Goals, Objectives, and Student Assessment  

There are teaching goals and learning goals. Teaching goals are what the instructor aspires to teach or impart to the students in the course. Many goal statements found in syllabi fall into this category. Learning goals are what the instructor hopes the students will acquire as a consequence of taking the course. Often learning goals are related to broadly stated course content or higher concepts of what defines ideal student outcomes. However, student assessment is not focused on goals alone. Why? 

Before we answer that question, let’s first look at the terms themselves. Oftentimes, the terms goals and objectives are used interchangeably. Because of this, there can be confusion as to what constitutes a goal and how does it differ from an objective. 

Definition of a Goal: A goal is a general statement of intention. Palomba and Banta (1999) state, “The term goals is used to describe broad learning concepts such as clear communication, problem solving, and ethical awareness.” (p. 26). 

Definition of an Objective: An objective is a specific statement of intention that can be assessed.  Palomba and Banta (1999) state, “Objectives are used to express intended results in precise terms…The term objectives is used to describe specific behaviors students should exhibit…Objectives tell us more specifically what needs to be assessed, and thus a more accurate guide to suitable assessment tools.” (p. 26).

 Goals can be found in the College’s Mission Statement, General Education Goals, Program Goals, and course descriptions. Remember that it is the specific course objective that forms the foundation of what you expect students to learn and to be able to do.

 Examples of vague goals ( I made these up):

• Students will gain an appreciation of literature
• Students will increase their knowledge of Native cultures
• Students will study selected topics in sociology
• Students will become comfortable with algebra and other forms of mathematics
• Students will learn how to identify native plants
• Students will improve their problem-solving skills
• Students will be exposed to…

 Although goals provide the ideas upon which to build the course, curriculum, and program, you need to look at the list above and ask the following critical questions:

• How will I know whether or not a student “appreciates” literature?
• How will I know if students have increased their knowledge of Native cultures?
• So what if they study…what have my students learned?
• How will I know if they are comfortable or not?
• How will I know they can identify native plants
• Have students' problem-solving skills improved and if so, how will I know?
• Does exposure lead to learning?

 Goals, while they may communicate valid instructional intents, by themselves do not necessarily provide a handle on which to grasp the tools of assessment. If a statement does not lend itself to a way to assess it, then re-examine and restate it in terms of student learning and behavior that is ascertainable. 

Another way to conceptualize student learning is to consider outcomes, that is, what do you expect your students to be able to do with the learning they have acquired in your course. Assessment is not about process; it is about outcomes.

As Palomba and Banta (1999) state, “It is important that faculty reach agreement about what graduates of their programs are expected to know and be able to do and express these intended results with enough precision to guide the selection of assessment instruments.” (p. 27). Program Outcomes are more than the sum of all of the course objectives!

 Objectives can be classified as (often with overlap)

·        Cognitive (thinking, as in Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognition)

·        Affective (attitudes and values in an observable way)

·        Skill-learning (expertise based on training and practice, psychomotor)

• For more on Bloom's Taxonomy and writing learning objectives, follow this link to Valdosta U or this link to University of Maryland University College. 

Objectives, continued: Note that the behaviors associated with each cognitive level can be adapted to an assessment activity. Too often, quizzes and examinations concentrate on the first or second level of complexity. Some disciplines, by their nature, involve problem solving, the third level of complexity. Individual or class projects, hands-on activities, and other assignments that require students to analyze the situation, design something new from their work, and to critique their results offer opportunities for assessment of cognitive levels beyond the lower levels.

 Let’s revisit the "Goals" listed above and suggest some objectives with measurable outcomes:

