. I am personally using assignments that are relevant to the class to help reinforce the objectives of the course. This means that any objective is going to be measured based on an assignment or many assignments in the class to assure compentency of the objective. I personally have seen bloated outcomes, which can be good, but also the material is typically grazed over as an introduction rather than having some reinforcement to ensure learning.
A clearly defined road-map will promote an environment for success. Goals and objectives are the foundation from which a strong learning environment are created, providing clarity for the students.
The students need to know where they are going in the class and how they are expected to show mastery of the concepts. Students like to keep track of their progress in a class and if they know, both in individual class as well as in the overall course, what is expected then they will rise to the occasion. Students also need to know how they will be assessed so that they can amply prepare and decrease their anxiety level.
Hi Anthony,
Well put in terms of the value related to goals. You have to know where you are going or you will end up some place without knowing whether or not that was where you intended to go.
Gary
It is important so you know what you need to clearly get across and communicate to the students. They will clearly know what is expected, what they will learn, and this will keep everyone from getting off task or confused. Goals keep you moving forward in the right direction. I have found objectives especially helpful after the material has been taught, as students look back to the objectives to sort out the information and know what is important to focus on.
The importance of goals,are to bring logic to the topic at hand. Without goals, students would be without direction, making their learned theory questionable. It would be fair to use the expression" The blind leading the blind" in regards to this matter.
Hi Marsa,
You are providing an excellent service for your adult learners. It is really hard for them to become students again both emotionally and cognitively. By showing them how to organize and sequence their studies you are helping them to get settled into the flow of the course. This will result in higher retention and less frustration.
Gary
