Writing Clear Objectives

Material taken from Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012, p. 42-44. 

 The University of New Mexico School of Medicine defines a learning objective as "An outcome statement that captures specifically what knowledge, skills, [and] attitudes learners should be able to exhibit following instruction" (2005, p. 1). 

 There are four components to a well-written learning objective. In our text, they are listed in an ABCD format. 
 The first component of a well-written learning objective is Audience.

When writing a learning objective for your class, you should always consider the audience. Who are the targeted learners? Who will you be teaching? You (hopefully) know the age of your audience, so this component should be simple. It is important to remember, though, that if a student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), the objectives will be targeted to that student specifically.

The second component of a well-written learning objective is Behavior.

Behavior in this case is referring to the observable behavior you want your students to exhibit after they have learned the objective. Verbs (also called performance terms) are used to describe these observable behaviors. For example, if your objective is that children will be able to name the first six US presidents, here are some verbs you could use and the context in which you could use them:

• Build- Using your knowledge of the first six presidents, build a display presenting 3-4 facts about each of them.
• Categorize- Refer to the pictures above and categorize each one as one of the first six presidents or not.
• Identify/Name (interchangable)- Identify the first six presidents of the United States.

The third component of a well-written learning objective is Conditions.

While assessing students, "learning objectives should include the conditions under which the performance is to be assessed" (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012, p. 42). This includes the materials and tools that students will or will not be allowed to use when they are being observed. An example of this in an objective would be:

"Without photographs or illustrations for reference, the student will draw

 and label the anatomy of an ant."

The fourth and final component of a well-written learning objective is Degree.

Degree refers to "the degree of accuracy or proficiency by which minimally acceptable performance will be judged" (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012, p. 42). This component may also be called criterion. You may ask yourself questions such as, 'How long will the students be given to complete the task?', 'What are the qualitative standards I will measure my student by?', and 'How many correct responses are required of students to be considered proficient?'. 

By examining each of these components when you create learning objectives, you will create stronger and, more importantly, more clear objectives for your students. It will be easier to assess your students and to make sure you have assessed each one fairly and accurately.

References: 

2020VG. Worker Adjusts Watch. Digital image. Free Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson. EFFECTIVE USE OF PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES FOR LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT (For Use With Fink’s and Bloom’s Taxonomies). (2005). 
Bruda, A. (n.d.). [Central Park in Timisoara]. Retrieved from http://www.freeimages.com/photo/audience-1369428
Jacops, Marc. Calculator. Digital image. Free Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
Kritsotakis, Dimitris. Colored Hand. Digital image. Free Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.
Retrieved January 13, 2016, from http://ccoe.rbhs.rutgers.edu/forms/EffectiveUseofLearningObjectives.pdf 
Smaldino, S., Lowther, D., & Russell, J. (2012). Integrating Technology and Media into Instruction: The ASSURE Model. In Instructional Technology and Media for Learning (10th ed., pp. 42-44).