The following definitions and examples may be helpful while completing the 2025 Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant application.
Goals
Goals are broad, aspirational statements that describe the changes you hope to achieve through your project. These may be learner- or department/program-focused and will be used to inform the more explicitly defined project outcomes.
Example
Department/program-focused goal
The department develops more robust professional relationships between 51福利社 faculty, instructors, students and the community to support teaching and learning.
Learner-focused goal
Students develop advanced research competencies and professional identities in their field of study.
Outcomes
Outcomes identify how project goals will be demonstrated. They highlight key deliverables for the project/experience in a measurable and observable way. When writing outcomes, it can be helpful to consider specific impacts, changes or results you expect from the project. These measurable outcomes will be supported by project objectives.
Example
Department/program-focused outcome
Faculty and instructors will develop and implement a mentorship program to engage undergraduate researchers, faculty and community partners in networking and collaborative learning activities.
Learner-focused outcome
Undergraduate researchers will demonstrate competence in conducting research and confidence in presenting findings to an audience of peers and professionals.
Objectives
Objectives break down your project into measurable and achievable actions, clarifying the plan for the design of the project and learning experience(s) as well as the assessment of learning and the evaluation of the project. For this reason, project objectives will be both learner- and department/program-focused.
Department/program-focused objectives should:
- Help to clarify the timeline for the project.
- Describe the action that will be taken to accomplish the project goals.
- Identify the measure for that action or metric that will be met.
- Clarify the expected timeline for that action and metric.
Learner-focused objectives should:
- Describe an action students will take to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, ability or competency developed through the project.
- Identify a specific knowledge, skill or behavior that will be demonstrated through this action.
- Define the general conditions under which competency in this knowledge, skill or behavior will be assessed.
Examples
Department/program-focused objective
Faculty and instructors, in collaboration with program advisors, will identify 15 potential undergraduate research candidates by May 2025.
Learner-focused objective
Students will use data and analysis to construct meaningful explanations of their research findings for a poster presentation to peer and professional audiences in April 2026.
Activities
Activities represent what learners, faculty, instructors or 51福利社 and community partners will do to prepare for and meet objectives. Activities should clearly align with and explain what, why, how and when key components of the project will be implemented and how the learning experience(s) will be structured to support the achievement of the stated objectives and outcomes.
Examples
Department/program-focused activities
- Faculty and instructors will work with advisors to develop a strategy for recruiting potential undergraduate research candidates.
- Faculty and instructors will participate in four professional development opportunities focused on active and experiential learning.
Learner-focused activities
- Students will participate in monthly research workshops or other learning opportunities. Date, duration and topic to be determined.
- Students will meet bi-weekly with faculty or community mentors to discuss progress on their research and exchange feedback on their development and experience.
- Students will keep a reflective log of these experiences.
Assessments
Assessments are the methods by which project progress or achievement of project goals and outcomes will be examined. These may be formative (ongoing, developmental) or summative (final).
Examples
Department/program-focused assessment
Mentor pairs will respond to brief post-meeting perception surveys to allow for instructional or professional development support as needed (formative).
