Translating the Concept of Goal Setting into Practice -- What 'Else' does it Require than a Goal Setting Tool?

TL;DR

This paper reviews goal setting in educational technology, highlighting that human factors like students' skills and curriculum design are key barriers, rather than technological or data limitations.

Contribution

It identifies human factors and curriculum issues as primary obstacles to effective goal setting in educational technology, emphasizing the need for supportive interventions.

Findings

Human factors are the main barriers to goal setting in education

Curriculum design often lacks support for goal setting interventions

Technology and data are less significant barriers

Abstract

This conceptual paper reviews the current status of goal setting in the area of technology enhanced learning and education. Besides a brief literature review, three current projects on goal setting are discussed. The paper shows that the main barriers for goal setting applications in education are not related to the technology, the available data or analytical methods, but rather the human factor. The most important bottlenecks are the lack of students goal setting skills and abilities, and the current curriculum design, which, especially in the observed higher education institutions, provides little support for goal setting interventions.