Setting Goals and Objectives (focus on I Can System)

Moore, Kenneth D. Chapter 3: Setting Goals and Objectives. Effective Instructional Strategies. Sage: Los Angeles, 2009. Pages 60-91


This chapter outlines the importance of setting goals and objectives for your teaching and being able to appropriately discern the two terms. An educational goal can be somewhat vague and abstract. (Example given: The student will develop computer literacy.) The goal serves as the overarching idea behind informational and instructional objectives. Both types of objectives are concrete and actionable (examples given: The student will be able to use a word-processing software program./Given a set of specific requirements, the student will be able to use a word-processing program to write a one-pare paper with no errors). They each focus on the specifics of what needs to get done to meet the standards. Moore underscores the value in breaking up benchmarks and course content as a way to achieve success and to hold oneself accountable for shortcomings.
In my experience with the I Can math curriculum, the alignment of goals and objectives to benchmarks has been the highlight. The system is controversial on many fronts, but in terms of laying out a clear course map with goals and objectives, it is spot-on. Each “I can” statement lays out an informational objective and the corresponding quizzes and tests are a pragmatic version of instructional objectives.
Four elements of instructional objectives are laid out: performance, product, conditions, and criterion. (page 74-75) Each one is met clearly by the “I can” quiz for that objective. The quizzes lock in the performance and product components easily. There is some room for teacher discretion in the conditions and criterion, but the overall expectations have been communicated throughout the department to limit variation. I found in reading this chapter that the I Can system, while frustrating, does have a great deal of merit with respect to alignment of goals and objective.