How to Use Objectives to Decide What and How to Teach: Insights for Community College and Trade School Instructors

By Jill Hery, EdD | 11/1/2024

Introduction

Starting a teaching role at a community college or trade school can be both exciting and daunting. Transitioning from a hands-on career into teaching means not only sharing your expertise but also learning how to make it accessible and applicable to your students.

When I first began teaching in a Physical Therapist Assistant Program after working as a Physical Therapist, I thought that delivering lectures, doing demonstrations, and testing students on the material would be enough. I’d skim over course objectives in the catalog, assuming that as long as I covered the general topics, students would understand. But I quickly realized I needed a more intentional approach, one focused on guiding students toward genuine understanding and skill.

This post will explore how clear, well-defined objectives can transform your teaching style, engage students, and ultimately lead to better learning outcomes.

Moving from Teaching to Facilitating Learning

Initially, I believed that if I simply presented the information, students would absorb it. However, research shows that students retain only about 5% of what they hear in lectures two weeks later; demonstrations raise retention only to about 30%. These numbers drove home a crucial insight: presenting information isn’t enough to build real competence.

To genuinely support learning, I had to shift from simply “delivering” content to facilitating active learning experiences. A question that helped guide this shift was: How can I help my students engage with and understand what I’m teaching? This question became foundational in creating objectives and structuring my classes.

As an instructor, you’re not just a “giver” of information. Instead, you’re a guide who curates resources, designs activities, and facilitates experiences that allow students to build their own understanding and skills.

Using Objectives to Shape Learning

Most community colleges and trade schools provide course objectives in their catalogs. If these are already defined, use them as a solid starting point. But if you need to develop your own, understanding and crafting objectives can ensure that what you teach is effective and meaningful. Objectives serve as a roadmap for both you and your students, outlining what they should be able to do by the end of the course and guiding you in selecting the most appropriate teaching methods.

Here’s an example of how objectives shape real courses.

Example: Finance and Bookkeeping

In a finance and bookkeeping course, objectives might include:

• The student will complete data entry tasks with no more than two errors per 100 entries, demonstrating attention to accuracy and detail.”

• The student will accurately define and use current accounting terminology in a financial report, demonstrating effective use of industry-specific language.

These overarching goals can be broken down into smaller tasks, or enabling objectives, such as “accurately complete financial statements.” For this objective, you might create hands-on exercises where students practice using bookkeeping tools. In the classroom, such objectives guide you toward using practical, skill-building activities over lectures alone.

Active Learning Techniques to Improve Retention

Research consistently shows that traditional lectures have limited retention rates. So, once you have clear objectives, aim to create active learning experiences that require students to practice and apply the skills. Here are a few examples of active learning techniques that align with objectives and increase engagement:

• Case Studies: Use real-life cases relevant to your field. This allows students to apply concepts in practical ways and helps them understand the relevance of what they’re learning.
• Pair-and-Teach: Let students teach each other after a short introduction to a new concept. Peer teaching reinforces their understanding and builds communication skills.
• Group Discussions: Engage students in group debates about key topics or problems in the field, encouraging them to think critically and collaboratively.

Example: Carpentry Program

Consider a carpentry course with objectives like:

• The student will demonstrate safe and effective use of common hand and power tools by completing a given construction task, following all safety protocols and achieving accurate results without incidents.

• The student will interpret a construction blueprint and apply sound construction principles to build a specified structure, ensuring the final product meets all specified dimensions and stability requirements.

To teach “safe and effective tool use,” lectures won’t suffice. You’ll need hands-on sessions where students practice using the tools under guidance, along with safety-focused discussions. This method ensures students don’t just know about tool safety—they understand and can demonstrate it in real-life scenarios.

Crafting Objectives from Scratch

If you need to create objectives from scratch, start by asking yourself what your students need to know, understand, feel, and do to succeed. For example, in a bookkeeping course:

Knowledge: Basic Math and Spreadsheet Skills when written as an objective:

• “The student will solve basic bookkeeping math problems with 90% accuracy and use spreadsheet functions, such as sum and average, to organize and calculate financial data in Excel.”

Understanding: The Importance of Accuracy in Financial Statements when written as an objective:

• “The student will analyze a sample financial statement, identify any errors, and explain the impact of inaccuracies on financial reporting and decision-making.”

Attitudes: A Meticulous Approach to Detail when written as an objective:

• “The student will review and correct a mock set of financial records, demonstrating a meticulous approach by identifying and correcting 100% of intentional errors within the data.”

Skills: Proficiency with Software like Excel or QuickBooks  when written as an objective:

• “The student will use QuickBooks to enter transactions, generate a balance sheet, and produce an income statement with accurate data entry and formatting, ensuring all entries align with provided financial data.”

From these foundations, you can create objectives that outline specific, actionable outcomes, like “By the end of this course, students will be able to accurately prepare financial statements.” This clarity allows students to focus their efforts and gives you a way to measure their progress.

Keeping Students Engaged

Once you’ve created clear objectives, bring them to life through active engagement techniques. Here are some ideas to help keep students motivated and invested in their learning:

1. Reflect on Your Own Teaching: Regularly ask yourself, “How does this activity support my students in meeting the objectives?” Keeping this focus sharpens your teaching and helps students see the relevance of each lesson.
2. Give Them Hands-On Practice: Students learn best by doing. Wherever possible, use case studies, simulations, and practice exercises to let them engage directly with the material.
3. Encourage Self-Assessment: Use quizzes, checklists, and short reflections to let students assess their progress toward each objective. This builds their confidence and awareness of their own learning journey.
4. Share Real-World Scenarios: Use examples and stories from your field to illustrate concepts. This not only builds interest but also shows students how the skills they’re developing apply in the real world.

Enjoying the Role of Facilitator

One of the most rewarding aspects of objective-driven teaching is watching students grow in competence and confidence. As you shift from lecturing to facilitating, you’ll find yourself encouraging students to take more responsibility for their own learning. They become active participants in the classroom, bringing energy and engagement that enhances everyone’s learning experience.

For those looking to take their teaching to the next level, consider exploring the Certified Facilitator of Adult Learning (CFAL) program. This program offers further insights into adult learning principles, guidance on crafting effective objectives, and strategies for facilitating dynamic, skill-based learning experiences.

Final Thoughts

Ready to make an impact in your classroom? Start by revisiting the objectives for your next course. Ask yourself: How can I make each objective meaningful and engaging for my students?

By focusing on what your students should gain from each lesson, you’re setting them up for success—and building a reputation as an instructor who genuinely supports learning.

For more structured support in becoming a top-tier instructor, consider pursuing CFAL certification, where you’ll learn powerful, competency-based teaching techniques that you can use over and over in your career.

Take the next step toward transforming your teaching and your students’ learning experience!

 Enroll today and become a Certified Facilitator of Adult Learning.