| Questions to consider |
|---|
| What is the difference between a goal and an objective in relation to L2 teaching and learning? |
| What types of goals and objectives frame the FL course you are teaching? The units within that course? Each lesson that you design? |
| What challenges might exist to envisioning instructional goals and objectives from a literacy-oriented perspective? To what extent do the goals and objectives for the FL course you are teaching reflect the 3 dimensions of literacy and the 7 principles of literacy? |
| What types of assessment are used in the FL course you are teaching? |
| Is there a coherent link between the goals and objectives in the L2 course you are teaching and assessment of student learning? |
| To what extent do the forms of assessment used in the FL course you are teaching reflect the 3 dimensions of literacy and the 7 principles of literacy? |
• Goal
• Objective
• Formative Assessment
• Summative Assessment
There is, perhaps, nothing more important in the design of FL instruction than carefully crafted goals and objectives. Either implicitly or explicitly, goals and objectives frame many different levels of instruction: the program itself, different levels within the program, different courses at a given level, specific units or chapters within a course, and individual lessons within a unit or chapter. As such, goals and objectives serve as road maps for learners, indicating what elements of their language study are viewed as important by the program and their instructor. For instructors, goals and objectives also help them to identify the types of activities and participation structures used during class sessions. In addition, goals and objectives should facilitate designing assessment of student learning: that is to say, the focus of instruction, as reflected in goals and objectives, should also be the focus of assessment. Put simply, there should be coherence among 1) instructional goals and objectives; 2) in-class activities and participation structures used and 3) the foci and types of assessments implemented.
Unfortunately, a lack of sustained reflection on instructional goals and objectives beyond the micro-level (i.e., individual lessons) is often the case in collegiate FL instruction, particularly for novice teachers who are, naturally, most concerned during early semesters in the classroom on simply getting through each activity within a class session and staying on pace with their textbook and course calendar. In addition, much conceptual confusion exists as to the definition of an instructional goal versus an objective. This confusion is exacerbated by the fact that professional publications often incorrectly use these two terms interchangeably.
Instructional goals can be defined as general statements of educational direction or intended outcomes that serve as organizational principles for an FL program o