• There are ways to assess appreciation, an affective outcome, and that is by observing behavior that occurs when either a real or simulated opportunity is provided that is relevant to the attitude or value. Students can be asked to write a short book report that encompasses their opinions about the book as well as whether or not they enjoyed the experience. Surveys, class discussions, focus groups are valid ways to obtain self-reports from students concerning the affective domain. Classroom Assessment Techniques or CATs (Angelo and Cross, 1993) include the Minute Paper (pp. 148-153), Invented Dialogues (pp. 203-207), Human Tableau or Class Modeling (pp. 244-247), and a whole section beginning on page 257 on Assessing Students’ Awareness of Their Attitudes and Values. By gathering this type of data, instructors “can better understand student attitudes, opinions, values, and self-awareness that takes place while students are in their courses.” (Angelo & Cross, 1993, p. 257)
• If a course goal is to increase student knowledge about Native cultures, then the instructor needs to specify what aspects of Native cultures are most important. These are where learning objectives state what is important while omitting the trivial. Assess what counts. Assessing Prior Knowledge is critical whenever an objective involves growth or increase of content knowledge during a course. CATs include Background Knowledge Probe (pp. 121-125) or Misconception/Preconception Check (pp. 132-137) followed by periodic CATs that capture some of the learning that has occurred. Pre- and Post-testing also informs the instructor about the entering level of student knowledge as well as informing the student about the direction of the course with respect to course objectives.
• Even though assignments are made in the syllabus and selected topics appear with other course activities with special emphasis, if the instructor intends to assess student learning through these activities, there should be a systematic way of documenting student achievement keyed to stated specific objectives. There is a saying that if the instructor is going to take up class time on a subject, then there is an implicit understanding that this subject has importance. Why the subject is important is determined in part by the instructor, the discipline, or external requirements, such as those for licensure. Otherwise, why waste precious class time on tangential subjects if they are not critical to student understanding or student development? Angelo & Cross (1993) have an assortment of CATs that may work to provide feedback to instructors regarding student learning. By working through the Teaching Goals Inventory (also on-line), an instructor can select CATs to implement in the classroom.
• Comfort, reducing anxiety, and other positive attitudinal changes, if identified by the instructor as a course objective, then reviewing the first bullet in this section will provide strategies to assess affective objectives. Also, if reducing anxiety is an objective, then a pre/post system of affective assessment will document the meeting of this objective, especially if coupled with assessment of skill-building and competence in problem solving. Student self-reports will also assist the instructor in identifying effective teaching and learning strategies over others that are less effective.
• Identifying native plants as a course objective revolves around a performance-based assessment event, such as a walkabout or lab practical with actual specimens, or evaluation of student portfolios of collected and preserved specimens. Many disciplines require a foundational base of knowledge, skills, or dispositions/attitudes before moving to the next level of study. Ojibwemowin I is required for Ojibwemowin II, etc. Accounting requires Math 120. Other examples exist in the curriculum as well. CATs, comprehensive final exams, capstone experiences, performance events (speaking Ojibwemowin or giving an oral presentation or exhibiting an art project) are but a few of the means by which student learning and achievement can be documented. Rubrics or Primary Trait Analysis provide the criteria and expectations of student work and function as the evaluation tool for student work.

 Note: For those who have turned in syllabi for the fall semester, you should receive a spreadsheet containing a list of the courses and syllabi objectives you have included. Because you have just completed these courses, you are in a position to look back at the fall semester and reflect on how your courses went. By examining your course syllabi, whether or not your objectives are measurable or assessable, and whether or not you had the opportunity to assess those objectives adequately, you will be in a stronger position to revise your spring semester syllabi accordingly.

 Here are the key questions:

• Do I state course objectives specifically in my syllabi and are they stated in terms of student learning, not instructional intent?
• If my course fulfills a general education requirement, do I state the relevant general education objectives in my syllabus?
• If my course is required or recommended for a program, do I state the relevant program outcome objectives in my syllabus?
• Are my course/general education/program objectives stated so that they provide guidance as to what assessment tools would measure student learning?
• What assessment tools would I use for my stated objectives?
• Do I state in my syllabus what assessment tools I may use for which objectives?
• Are there course assignments or other activities (quizzes, exams, projects, etc.) that could be utilized for assessment purposes?
• If rubrics are needed, do I have them written? Do I have anchor papers or other examples of student work keyed to the rubric levels?
• If I want to use any surveys or bubble forms for automated data collection, do I have them prepared? (If not, see Ann Martin).
• Do I have a way of keeping track of my assessment results? (If not, see Ann Martin).

Course-Embedded Assessment contains objectives for all levels of assessment:

            Course Objectives

            General Education Objectives

            Program Outcomes Objectives