Developing Clear Goals and Objectives
What is it important to have clear goals and objectives for your course?
I think it is important to have clear, concise goals and objectives for a course so that students know from the start what the expectations for success are for them. Students tend to have trouble being successful if they are unsure of what they are supposed to be learning and/or how they will be evaluated by the instructor. Goals & objectives should be establishing a very clear, mutually agreed upon understanding of what both the teacher and student plan to accomplish during the course.
The student is more at ease knowing the outcome of the course from setting goals.
Clear goals keep the students on task.
Ashlie,
Clear goals and objectives are essential if the students are going to have a clear understanding of where the course is going and what the expectations are.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having clear goals and objectives are the essential tools to be successful. It is our road map of where we are taking our students. Without them their is no direction.
It is important so that the students understand what is expected of them. There should not be any confusion.
Keondra,
Great point about the need for clear goals and objectives. They are the ultimate for your students as they show them what they will be learning throughout the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important, because it sets the expectations for the course and informs the students of what they should understand and be able to achieve by the end of the course. Without clear goals and objectives, the instructor would not have a clear standard or blueprint for instruction. The instructor would also not be able to establish a clear method for delivery of instruction. How do you know how to teach it if you do not know what you are teaching? For this reason, clear goals and objectives are essential to the learning process.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives for the course so that students can be aware of what is expected of them and so that they are all working towards the same outcome.
The student needs clear goals and objectives for the following reasons: 1) Planning purposes, a method to estimate how much time and effort the course will take 2)Feasibility, a way to evaluate whether or not success is likely and to reconsider attempting the course if more preparation is needed 3) Lawyer purposes, so that there is a written record of what is coming
Developing clear goals and objectives provides an opportunity to divide the course into logical units and organize the general goals into specific objectives. Goals and objectives provide a clear guide to the concepts that will be covered in the course. Goals are the general indicators, where the objectives indicate what the student should be able to do after completing different sections in the course.
Jennifer,
Good model to follow as it gives you a format to work through as you reverse engineer your instructional planning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Clear goals and objectives I feel not only allow the students to know up front what they will be learning and what they will experience but also as an instructor for us to make sure we are meeting those expectation. It is easy to get off track both student and instructor so the goals and objections should be reviewed continually to ensure you are doing what you said you would. This will help the students trust in you as the instructor/institute that you kept your word to what they signed up for.
This process of working backward from where one wants the students to be at the end of the program helps me see more clearly how I want to plan the course. Thanks for this insight.
John,
So true. Without them the class will have no direction and the students will be confused and anxious. Clear goals and objectives gets everyone on the same page and moving forward.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important to have clear goals and objectives in the course because it will help the students understand the objective of the class as well as guide them in completing their course successfully.
Kristiin,
Well said and right on in terms of expectations.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Clear goals & objectives allow students to have a clear understanding of what the course content is, what they are expected to learn as a result of taking the course, as well as a guide to continually evaluate if they are learning the required material.
Carlos,
Right you are about clear goals and objectives setting course expectations. This way the students focus their efforts on meeting the course expectations and thus reaching the goals and objectives that have been set. This is a win win situation for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
