On day one, think about the end

Setting goals is one way to get your students (or you) thinking about success in a course (or a project). The secret is to have students set goals as soon as possible. 

This draws on what Zimmerman calls the ‘forethought phase’ of self-regulated learning.

From Daily automated feedback enhances self-regulated learning: a longitudinal randomized field experiment

Many methods exist for students to create and set goals. Benjamin Zander, a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music, had students begin the term by writing a paper titled “How I earned an A in this course,” which was post-dated for the last day of class. The assignment, known as the Zander letter, required students to detail the work they would do to receive the high grade.

A professor in another class had students, in the early days of the term, discuss three questions in groups: 

1. What do you believe is important to understand and learn in this course?

2. What do you believe to be critical characteristics of successful students in this course?

3. How will you study and prepare for exams in this course?

The group discussion activity allows everyone to take home ideas, even if they haven’t thought too hard about these questions. 

These exercises paint with a wide brush. They get students reflecting about the shape of a course, not any one target within it. Zimmerman’s forethought phase also calls for creating something more specific: a goal you can point to and say you hit it or you didn’t. 

Dawson and Guare's Coaching Students with Executive Skills Deficits provides a few examples: 

• Spend 45 minutes studying for a chemistry test

• Complete math homework during sixth-period study hall

Dawson and Guare argue that specific goals outperform telling a student to “do their best” or “study chemistry more often.” Dawson and Guare also built a form for students:

Current grade: ___ Desired grade: ___ What do you need to do to earn your desired grade in this subject?

Locke and Latham point out that setting specific goals helps students focus their attention and effort. Goals can also energize learning and positively impact student persistence. 

If you’re going to have students build these goals, Locke and Latham have a few pointers for students: 

• Goal setting is an art form, and goals need to be of medium difficulty. Set them too high or too low, and you may not see the same positive results. 

• Make the goal public, increasing its importance in students’ eyes.  

• Occasionally ask students questions about their commitment to their goals.

• Students also like feedback on their goal progress.