Developing Clear Goals and Objectives
What is it important to have clear goals and objectives for your course?
Krystal,
They need help in seeing the value of what is being taught. The more connections of this type you can make the more value students will see in the content. They need help in seeing the future.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Goal setting is not only helpful for keeping the students on track, but it also helps the instructor organize instructional materials and content. The class flows more sequentially and students are better able to understand what is being taught as well as what is expected of them.
offering clear goals and objectives, and due dates schedule for each of them, is the best guide the students can have to understand what is required of them to meet their course syllabus - whether cognitive or skills to complete their course.
Gloria
This is very important because it helps students set clear goals and have the ability to attain them. This also keeps the instructor on track and gives teh students something to look foreard to. By giving them clear objectives in the beginning you can stay on track and know if you miss something orneed to re-address a topic.
I think career goals help the student take the course more seriously. They tend to think in terms of "will this help me on the job" opposed to "what do I have to do to complete this course". Education is only powerful if you take it forward and apply your knowledge in a career based college.
David,
This is such an important part of getting the course off to a good start. The more specially the students know about where the course is going and what the goals are the more they will be able to become engaged.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having clear goals and objectives gives the student clear guidance to what the student needs to do and a barometer on how well the student is doing during the class. They help define what the course will do for the student. From the student’s point of view, knowing the course’s objectives and goals helps the student determine if the course is right for them.
to give students an overview of what is expected of them and to give the instructor guidance and not to go off on a tangent
John,
So true and so important. Without clear goals and objectives the students will not see the value of the course and how it contributes to their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Golas have to be clear to allow the students as well as the instructor to understand what is attempting to be taught in the class. If the goals are not clear, how can the students possibly understand the utlimate purpose of the material being presented to them. Again this also relates back to proper planning by the instructor and being prepared.
Margaret,
Without them the students are drifting as is the instructor. We have to have clear goals and objectives for our classes and share them on a regular basis with our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Clear goals and objectives help the student know what is expected of them and what they can expect from the course. By maintaining focus on what really matters in a particular course enables the student to accept responsibilty for their portion of the learning process.
Damon,
You make a very important point because if adult learners do not see the end results or feel that there is no purpose to what they are learning they will be gone in short order. They have life experiences that have taught them to look for relevance and we need to provide relevance in our instructional delivery.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Especially with adult learners, they need to know what the end result is and what they will get out of it...What is the relevance to their career path or how does it effect their educational investments of time and money? Clear goals and objectives show how the curriculum, syllabi, learning outcomes, assessments, resource materials, etc...all relate to what the end result is for the learner. "The Road Map" breaks down exactly what the learner is responsible for -the destination- and how they will get there.
Stephanie,
My response to these comments is based upon my earlier post. I think if I were you I would explore other instructional options where you can find a better match for your instructional sharing.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree that clear goals are needed for every student. But, what if the college sets the goals for the instructor and they are unreasonable? The amount of material, short amounts of time, class activities and testing, are all making it difficult to reach those goals
Julie,
So true and so critical yet many instructors don't clearly lay out the goal and objectives for the course and then wonder why the students are frustrated or off task.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The setting of clear goals avoids any and all confusion going forward.
Clear goals and objectives remove ambiguity in expections of instructor and students.As an instructor defining what will be covered in the class allows you to be better prepared, confident and thorough in presentation. The development of goals and objectives which are clear assists in gauging effectiveness for the next subject or class taught.
