Origin of Objectives for a Course
| Most instructors know that they have to state learning objectives in their course, usually in the syllabus. But where do these objectives come from? Well, it depends, but usually from several places. They come from the University, industry, departmental (program) requirements, perhaps others. Let's examine each of these. |
| University |
Georgia Southern University has a Mission and Goals. These translate into attributes that the University wants its students to have before or upon graduation. Read what the University's mission statement says. We can gather from that that the students will embrace core values expressed through integrity.
It would be up to the individual departments to incorporate the mission statement into into its programs in the form of objectives for some of the courses. |
| Industry |
Sometimes a degree program is reviewed (Note: accreditation in the disciplines is voluntary--not governing; there recommendations need to be followed if the program hopes to be accredited, but these bodies really aren't "governing bodies") by an external accreditation agency. Let's take nursing for instance. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is one such accreditation agency. The agency sets standards for nursing, recommending what nursing students are expected to know and do upon graduation. Nurses must take and pass a national exam (NCLEX) before they can practice nursing (Note--this IS a governing issue--the State Board of Nursing through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing sets the bar for minimal competence in nursing; the NCLEX examines minimal competence.) The questions on this exam are driven by industry and accreditation agency requirements. So, in order to prepare the nurses for the healthcare field, a nursing school looks to the accreditation agencies for guidelines in curriculum development. Once it is understood what the nursing curriculum and courses will look like and what competencies the nurses should have at graduation, the objectives for learning can be stated for the program and courses. Not all disciplines have have external accreditation agencies that set standards and objectives for a program. This is probably true in some of the humanities. In that case, objectives might come from a different source. |
| Programs |
Some departmental programs might have their own objectives. Whether there are or are not, the department should decide on goals and objectives for programs it offers. This standardizes the program curriculum and insures that at least certain content is being taught uniformly across sections of the same class and to ensure that prerequisite courses prepare students for higher level courses. |