DESIGNING COURSE OBJECTIVES

Course Objectives or goals can sometimes be combined with the course description. Ideally characterized by action verbs, Course objectives are usually a statement or an outline describing what students should be able to do at the end of the semester. Clear objectives can foster a sense of partnership and an awareness that you and your students are working toward the same goals. Objectives can provide both a focus and a motivation for leaning. These basic questions can help you identify and/or quantify your objectives or goals: What do you want your students to learn? What assignments, classroom activities, and pedagogical approaches will help them master the identified knowledge, skills, or attitude changes? How will you determine that the students have accomplished what you have set out to teach them? How will you evaluate their achievements? Teaching and Learning Objectives
The teacher must determine whether the objectives for the learner will be: merely to posses the knowledge taught; to understand the material taught; to apply the material taught; to analyze the material taught; to synthesis the material taught with other knowledge and material; and/or to evaluate the material taught. The action verbs used in your course objective should reflect the six elements of Bloom's Taxonomy. How To Write Course Objectives
Objectives should be a part of each syllabus Different kinds of written objectives:
COGNITIVE	objectives emphasize and describe changes or growth in knowledge through recall or recognition, understanding and use.
AFFECTIVE	objectives emphasize and describe changes or growth in interests, feelings, attitudes, and values related to knowledge acquisition.
PSYCHOMOTOR	objectives emphasize and describe changes or growth in the manipulative or motor-skill area.
It will not be clear what you expect students to know or be able to do if you write: The student will: LEARN how to... APPRECIATE... BECOME AWARE of... UNDERSTAND the importance of... be able to KNOW... You will make clear what you would expect students to know or be able to do if you write: The student: When presented a slide of......................, will be able to IDENTIFY the three major characteristics of the... Will be able to DISTINGUISH among...