One Change: Align Learning Objectives With Weekly Tasks

[Symphonie]

How often do students ask, “Why are we doing this assignment?” It’s a fair question—and one that can be answered with a small but powerful design tweak.

By making learning goals visible and tying them directly to each week’s tasks, you give students clarity and purpose. Instead of assignments feeling like busywork, they see how each activity moves them closer to mastering a course objective.

Alignment helps students connect the dots between goals and practice. It builds motivation by showing the value of each task and creates a more intentional course structure, benefiting both you and your students.

Implementation can be as simple as adding a short note in your syllabus or LMS module. 

For example: “This week’s work supports Objective #2: Interpret data and draw conclusions.”

That one sentence can shift how students perceive the week’s workload from disconnected tasks to steps in a larger learning journey.

The next time you prep a module, try adding explicit links between objectives and activities. It’s a small change that can make a big difference in how your students engage with your course.