AIMS AND OBJECTIVES - MEANING AND DISTRIBUTION ; OBJECTIVE BASED INSTRUCTION, COMPETENCY BASED INSTRUCTION

ASSIGNMENT 

·       AIMS AND OBJECTIVES - MEANING AND DISTRIBUTION

·       OBJECTIVE BASED INSTRUCTION, COMPETENCY           BASED INSTRUCTION

 INTRODUCTION

In education, learning objectives are brief statements that describe what students will be expected to learn by the end of school year, course, unit etc. In many cases, learning objectives are the interim academic goals that teachers establish for students who are working toward meeting more comprehensive learning standards. Learning objectives or educational objectives are a way for teachers to structure, sequence and plan out learning goals for specific instructional period, typically for the purpose of moving students toward the achievement of larger, long-term educational goals such as meeting course learning expectations, performing well on standardized test and excelling in every fields of his/her interests.

AIM

The term “Aim” and “objectives” are often used as synonyms. Both the terms indicate the destination towards which the learner is guided in the course of instruction. When one speaks of a destination, it may be distant or near; it may be one that could immediately be realized in a specific period of time or one which cannot be fully realized at all, even in the course of a life time.

“Aim” is a broad concept. It cannot be easily attained. For example “self-realisation” is a destination towards which education tries to lead the learner, but this is neither immediate nor is it fully realisable, though one can aspire to go nearer to that. Such a goal is said to be an “Educational Aim”.

OBJECTIVE

An objective too is a goal towards which a learner is made to move. But it is immediate, specific, operationally defined and easily achievable in a limited time. Hence an objective may be said to be a part of an aim – a part that would ultimately reach the distant goal. There can be three different levels of objectives: 1) Educational Objectives    2) Instructional Objectives 3) Specific Objectives or Specifications.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

An Educational Objectives is a statement of expected results. It is a statement of what the students should be able to do at the end of learning, as compared to what they could not do before.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

Learning is often defined as changes that occur in the learner as a result of development. The best strategy for formulating instructional objectives is to analyse the learning process in terms of changes occurring in learners. Instructional objectives are the behavioural changes that have occurred in a learner, as the result of learning a subject.

THE DOMAINS OF BEHAVIOUR

Human behaviour can be classified under three major categories: Cognitive domain, Affective domain and Psycho motor domain.

Gathering new items of information by interacting with the environment, giving meaning these experiences, applying them in new situations, using them for analysis, synthesis are said to be changes in the “Cognitive domain” of behaviour, for which the learner mainly makes use of his intellectual abilities.

Many of the behaviours of an individual are controlled more by feelings and emotions rather than by cognition which depends upon the intellect. Behavioural changes which go beyond the changes in the cognitive domain are said to be changes in the “Affective Domain.”

Cognitive and Affective behavioural changes act as the basis for the formation of skills, but more important is the co-ordination of the autonomous nervous system and the muscular and skeletal system. Speaking, reading, writing, drawing etc are examples of such skills, the perfection of which is the result of the integration of a number of cognitive and affective changes with motor activities. Hence changes of this category leading to mastery of skills are said to be changes in the “psycho-motor domain.”

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Specific objectives are the actual behavioural changes happening in learners. In other words, giving one’s own examples, comparing, classifying, defining etc may be said to be observable behaviours associated with the objective understanding. Such observable and measureable behaviours that could be cited as evidences for the realisation of an objective may be called ‘Specific objectives’ or ‘Specifications.’

OBJECTIVE BASED INSTRUCTION

Educational objectives imply the changes that occur in the student through the process of teaching. It has the following characteristics: (i) It provides the direction for the teaching activity, which is designed to achieve a pre determined goal. (ii) It helps in planning for the desired change. (iii) It provides the basis for organising activities.

A clear description of the intended outcome of instructional helps the teacher in selecting relevant materials and methods of instruction, in monitoring pupils learning progress and in selecting and practising appropriate evaluation procedures. The instruction which is aimed to attain the pre determined objectives is known as Objectives based instruction.

ADVANTAGES OF OBJECTIVE BASED INSTRUCTION

The following are the advantages of Objective Based Instruction:

1.     It gives direction to the teachers and helps them to wise decisions.

2.     It helps the curriculum planners to decide in advance the matters to be included in the curriculum and the scope to be envisaged regarding its transactions.

3.     Objectives aid in evaluation which in turn helps in refining objectives

4.     The effort of the teacher is made more specific and concrete.

5.     It makes instruction output oriented and hence helps to maximize the output of learning, normally development of desirable changes.

COMPETENCY BASED INSTRUCTION

Competency based education also known as Performance based education, is relatively a new approach to teaching, has in its core the ideas of accountability and competencies. In Competency based education, competencies are spelt out , so that it is possible to asses student learning through observation of student behaviour.

The teacher is accountable for his students’ attainment of a minimum level of competency in performing the essential tasks of learning.

Instruction is presented in the form of modules, a module being a set of learning activities with objectives, prerequisites, pre-assessments, instructional activities, post-assessments and remediation. The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning and his job is more directed towards the preparation of the self-instructional modules. Evaluation is done by criterion-referenced testing.

COMMON FEATURES OF COMPETENCY BASED INSTRUCTION

a)    Programme requirements are derived from and based on the practises adopted in effective programmes

It considers only those aspects which the learner should know, be able to do and accomplish.

b)    Requirements are stated as competencies.

Requirements describe what the student must demonstrate for successful completion of the programme.

c)     Instruction and assessment are specifically related to competencies.

Instruction not directly linked to competencies is eliminated from the programme. Assessment of a learner is based exclusively on programme competencies.

d)    Learner progress is determined by demonstration of competencies.

Length of time in a programme is not the primary variable in learner’s progress; it is demonstration of competence in various areas and to the specific levels identified for a programme.

e)     Implied and related characteristics

·        Instruction is individualized and personal

·        The learning experience of students is guided by feedback.

·        The programme as a whole is systematic.

·        The emphasis is on exit and not on entrance requirements.

·        Instruction is modularised.

·        Programme is field centred.

·  The base for programme decision making is broad including college teachers, university faculty, students.

·        Both teachers and students are designers of the instructional system.

·        The programme includes research and is open and regenerative.

·        Materials and experiences focus on concepts/ skills and knowledge which can be learned in a specific instructional setting.

CONCLUSION

Any educational process has an aim and objective. Though both are used synonymously they have different meanings. While aim is a broad concept and cannot be easily achieved; on the other hand objectives are narrow concept, which can be easily attained. Through this behavioural changes in the students can be brought about. Objective based instruction provides direction to achieve pre determined goals. While through Competency based education it is possible to assess student’s learning through observation of student’s behaviour. Teachers become responsible for his students attainment of minimum level of competency in performing the essential tasks of learning.