The statement of objectives sets out the overall educational intention of the course, including what the student must learn and the relevance of the course in relation to the degree programme as a whole, and perhaps in relation to job prospects for students or the demand and needs of society. The statement of objectives is important because it is a holistic presentation of the course.
The objectives should be stated in prose, in relatively broad terms. On the one hand, the description should be specific enough to give the students a clear picture of the content and intention of the course and what to expect. But on the other hand, it should also be general and robust enough to be able to accommodate minor practical and didactic adjustments or the replacement of teaching staff.
When setting out the objectives, it is a good idea to make sure that you comprehensively describe the three parts: the students’ learning outcomes, the course content and educational intention, and the relevance of the course to the degree programme as a whole:
What must students learn?The objectives first set out describes the students’ learning outcomes in the form of the knowledge, skills and competencies they will acquire as a result of doing the course. The competencies developed by students can be either specific to the course concerned (e.g. understanding of historical developments), or general (e.g. the ability to collaborate or critical thinking). | ||
What is the course about? | ||
The second part of the statement of objectives describes the content and educational intention of the course by describing its theoretical, methodical and thematic content as well as general choices relating to its pedagogical planning, including how the content is dealt with. The second part of the statement of objectives describes the content and educational intention of the course by describing its theoretical, methodical and thematic content as well as general choices relating to its pedagogical planning, including how the content is dealt with. |
How is the course relevant to the degree programme as a whole and from the point of view of prospective employment and societal demand and needs? | ||
| Thirdly, the statement of objectives describes the relevance of the course in relation to the degree programme as a whole by explaining how the course and the other degree programme elements are aligned to ensure academic progression. For instance, some courses build on the competencies or content of a different course – or may provide an academic or analytical basis of a subsequent course on the degree programme or a parallel course. A description may also be included of the relevance of the course in relation to the students’ future job prospects. | ||
