It is important to have clear goals and objectives for the course so the students are able to have a clear understanding what is expected of them and what the student should accomplish at the course's completion.
Ricardo,
Students need to see the value of the course content through connections to their career. By having your goals and objectives tied to application and relevancy this makes the course outcomes much clearer. Good point you made in relation to how we need to construct our goals and objectives.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think that goals and objectives are not enough but to enhance them with applicability( what are the learning goals and objectives good for)
By present clear goals and objectives, the students will have a valuable time management tool. When a student has clear course goals and objectives they will know what topic require the greatest amount of time and attention. If the student does not understand the goals and objectives for a course, they will not know how to best allot their time. It is unfortunate however, if a student does not understand a course's goals and objectives they may decide not to attend class or possibly drop the course. If the course is required for the student's degree and therefore unable to drop the course, they may attend class but not participate to their fullest potential because they do not understand the course's goals and objectives.
Chris,
Good point. You have to reduce student fears at the beginning of the course. If you don't then the students aren't going to hear what you are saying due to their fears. So get them settled into the class, do some ice breakers and then review the syllabus in such a way that their questions are answered and their fears reduced. This sets the stage for a good class to come.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important to have clear goals so students know what is expected from them on day one. I find that including this information releives fears about grades and allows them to focus on the actual course content.
Laura,
Yes, they do. Otherwise they are frustrated and floundering around trying to figure out what the instructor wants from them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Students need to know what is expected during the course. Also, goals give them a sense of what to work towards and accomplish.
Grace,
Right you are. Clear goals translate to student understanding of the content and value of the course. Without them it is just a meeting rather than a class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is like life in general. We get lost when there is no road map. It takes longer to where we need/want to be if we don't have the correct set of directions. Keeping with clear goals and objectives gets to point B faster and safer.
Jan,
Clear goals and objectives are a must. Without them there is not direction or accountability. When this is the situation then learning starts to collapse and the class is no longer effective.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I see clear goals and objectives are extremely important to both students and instructors. For the instructors, goals and objectives provide them with the clear direction on how to develop the course in order to maximize the learning outcomes. Clear goals and objectives will help instructors set up thier lesson plans, choose the ways to deliver the lectures, incorporate the appropriate learning activities, and determine the proper methods of learning assessments. For the students, clear goals and objectives provide them a clear picture what they can expect out of the class and how they can measure their own learning.
It is important to have clear goals that my students may understand the process and outcomes of the teachings I provide. Furthermore it helps pace the course appropriately.
Chloe,
Right on in terms of clear goals and objectives for the course and the understanding of the students. They need to see clearly where the course is going and what the expectations are. When they don't is when student management becomes a problem as you know.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it's crucial to have clear goals and objectives so that students understand what they can/will accomplish in the course. And it's particularly important to continue to remind students of the goals and objectives throughout the course, by keeping them relevant. Especially when it comes to teaching more theoretical topics that may seem obscure and less practical, I find that one way to keep students interested and involved is to relate theoretical discussions to the course goals and objectives as much as possible.
Regina,
I use the elephant example all the time with my students so they will see that they in fact can learn the information if they will bite size it. I plan my instruction to deliver the content in small bites so they can see how they can acquire the needed information in a manageable way.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also agree. The key is bite-sized. I tell them you eat a pink elephant one bite at a time, just like any other elephant. Working with small bites gives me a chance to show them their progress more often, and a little confidence goes a long way with adult students.
I believe having clear goals and objectives provide the students with a direction in planning their success. I believe goals need to be set that will demonstrate proficency in their learning with the objetive as the steps that they have to perform in accomplishing the goals.
Setting goals and objectives saves a lot of headache later on because they become the point of reference for everything that takes place during the course. The instructor's expectations should only serve one purpose and that is to help the students achieve the objectives and meet the goals. The students on the other hand have to be able to connect the dots and see the purpose of these expectations and realize the importance of their role in getting closer and closer to the goals. They have to realize that their success is in closing the gaps by keeping their focus on the objectives and the goals. Objectives and Goals are the answers to some simple question of: "Why are we here? What are we trying to do?"
I agree as well. Its always helpful to get feed back from students.
