How Undergraduate Science Students Use Learning Objectives to Study.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Undergraduate Science Education

Background:

• Learning objectives guide student knowledge acquisition and skill development.
• Alignment between learning objectives, instruction, and assessment enhances student performance.
• While instructor use of learning objectives is understood, student utilization remains less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how undergraduate science students use and perceive learning objectives.
• To explore students' self-reported strategies for engaging with learning objectives.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory study involving 185 undergraduate science students.
• Analysis of student responses to two open-ended assignments focused on learning objectives.

Main Results:

• Students' use of learning objectives aligned with instructor recommendations, indicating receptiveness to guidance.
• Students found learning objectives useful for narrowing focus and organizing study, suggesting a need for enhanced self-directed learning support.
• Some students preferred alternative resources like case studies, though recognized overlap with learning objectives, highlighting the value of instructional alignment.

Conclusions:

• Students are receptive to learning how to use learning objectives effectively.
• Further instructor support may be needed to help students leverage learning objectives for self-directed learning.
• The findings support the development of quantitative instruments to assess the impact of learning objective utilization on student performance.