Writing Instructional Objectives

1. Writing Instructional Objectives • Presented by • Tillman J. Ragan, Ph.D. • Patricia L. Smith, Ph.D.

2. Instructional Objectives • Other names • Performance objectives • Behavioral objectives • Learning objectives • Definition A description of the evidence (usually behavior) that we will accept as evidence that the learner canachieve the objective

3. Goals • Goal statements are usually less precise and are larger in scope than objectives. • Course goals • Unit goals • Lesson objectives

4. Advantages of Objectives • For designers and instructors • Clarify instructional intent • Guide development of assessment and evaluation • Aid in selection of course content and strategies • Provide means of communication with students, teachers, parents, and others

5. Advantages of Objectives • For students • permit them to direct their own learning, saving time and reducing anxiety • permit them to select cognitive strategies • give students an indication of how they will be tested • all them to monitor their own learning

6. Advantages of Objectives • For educational community • facilitate communication • identify gaps and overlaps • suggests evaluation

7. Potential Problems with Objectives • Lower order objectives are easier to write • Can have a ceiling effect • Can be time-consuming to write • Require year-to-year refinement • Not appropriate for classes in which objectives “emerge”

8. Three Components of Objectives • “Terminal” behavior • performance activity that can be observed • Conditions of demonstration • situation in which the student will be required to demonstrate the learning • Performance standard or criterion* • how well the learner must perform the task

9. “Terminal” Behavior • Performance or activity that can be observed or recorded Ambiguous Words know understand appreciate grasp become familiar w/ become aware of Action Words select solve apply assemble align adjust

10. Conditions of Demonstration • Describes the situation in which the student will be required to demonstrate the learning • May be • aids or tools • restrictions placed on students • how information my be presented

11. Performance Standards* • Minimal level of performance that will be acceptable as evidence that the learner has achieved the objective. • Types of standards • Occurence • Accuracy • Number of errors • According to a known reference

12. Example • Given a Horizon Z System, standard tool kit, spares kit, and at least one symptom of a common malfunction • The student can return the system to normal operation • The system should • function within specs • have no cosmetic or structural damage • have no more than one unnecessary spare used