Learning objectives serve as a type of contract with your audience and help put the purpose of your training in concrete, measurable terms. If participants know the objectives from the beginning, they know what they are expected to learn. Objectives also clearly focus on the desired outcomes (“Effective Adult Learning” 2012).
A performance objective is more than just a list of topics to be covered in the course and is more detailed than a body of knowledge that students should know once the course is complete. A well-written objective provides a clear picture of the outcome or performance you expect as a result of the lesson being taught. It should be specific, summarizing, and observable or determinate. Objective statements are composed of three parts: behavior, conditions, and criteria.
Behavior (What will the students do?)
The behavior component is a description of the behavior that learners are expected to perform. It should be measurable and observable and describes what the learner will be doing when once they master the objective.
Conditions (Under what conditions will the students perform?)
The Conditions component of an objective is a description of the conditions under which the behavior will be carried out. It also includes a description of what will be available to learners when they perform the desired behavior. Specifying the conditions further helps to prevent confusion of your intent.
Criterion (How well it must be done.)
The final piece of an effective objective is the Criterion. The criterion is a description of the criteria for acceptance of a performance as sufficient, indicating mastery of the objective. In other words, how well must it be done? Stating the criterion lets learners know how well they will have to perform to be considered competent. In addition, it provides a standard against which to test the success of the instruction, and gives you a way of evaluating whether or not the learners can, in fact, do what you set out to teach them.
Objectives
Objectives articulate the knowledge and skills you want students to acquire by the end of the completion of a goal. Objectives must be assessed (checked to see if they are met) and must be paired with learning activities.
Objectives should be student-centered.
Objectives should use action verbs.
Objectives should be measurable.
More examples of good learning objectives:
Good
BAD
Writing Objectives for Lesson Plans Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and Associated Action or Performance Verbs
The following lists are provided to help recognize levels of thought and to write objectives that address the various levels of skill your student should attain. Some verbs may be found in more than one list. When determining the learning outcomes or objectives for your course, consider using a verb from the appropriate cognitive domain below.
A performance objective is more than just a list of topics to be covered in the course and is more detailed than a body of knowledge that students should know once the course is complete. A well-written objective provides a clear picture of the outcome or performance you expect as a result of the lesson being taught. It should be specific, summarizing, and observable or determinate. Objective statements are composed of three parts: behavior, conditions, and criteria.
Behavior (What will the students do?)
The behavior component is a description of the behavior that learners are expected to perform. It should be measurable and observable and describes what the learner will be doing when once they master the objective.
Conditions (Under what conditions will the students perform?)
The Conditions component of an objective is a description of the conditions under which the behavior will be carried out. It also includes a description of what will be available to learners when they perform the desired behavior. Specifying the conditions further helps to prevent confusion of your intent.
Criterion (How well it must be done.)
The final piece of an effective objective is the Criterion. The criterion is a description of the criteria for acceptance of a performance as sufficient, indicating mastery of the objective. In other words, how well must it be done? Stating the criterion lets learners know how well they will have to perform to be considered competent. In addition, it provides a standard against which to test the success of the instruction, and gives you a way of evaluating whether or not the learners can, in fact, do what you set out to teach them.
Objectives
Objectives articulate the knowledge and skills you want students to acquire by the end of the completion of a goal. Objectives must be assessed (checked to see if they are met) and must be paired with learning activities.
Objectives should be student-centered.
- Think in terms of what you want the student to be able to do at the end of a course
- Good Example: “At the end of this course, the student will be able to describe…”
- Bad Example: “Provide support for novice students.”
Objectives should use action verbs.
- Be explicit in your expectation of the student.
- The use of action verbs enables an instructor to more easily measure what he/she is asking the student to do.
- Good Examples: Calculate, Discuss, Define, Interpret, Illustrate, Rate, Explain, Describe, Apply, Analyze, Compare, Contrast, Translate
- Bad Examples: Understand, Know, Appreciate, Study, Learn, Cover
Objectives should be measurable.
- Objectives should never be vague and should correlate with a clear assessment to easily determine if students have mastered a skill or concept.
- Good Example: “Given a specific patient with obesity, the student will be able to recommend an appropriate workout regimen.”
- Bad Example: “Understand different kinds of exercises.”
More examples of good learning objectives:
Good
- “Given multiple business classes, the student will be able to compare and contrast the exchange rates of currency.”
- “Given a specific customer profile, the student will be able to produce an appropriate strategic sales plan.”
BAD
- Understand National Currency.
- Create a sales plan.
Writing Objectives for Lesson Plans Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and Associated Action or Performance Verbs
The following lists are provided to help recognize levels of thought and to write objectives that address the various levels of skill your student should attain. Some verbs may be found in more than one list. When determining the learning outcomes or objectives for your course, consider using a verb from the appropriate cognitive domain below.
Learning level and associated action verbs
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
References
Effective Adult Learning: A Toolkit for Teaching Adults. (2012). Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. University of Washington.
Introduction to Instructional Design. Retrieved September 28 2014 from Assignment Notes Online Web Site:http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/introduction.htm
University of Louisiana at Monroe. Tips for Writing Objectives (Word document). Retrieved from: http://www.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/objectives.htm
Knowledge
- define, describe, state, list, name, write, recall, recognize, label, underline, select, reproduce, outline, match
Comprehension
- identify, justify, select, indicate, illustrate, represent, name, formulate, explain, judge, contrast, classify
Application
- predict, select, assess, explain, choose, find, show, demonstrate, construct, compute, use, perform
Analysis
- analyze, identify, conclude, differentiate, select, separate, compare, contrast, justify, resolve, break down, criticize
Synthesis
- combine, restate, summarize, precise, argue, discuss, organize, derive, select, relate, generalize, conclude
Evaluation
- judge, evaluate, determine, recognize, support, defend, attack, criticize, identify, avoid, select, choose
References
Effective Adult Learning: A Toolkit for Teaching Adults. (2012). Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. University of Washington.
Introduction to Instructional Design. Retrieved September 28 2014 from Assignment Notes Online Web Site:http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/introduction.htm
University of Louisiana at Monroe. Tips for Writing Objectives (Word document). Retrieved from: http://www.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/ed/398/objectives.htm
