Goals and Objectives in Education

Introduction

• Goals and objectives are often used interchangeably, but there's a real difference between the two.
• Time span and specificity are factors differentiating goals from objectives.

Goal

• A goal is the final outcome of teaching and learning.
• Goals are global and broad, serving as long-term targets for both learner and teacher.

Objectives

• Objectives are short-term and achievable at the end of a teaching session or within a few days after a series of sessions.

Educational Objectives

• Educational objectives identify the intended outcome of the education process.
• They refer to an aspect of a program or total program of study.
• Types include learning, terminal, performance, instructional, and behavioral objectives.

Instructional Objectives

• Instructional objectives describe teaching activities, content areas, and resources for instruction.

Behavioral Objectives

• Behavioral or learning objectives are action-oriented, focusing on short-term outcomes rather than the process.

Categories of Educational Objectives

• Behaviors fall into three categories: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Cognitive Domain

• Cognitive abilities involve knowledge, apprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
• Knowledge level is the ability to memorize, recall, define, recognize, or identify specific information, such as facts, rules, and principles presented during instruction.
  • Example: A patient can accurately state...
• Apprehension level is the ability to demonstrate an understanding through translation, like grasping an idea by defining it or summarizing it in one's own words. Knowledge is required.
  • Example: After watching a video, the patient can
• The application level is the learner's proficiency in using ideas, principles, or theories in concrete situations, such as figuring, writing, or handling equipment; knowledge and comprehension are required.
  • Example: On completion of a program, the client will modify exercise program.
• Analysis level refers to the student's ability to recognize and structure information by dissecting it into its constituent parts and specifying the relationships between those parts.
  • Example: After reading handouts from an educator, the family will calculate totals.
• Synthesis level involves the ability of the learner to unify distinct elements into a singular, cohesive whole, culminating in the creation of a distinctive written, verbal, or illustrative product, for which knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis are essential.
  • Example: Given a list, the patient can devise a menu that includes foods from the four food groups.
• Evaluation level signifies the learner's capacity to assess the merit of an entity, whether it be an essay, a design, or an action, through the application of pertinent standards or criteria, with prior knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis being instrumental in this process.
  • Example: After teaching three sessions, an individual can demonstrate the ability to assess his or her function.

Affective Domain

• Relates to the expression of feelings, including emotions, fears, interests, attitudes, beliefs, values, and appreciations.
• Receiving level involves awareness of an idea, fact, or situation.
  • Example: The patient being educated admits to fear of undergoing testing.
• Responding level signifies a move beyond denial towards voluntary acceptance and positive feelings.
  • Example: at the end of the instructions, the child will feel confident.
• Valuing level reflects the worth of an idea, theory or event, shown through commitment and desire to act.
  • Example: After attending a support group, the patient will complete a journal.
• The organization level entails the learner's capacity to consolidate, categorize, and rank values, integrating new values into an overarching framework to discern the relationships between them.
  • Example: After 45 minute group discussion, the patient can discuss their anxiety.
• Characterization level defines integrating personal values into holistic worldview.
  • It involves commitment and consistency by generalizing certain experiences.

Psychomotor Domain

• Psychomotor skills often involve the use of tools or instruments; hands-on courses involve psychomotor objectives.
• Perception level indicates awareness of objects or cues through sensory input.
  • Example: A caregiver describes proper position after a lesson.
• Set level entails readiness to take action through sensory awareness or body language.
  • Example: The patient expresses a willingness to practice something.
• Guided response level signifies effort and imitation under the guidance of an instructor with conscious awareness.
  • Imitation can occur hesitantly with the follow-through of provided directions and coaching.
• Mechanism Level entails having the competence to carry out an action step-by-step with confidence.
  • Example: After minutes of teaching, the patient can demonstrate proper use.
• Complex Overt Response is the ability to independently perform complex motor acts with skill and minimum energy.
  • Example: After 20 minutes, the patient can demonstrate correct use of crutches while performing different tasks.
• Adaptation Level requires adapting a motor process to suit an individual or situation.
  • Example: After discussing healthy foods, the patient can substitute healthy ones at home.
• Origination Level ability to create new motor acts for a situation.
  • Example: After simulation, parents respond correctly to situations that demonstrate skills.

Importance of Using Behavioral Objectives

• Keeps educators thinking on target and learner-centered.
• Communicates plans to learners and healthcare team members.
• Helps learners understand expectations and track progress.
• Forces educators to organize materials, focusing on the learner's role.

Common Mistakes in Writing Objectives

• Describing teacher actions instead of learner expectations.
• Including multiple expected behaviors in one objective.
• Using terms open to interpretation that aren't action-oriented or measurable.
• Writing unattainable or unrealistic objectives.
• Objectives not relating to the stated goal.
• Cluttering objectives with unnecessary information.
• Being too general to specify expected behavior.

Teaching Plan

• A teaching plan is a blueprint to achieve the goal and objectives.
• There are major reasons for teaching plans.
• To direct the teacher
• To communicate in writing
• To legally document an individual plan for each learner.
• It must be clear what to learn and what to teach.
• Need to organize and present information effectively.
• Requires skill by the nurse educator.
• Developing an action plan to achieve the stated goals and objectives requires a determination of the actual purpose, content, tools, sequence, timing, and evaluation.
• The teaching plan should describe the various elements of the education process.

Elements of a Teaching Plan

• The purpose
• A statement of the overall goal
• List of objectives and subobjectives
• Outline of content
• Instructional methods
• Time allotted
• Instructional resources
• Evaluation methods

Learning Contract

• A learning contract is written agreement specifying achievement and assessment.

Components of a Learning Contract

• Content specifies behavioral objectives.
• Performance expectations outline learning activities.
• Evaluation specifies the criteria.