Writing Assessable Program Goals
Ideal Student
What does this student know?
What can this student do?
What does this student care about?
Review Instructional Materials
Sort into Categories:
Content or subject knowledge
Skills, abilities, or capabilities
Values, attitudes, or beliefs
Review documents that describe your program
Brochures
Catalog descriptions
Handbooks
Accreditation reports
Self-studies
Brainstorm goals
Examples:
Work collaboratively
Solve problems
Appreciate all theatre crafts
Fundamentals of theatre
Assessable Goals State
What is to be learned?
Content or subject knowledge
Skills, abilities, or capabilities
Values, attitudes, or beliefs
Assessable Goals State
What level of learning is expected?
Criteria
Standards of achievement
Assessable Goals State
What is the context in which learning takes place?
Application, if any
Environment, if any
Degree Descriptors
What will the learner who has met all the requirements be able to know and do?
Levels Descriptors
What should a learner be able to know and do at several major points in the program?
Subject Expectations
What qualities, skills, or capabilities should a learner expect to gain from the program?
Program Goals
Make broad statements about the purposes of the educational program.
Program Goals
Incorporate information from:
Degree descriptors
Levels descriptors
Subject expectations
Program Goals
Describe what is to be learned.
Program Goals
Describe what level of learning is to be achieved.
Program Goals
Describe in what context the learning is to take place.
Example: Values, attitudes, beliefs
Appreciate all theatre crafts
Students will appreciate and value all the crafts of theatre.
Example: Skills, abilities, capabilities
Solve problems
Using the process of theatre, students will demonstrate the ability to work independently or collaboratively to analyze a problem, then select and implement a successful solution.
Example: Content or subject knowledge
Fundamentals of theatre
Students will demonstrate a fundamental grounding in theatre theory and practice.
What are the educational criteria for each goal?
What criteria for goal attainment indicate content mastery and/or performance level acceptable for program completion?
Educational Criteria
What is to be learned?
What level of learning is to be achieved?
In what context is the learning to take place?
What are the educational experiences for each goal?
What are the specific educational experiences in the curriculum and extracurriculum that enable students to attain the goal?
Educational Experiences
Course
Out-of-class experience
Other applications
Educational Criteria and Experiences
Goal #_____:
Course/Experience:
Level of Learning:
Application of Learning:
Goal: Students will build an appreciation and respect for all the theatre crafts.
Course/Experience: Required courses
Level of learning: Synthesis
Application of learning: Production work, class projects
Goal: Using the process of theatre, students will demonstrate the ability to work independently or collaboratively to analyze a problem, then select and implement a successful solution.
Course/Experience: Required courses, production work
Level of learning: Evaluation
Application of learning: Production work, class projects
Goal: Students will demonstrate a fundamental grounding in theatre theory and practice.
Course/Experience: Required courses, production work
Level of learning: Synthesis
Application of learning: Production work, class projects
Key Questions
What are the indicators or measures of goal attainment?
What are the standards and levels of performance for each indicator or measure?
