Passport: Course Alignment & Objectives

Just as travelers pull out a map to determine how to get to their next destination, learning objectives, when written well, provide students with a roadmap that explains where they are going in the course and what to expect when they get there. Students should be given a clear understanding of the intended purposes and expected results of the course, module/unit, or activity/assessment.  Learning objectives at these various levels provide students with benchmarks by which they can measure their progress towards achieving the course outcomes.

Stamps within this destination will focus on how critical course components work together to ensure that learners achieve the stated learning outcomes. Setting clear and concise expectations and providing the "why" behind outlined course activities are imperative in order to build trust and motivate your students. Inconsistency  or confusion between deliverables/criteria and assessments leads to frustration and lack of engagement. Learning objectives should focus on what students will be able to do, rather than on what the instructor will teach.

Some of the objectives that are explored in faculty development opportunities within this passport stamp are: 

1. Objective: The instructor articulates measurable course-level learner outcomes.
2. Objective: Learning objectives for each week, unit, or module are measurable and consistent with the course-level outcomes.
3. Objective: Required synchronous sessions, if they occur, are intentionally designed to advance specific module or unit objectives. Note: If an instructor requires learners to attend synchronous class sessions, those sessions must only occur during the times listed in the time schedule.
4. Objective: The workload assigned to learners aligns to disciplinary norms and is appropriate to the level of the course.
5. Objective: Course assessments align with course-level outcomes.