2.5| Goal-Directed Learning

What is Goal-Directed Learning?

According to the Technology Integration Matrix, students should use technology tools to set goals, plan activities, monitor progress, and evaluate results rather than simply completing assignments without reflection. The Goal-Directed Learning characteristic Links to an external site.  focuses on the extent to which technology facilitates, enables, or supports meaningful reflection and metacognition.

The following chart shows what Goal-Directed Learning looks like for teachers, students, and the classroom setting at each level of the SAMR framework, cross-walked against the five levels of the TIM.

SAMR Levels
TIM Levels	Entry Directions given; step-by-step task monitoring	Adoption Conventional and procedural use of tools to plan/monitor	Adaptation Purposeful use of tools to plan and monitor; some student choice and exploration	Infusion Flexible and seamless use of tools to plan and monitor	Transformation Extensive and higher order use of tools to plan and monitor
The Teachers...	The teacher gives students directions and monitors step-by-step completion of tasks. The teacher sets goals for students and monitors their progress.	The teacher directs students step by step in the conventional use of technology tools to set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate an activity, or reflect upon learning activities.	The teacher selects the technology tools and clearly integrates them into the lesson. The teacher facilitates students’ independent use of the technology tools to set goals, plan, monitor progress, evaluate outcomes, and reflect upon learning activities. The teacher may provide guidance in breaking down tasks.	The teacher creates a learning context in which students regularly use technology tools to set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate outcomes, and reflect upon learning activities. The teacher facilitates students’ choice and independent use of technology tools to accomplish these tasks.	The teacher creates a rich learning environment in which students regularly engage in higher-order planning, monitoring, evaluative, and reflective activities that may be impossible to achieve without technology. The teacher sets a context in which students are encouraged to use technology tools in innovative ways to direct and reflect on their own learning.
The Students...	Students may receive directions, guidance, and/or feedback via technology.	Students follow procedural instructions to use technology in conventional ways to set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, or reflect upon an activity.	Students independently use technology to set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, and reflect upon specific activities. Students explore the use of the technology tools for these purposes.	Students regularly use technology independently to set goals, plan activities, monitor progress, evaluate results, and reflect upon learning activities. The students may choose from a variety of technologies when working on self-directed goals	Students engage in ongoing metacognitive activities, and work on self-directed goals, at a level only possible with the support of technology. Students are empowered to extend the use of technology tools and have greater ownership and responsibility for learning.
The Setting...	The setting may include technology tools that allow students to demonstrate skill development and allow tracking of student progress across levels.	The setting includes access to some teacher-selected technology tools that allow students to set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, or reflect upon their work.	The setting includes access to a variety of technology tools, allowing students some choice in how they set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, and reflect upon their work.	The setting includes a rich variety of technology tools to allow students many choices in how they set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, and reflect upon their work.	The setting includes robust access to a rich variety of technology tools and online resources to allow students many choices in how they independently set goals, plan, monitor, evaluate, and reflect upon their work.

 Implementing Goal-Directed Learning in the Classroom

In the traditional model of instruction, the it is the teacher who primarily gives feedback and assigns goals for students to complete.  However, empowering students to set their own goals and reflect on their progress towards those goals is a power metacognitive tool that can greatly enhance student achievement.  Moving towards transformative practices in Goal-Directed learning turns more and more of the responsibility of tracking and evaluating mastery of standards over to students.  These practices not only have strong connections to our Profile of a Graduate (see below), they also align with Mastery-Based Instruction Links to an external site. and the Richmond County School System's IHA-R Grading Policy Links to an external site..  However, transitioning from traditional models low on the scale above to more transformative practices is not easy or fast - students and teachers alike may need to work incrementally to move up the levels of implementation one step at a time to refine procedures and expectations.  Explore the following resources for ideas about how to implement Goal-Directed learning in your classroom:

• Review our "Assessing for Success" Professional Learning Series, in particular LeAnn Nickelsen's work on "Relearn and Reassess Links to an external site."
• Develop your students' ability to self-assess by showing them examples of mastery, equipping them with technical vocabulary, and providing them with opportunities to practice peer critique - watch this video demonstrating self-assessment in the arts Links to an external site. and consider how you might adapt these techniques to other subject areas.
• Rubrics are an essential tool educators can use to provide clear expectations for mastery.  Learn how to implement rubrics in Canvas here Links to an external site..
• Learn some strategies to foster Metacognitive Skills for Independent Learning Links to an external site..  
  • Need a refresher on Metacognition?  Try this short video Links to an external site..
• Learn some more Teaching Strategies for K12 Metacognition here Links to an external site..

  Connections: Profile of a Graduate

The Richmond County Digital Learning Framework is designed to align with our Profile of a Graduate.  Teaching students to set and reflect on their own goals is essential to producing students who:

• Demonstrate a growth mindset and ability to persevere (Continuous Learner)
• Show motivations, initiative, and effort to achieve academic and career goals (Continuous Learner)
• Engage in reflection and accept feedback for individual improvement and self-advocacy (Continuous Learner)
• Analyze and interpret situations, patterns, and data (Critical Thinker)
• Weigh evidence to make complex decisions (Critical Thinker)
• Exhibit pride in producing quality work and fulfilling requirements (Responsible Citizen)
• Listen attentively and ask questions to clarify understanding (Effective Communicator)
• Use information from a variety of sources to develop unique solutions (Innovative Problem-Solver)