Chapter 5

Planning goals and learning outcomes

 In this chapter, we will consider another crucial dimension of decision making in curriculum planning:

Determining the goals and outcomes of a program

The Ideology of the curriculum

In developing goals for educational programs, curriculum planners draw on their understanding both of the present and long-term needs of learners and of society as well as the planners beliefs and ideologies about school, learners and teachers.

Social and economic efficiency

This educational philosophy emphasizes the practical needs of learners and society and the role of an educational program is producing learners who are economically productive. People can improve themselves and their environment through a process of rational planning.

Learner-centeredness
This term groups together educational philosophies that stress the individual needs of learners, the role of individual experience, and the need to develop awareness, self-reflection, critical thinking, learner strategies, and other qualities and skills that are believed to be important for learners to develop. MARSH points out that the issue of learner-centered curricula reappears every decade or so and can refer to any of the following: - individualized teaching - learning through practical operation and doing - no organized curricula at all but based on the momentary interests of children

- creative self-expression by students

- practically oriented activities directed toward the needs of society - a collective term that refers to the rejection of teaching-directed learning

Stating curriculum outcomes

Aims: An aim : refers to a statement of a general change that a program seeks to bring about in learners E.g. Students will learn how to write effective business letters for use in the hotel and tourism industries

* The purposes of aim statements:

- to provide a clear definition of the purposes of a program - to provide guidelines for teachers, learners, and materials writers - to help provide a focus for construction - to describe important and realizable changes in learning

 E.g. Students will learn how to write effective business letters for use in the hotel and tourism industries

Objectives:
An objective refers to a statement of specific changes a program seeks to bring about and result from an analysis the aim into its different components

Objectives should be precise. Objectives that are vague and ambiguous are not useful - Students will know how to use useful conversation expressions A more precise objective would be: - Students will use conversation expressions for greeting people, opening and closing conversations

 Objectives should be feasible

Example: In a class of 60-hour English course. Students will be able to follow conversations spoken by native speakers. The following is a more feasible objective: Students will be able to get the gist of short conversations in simple English on topic related to daily life and leisure

For example : A course for hotel employees

Which following sentences are aims ?

1. Students will learn about business-letters writing in English.

2. Students will study listening skills. 3. Students will practice composition skills in English. 4. Students will be able to communicate in English at a basic level for purposes of tourism.

1. Students will learn how to write effective business letters for use in the hotel and tourism industries.
2. Students will study how to listen effectively in conversational interactions and how to develop better listening strategies. 3. Students learn how to communicate information and ideas creatively and effectively through writing.

Discussion question : * Look at the lists of listening skills and conversation skills in appendix 2 and prepare three sample objectives related to any of the skills listed.

Prepare five sample objectives related to this aim:

- Students will learn how to use effective office communication skills in English

Thank you very much for your attention!