Goal orientation

How can we help students build a sense of purpose with their studies here at Western?

Provide early feedback on progression:

Give early feedback so students have an idea about how they are progressing.
Feedback does not have to be in the form of formal written comments from you. There are many forms of quick, easy and effective informal feedback.
When providing written feedback, follow a strength-based approach and let students know the areas they need to focus on to improve for their next assessment (“feed-forward”). Check out here for feedback tips.

Where possible, adapt your curriculum to the level of students’ preparedness and their understanding of learning. Click here for a range of flexible and responsive teaching techniques.
Regularly check students’ understanding and identify topics that students are ‘not getting’, and give priority to them. This resource provides 53 ways to check for student understanding.

When introducing yourself to students, share with them your professional and/or research journey.
Talk about your reasons for choosing your discipline, about your professional roles, your areas of specialisation and your research interests. Convey what areas you are passionate about and why.
Remind them that you are here to support their learning.

Find out why your students chose to study their course and which professional roles they see themselves in after they graduate.
Have students interview each other and list what they would expect from a professional in their discipline, work environment or context. Examples of questions they could ask include:
- What does a professional in their discipline need to know?
- What skills do they need?
- Which personal qualities and values should they possess?
Use real-world examples which relate to these professions in your teaching.

Explain to students how doing this unit will prepare them for their future professional roles.
Frame class activities in a professional context. Ask ‘What if you were a novice officer/engineer/teacher?”
Introduce short reflection activities in class to relate class experiences to future professional roles. Have students reflect on:
- What did I learn from class today?
- What would I do differently another time?
- How will this learning experience serve me personally in the future?
- How will this improve my learning and professional practice?

Share with students career-related events when you come across them – e.g. career fairs, workshops, professional organisations’ events, internship opportunities.
If students start doubting their course choice, refer them to an Academic Course Advisor.
Advise students to access free career and resume advice here or on useful discipline-specific career sites.

The Job Outlook provides useful career planning resources for students, a career quiz, career profiles and future job forecasts.

You can recommend the website for students who are still deciding on their career choice or unsure about their course choice.