[Nourhan Mousa]

Difference between learning aims & objectives

• Learning aims: these are generic statements that describe the overall purpose of the lesson.
• Learning objectives: these are more specific and aim at articulating what students/learners will be able to do. These guide the teachers to create a more specific, organized lesson to reach specific outcomes.

Example (Grade 9 World Geography Class):

• Learning Aim:
  • By the end of this lesson/unit, students should:
    • Develop an understanding of the five themes of geography.
    • Recognize the importance of geography as a framework for analyzing the world.
    • Appreciate how geographic perspectives influence their understanding of local and global issues.
• SMART Objectives:
  • By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
    • Define and describe each of the five themes of geography.
    • Apply the five themes of geography to analyze a familiar location.
    • Analyze and compare two different regions.
    • Create a case study presentation of a selected country, incorporating all five themes of geography, supported by maps, visuals, and written explanations, and present their findings to the class.

[Nourhan Mousa]

Your learning objective truly reflects how students would be able to reach the main aim behind the lesson. Thank you for your example and explanation.

[Nourhan Mousa]

I really like your response. I believe that terminologies like “learn” and “understand” are very vague to add in learning objectives because they lack the “measurable” aspect of how students will be able to meet these objectives.

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I really like your response. I believe that terminologies like “learn” and “understand” are very vague to add in learning objectives because they lack the “measurable” aspect of how students will be able to meet these objectives.

[Nourhan Mousa]

Your response is very informative. I’d like to add to your point about using the ADDIE model for long-term planning. I believe the ASSURE model can actually be applied to both short-term and long-term plans. It can support teachers not only in designing individual lessons but also in developing a curriculum map for their subject over an extended period. In contrast, while the ADDIE model is effective for broader instructional design, it is not specifically tailored for classroom contexts, which can make it more challenging for teachers to directly apply all its elements to their daily planning and lesson delivery. What are your thoughts on this?

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