Evalguide - Ziele

Functional goals should be formulated as "smartly" as possible. "Smart" can stand for different various abbreviations (cf. Beywl & Schepp-Winter, 1999; Heiner, 1996; Platt, 2001), one of which can be as followsbut we use it as follows:

Specific – The goal must be valid for specific named persons, general framework, etc.; the boundaries of the goal are given.
Measurable – Qualities and, if necessary, quantities of the goal achievement should be determinable, indicators can be derived from them.
Appropriate – Is it the 'right' goal? Is there a need for the planned measures?
Realistic – The chances of achieving the goal are sufficiently good under the given general conditions (resources, time, skills); external, uncontrollable factors do not stand in the way of achieving the goal.
Timed – A time frame is specified.

This is illustrated by two examples:

1. A less smart goal: "All students will learn to work independently and flexibly."

Unspecific: The target group and the context are not described in detail.
Difficult to measure: What is meant exactly by 'independently' and 'flexibly'? How can the achievement of the learning goal be measured?
Appropriate? Especially in their first terms, students will probably need guidance and structure.
Somewhat unrealistic: Whether all students will achieve this learning goal is rather questionable.
No time limits: No time-frame is given.

2. A smarter goal: "During the summer semester term of 2006, the students of economics (BA) invest will spend at least one hour a week working on to work on online exercises at least one hour a week in addition to their classroom statistics classroom hours course."

Specific: The target group is named, the context (statistics course) is specified.
Measurable: Conducting log-file analyses and/or surveys allows clear measurement of how much time the students are spending on the exercises.
Appropriate: If the knowledge from the lectures is supposed to be deepened, then completing the exercises available on-line outside the classroom is a necessity.
Realistic: It is to be clarified whether, considering the students' work load, an additional hour per week is reasonable given the students’ workload or whether, considering the difficulty and scope of the exercises, one hour is enough to complete them, given the difficulty and extent of the exercise, they can be completed in one hour.
Timed: A time-frame is given.