NUR-647week 4 DQ 1

Topic 4 DQ 1 When you review various curricular plans, you may see a variety of terms. Some programs use the term \”program outcomes\” while others use the term \”terminal objectives\” for those actions that the student is expected to accomplish upon graduation. The same is true for individual courses. Some programs call the knowledge and skills that a student should master by the end of the course \”course outcomes\” while others use the term \”course objectives.\” All of the terms have a specified definition in literature and according to accreditation agencies. What are the similarities and differences between the terms according to the literature and to accrediting agencies? Select a program or course (other than GCU) and critique their use of these terms. NUR-647week 4 DQ 1. Do they use them in a manner consistent with the literature and/or accreditation agencies or do they use them differently? Include your review of the program in your response to this discussion question. Support your response with literature. Your critique could be at the program level or at the course level. You do not need to do both levels.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW

Terminal objectives and program outcome are two words commonly used interchangeably by different nursing schools, based on the various accreditation they use for their nursing programs and the institutions of learning. A noteworthy distinction between the terms terminal objectives and program outcomes is that the latter signifies the expected goals of the nursing program, where the student should demonstrate the knowledge acquired after receiving nursing instruction. Conversely, the term program outcome refers to the measurable knowledge and competencies that a student should demonstrate after completing the program being offered.
Based on the definition provided by DePaul University, learning outcomes and learning objectives differ greatly. According to the institution, which is accredited by the CCNE, course objectives refer to what an instructor or a course does for the students. For instance, the course program on FNP for nurses seeks to equip the nurses with skills on family care and provide them with a platform for them to specialize in areas such as midwifery or mental health. The course objectives for such a program would therefore be, to equip nurses with skills in midwifery.NUR-647week 4 DQ 1.  Conversely, within this institution, the course outcomes would differ from the objectives because the course objectives refer to the observable and measurable terms that gauge what the nursing student can achieve (DePaul University, 2018). For instance, a learning outcome in DePaul University would be, for the student to demonstrate their ability to engage family caregivers and teaching patients how to practice self-care in the home environment, as part of health management. To add to this difference, the learning objectives are more instruction-centered while the learning outcomes are more student-centered.
The definitions of course and learning outcomes and objectives from DePaul University are similar to those from Resselaer University. Within this institution, the course objectives describe the goals and the intentions of the professor teaching the course. This definition is similar to DePaul’s given that in the later, the institution recognizes course objectives as instructor-centered, which means that objectives are hinged upon the instructor. At Resselaer, course objectives focus on the course content and provide a description of what the faculty will do to help the students achieve the objectives (Resselaer University, 2020). This definition produces indicates a different with course outcomes because the outcomes integrate advance thinking skills based on course content and the learning activities in which the students engage, upon completing the course. This definition is also similar to the definition at DePaul University, which describes the course objectives as the observable and measurable terms that gauge what the nursing student can achieve. Additionally, the course outcomes are also student-centered in this institution considering they focus more on the student and what they achieve after the program, as opposed to the instructor, which is the case with course objectives. NUR-647week 4 DQ 1.
Lastly, the two institutions are accredited by the CCNE, which indicates that their definitions of course and learning outcomes and objectives are similar. In both institutions, the course objectives are instructor-centered, while the course outcomes are student-centered. The course objectives in both institutions define the skills that the student should how the student should be able to apply the skill in a professional context. While the terms are used interchangeably, it is important to recognize the fact that these concepts are different with the main difference being that the former is instructor-centered, and the latter is student-centered.

References
DePaul University. (2018). Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes | Course Design | Teaching Guides | Teaching Commons | DePaul University, Chicago. Resources.depaul.edu. Retrieved 7 January 2021, from https://resources.depaul.edu/teaching-commons/teaching-guides/course-design/Pages/course-objectives-learning-outcomes.aspx.
Resselaer University. (2020). Objectives vs. Outcomes | Office of the Provost. Provost.rpi.edu. Retrieved 7 January 2021, from https://provost.rpi.edu/learning-ass essment/learning-outcomes/objectives-vs-outcomes. NUR-647week 4 DQ 1.