Goals and Evaluation.
In my teaching philosophy I wrote that “Education is the starting place for societal change”. For this reason, my teaching goals and evaluation methods must all be aligned with action and change.
When I begin a new class, I told students that my goal is for each person, including myself, to learn at least one new thing daily – even if it doesn’t necessarily relate to course outcomes. I think that there is a difference between course goals and teaching goals. Course goals are most often subject-matter related, while teaching goals may be life-related. Sometimes, ideally, there is overlap between the two. Teaching goals are often more closely related to the core competencies of the program, not the specific course outcomes.
If there is little overlap between teaching and course goals, summative (for marks) evaluation must address course goals and learning outcomes only. While it is important to learn one new thing each day, and to ultimately put that learning into action, it cannot be included in evaluation unless it relates to course goals or outcomes. I cannot control my students’ actions, but I can enable them to meet course outcomes.
Evaluation can occur in many ways, not simply exams. Projects, case-studies, and discussions are some of the many ways course outcomes can be evaluated. Not all students learn in the same way, nor can all students effectively communicate their learning through examinations. The focus in evaluation should be on what students can do, in any situation.
When I begin a new class, I told students that my goal is for each person, including myself, to learn at least one new thing daily – even if it doesn’t necessarily relate to course outcomes. I think that there is a difference between course goals and teaching goals. Course goals are most often subject-matter related, while teaching goals may be life-related. Sometimes, ideally, there is overlap between the two. Teaching goals are often more closely related to the core competencies of the program, not the specific course outcomes.
If there is little overlap between teaching and course goals, summative (for marks) evaluation must address course goals and learning outcomes only. While it is important to learn one new thing each day, and to ultimately put that learning into action, it cannot be included in evaluation unless it relates to course goals or outcomes. I cannot control my students’ actions, but I can enable them to meet course outcomes.
Evaluation can occur in many ways, not simply exams. Projects, case-studies, and discussions are some of the many ways course outcomes can be evaluated. Not all students learn in the same way, nor can all students effectively communicate their learning through examinations. The focus in evaluation should be on what students can do, in any situation.