When developing your learning goals for the EBE project, use specific rather than vague phrases to guide your experience. Clear, specific goals enable you, the faculty sponsor, and the worksite supervisor to understand your goals for the experience and evaluate if you have achieved them. It is recommended that students include worksite supervisors, career services staff, and/or faculty sponsors, in developing learning goals.

Learning Goals should describe what you hope to accomplish the how you hope to accomplish it. 

Sample Learning Goals

(examples adapted from the Luther College Career Center website)

Vague

            I want to learn all about working in a senator’s office.

Specific

            I will learn the methods involved in researching legislation for committee

assignments by working closely with Senator Brownback and his staff.

I want to develop communication skills needed to respond to constituents’ letters.  To accomplish this goal, I will review daily letters of inquiry and response.  I will interview staff members regarding the process for effectively responding to constituents.

I will analyze political theories used in campaign planning by reviewing course textbooks and discussing theories with campaign staff. 

Vague

            This internship will give me experience in the accounting field.

Specific

I will study the methods of cost accounting used by this firm.  To accomplish this goal, I will work with one of the accountants in reviewing procedures.

I will learn to apply principles of accounting to tax preparation completing sample forms and, once trained, complete actual tax forms.

I want to determine if working for an accounting firm is an appropriate career goal for me.  To gain information on this career field I will research information about the accounting field including training, skills, and qualifications required. 

Vague

I am interested in counseling troubled teenagers.

Specific

I will learn to administer and interpret personality inventories by working closely with a licensed professional counselor.

I hope to develop my potential as a facilitator by observing other professional staff members as they facilitate meetings and lead presentations.  Following these observations I will discuss their methods and strategies with them, recording my findings in the journal.

I plan to research teenage alcoholism and identify at least five factors that contribute to the problem.  I will include my findings in my final EB397 paper.