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=Institutional policies require that a formal statement of learning objectives is part of all course documentation provided to students. =

Evidence
Mager (1997) notes that without instructional objectives the following three problems arise: teachers can’t decide which content and procedures will help them to achieve their objectives, it is difficult to create assessments to tell whether students are competent or not, and students won’t know when to stop practicing. In order to avoid these pitfalls it is wise to require that a formal statement of learning objectives be part of all course documentation.

Students need to be equipped for lifelong learning. Therefore it is important that they understand the pedagogies used in their education, and understand how to enable themselves to learn successfully. Independent learning should be a goal of learning institutions. Moore (1975) underscores the importance of learner autonomy, ‘most educational theories stipulate the desirability of learners’ acquiring sufficient skill in preparation, execution, and evaluation to conduct their own learning’ (p. 80). The role of instruction is to prepare learners for such autonomy, as such they must understand the pedagogies used and the goals of the learning process.