Reflection: goals, outcomes/objectives

Last week I had started thinking about the task of redesigning my art appreciation class, applying ideas from our text, Rapid Instructional Design by George M. Piskurich.  I recognized that based on my understanding of the reading, the goal for learners should be 100% have learned what was taught, or I have not really taught it. I have the objectives for students that is given to me by administration so my perceived next step is to analyze how to apply the objectives to the learning modules in art appreciation for an 18 week face to face class that is supplemented with Blackboard. Quizzes and some movies and discussions will be housed on Blackboard as well as all PowerPoint lectures and handouts. Next, I will be developing a hybrid and finally, a fully online class. The goal set forth by our division Associate Dean is for each faculty member to to create 2 modules for a class each semester. My goal is to create four.

I could go ahead and do what the author suggests and “take your completed objectives and distribute them to your trainees, along with a list of resources (procedures, books manuals, videos, CD-ROMS, people and so on) they can use to master the objectives. Then leave them on their own to do so” (page 130). The author states that “the two main problems with this shortcut are (1) the availability of resources and (2) the inconsistency in what the trainees pull from the resources.” (page 130) The short cut to self-directed learning would probably be the best for the student/trainees to actually learn the material but since I’m also being paid to teach the class as a subject matter expert, I will be the one to also supply the directed learning tasks in a variety of modes to the students. That way I can measure what they need to learn and determine how well they have learned it.

Listed below are the expected outcomes that were set in place by administration and I will need to adhere to these until the new core objectives are put into effect in 2014. Many have used the terms outcomes and objectives as meaning the same thing and I know not to confuse these two with goals but after reading the text and studying these outcomes, most of them are not really stated very well. Nevertheless, I have to work with them because they are set forth by administration in order to fulfill our mission for the general education core.

I believe that 1a, 1b and 3b are not true objectives because they are not observable and directly measurable but I still need to measure them in my assessment findings at the end of each semester. Also notable is that each item is referring to the “graduate” and not the student who completes my class. So whoever set this up was probably not a good course designer. The following items seem more like goals for the liberal arts program and reflect from both points of view of the program and the student.

[1a] The UNT Dallas graduate will explore English, the arts and humanities, math, the natural sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

[1b] The UNT Dallas graduate will make connections between different areas of knowledge and different ways of knowing.

[2a] The UNT Dallas graduate will be able to locate, evaluate and organize information including the use of information technologies.

[2b] The UNT Dallas graduate will think critically and creatively, learning to apply different systems of analysis.

[3a] The UNT Dallas graduate will engage with a variety of others in thoughtful and well-crafted communication.

[3b] The UNT Dallas graduate will broaden and refine their thinking as a part of the give and take of ideas, seeking to better understand other’s perspectives as well as their own.

[4b] The UNT Dallas graduate will be able to express ways that exposure to different ideas, perspectives, cultures and viewpoints have enriched their thinking.

[5a] The UNT Dallas graduate will be able to articulate the values that undergird their lives, the UNT Dallas community and the larger society.

Out text explains that “course goals are statements developed to explain what the course will cover.” (page 117) and “objectives let the trainees know what they need to do, tell the designer and the trainer what they  need to do, let higher management know what’s going on, and are the criteria for trainee and course success.” (Page 117) After reading, I realized that I was really not working with a good set of objectives so what the author writes is true: “course designers think they are developing them when they are not,” and “you never truly understand the importance of objectives until you are given the task of developing content and training…”(page 117)

So my first task will now be to actually create some good objectives for my art appreciation class that reflect the mission of the University and also what I am asked to measure by administration that will be used for assessment during our accreditation process. My objectives will be written on the syllabus and will be the initial stage of my design document. So I am now going to put myself in the position of the student, pick the right verbs to create some good course objectives that include standards and conditions, and get to work creating some “SMART” and “SMARTER” objectives (pages 129, 130).