SACS0

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Writing Measurable Objectives

• Stephen C. Zerwas
• Sarah Carrigan
• University of North Carolina Greensboro

SACS Conference 2005
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Alice in Wonderland

• Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to
  go from here? Asked Alice.

3

• That depends a good deal on where you want to
  get to,
• said the Cat.

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• I don't much care where--
• said Alice.

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• Then it doesn't matter which way you go,
• said the Cat.

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The Texan who claimed that he has the best
sixgun shot in the West would take those who
challenged him to the side of an immense barn and
fire aimlessly. He would find where his bullets
had landed then draw targets with his bullet in
the bulls eye every time.
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• Moral He aimed at nothing so he couldnt miss!"

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Objectives

• Program participants will be able to
  discriminate between goals and objectives using
  materials and handouts.
• Program participants will be able to describe
  three reasons to write learning objectives using
  materials and handouts.
• Program participants will be able to write
  behavioral objectives using the ABCD model with
  no mistakes.
• Program participants will be able to apply the
  SMART model at the end of the program using the
  objective builder with no mistakes.

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Learning Objectives

• In 1948 a group of educators began classifying
  educational goals and objectives
• Blooms taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain was
  completed in 1956

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Blooms Taxonomy of Cognitive Development
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
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Learning Objectives

• Robert Mager (1962) argued for use of specific,
  measurable objectives that both guide instructors
  and aid students in the learning process
• Magers central concept is that a learning goal
  should be broken into a subset of smaller tasks
  or learning objectives

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Goals and Objectives

• Moving from General to Specific
• Goals
• Objectives

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Goals

• Writing goals can provide insight into outcomes
  desired but does not provide enough specificity
  for assessment and evaluation

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Goal Examples

• The essential role of the university is to train
  students to think critically and creatively.
• The student must develop information management
  skills which enable him to apply theoretical
  concepts in practice

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Goals and Objectives

• Goals are broad
• Goals are general intentions
• Goals are intangible
• Goals are abstract
• Goals can't be validated as is

• Objectives are narrow
• Objectives are precise
• Objectives are tangible
• Objectives are concrete
• Objectives can be validated

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Goal Examples

• To make the student capable of carrying out
  independently the various stages of an
  information science research project
• To make the student capable of reporting on the
  findings of his own research.
• To make the student mindful of applying rules of
  ethics in relation to research and publication.
• To make the student capable of drawing up a
  realistic work program.

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Learning Objectives

• A Learning Objective is a written statement of
  the measurable achievement a participant will be
  able to demonstrate as a result of participation
  in a learning activity.

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The Purpose of Learning Objectives

• To communicate to ourselves
• What we intend for them to learn.
• The content and sequence of learning
• Whether participants have gained
• appropriate skills,
• attitudes,
• and/or knowledge
• How successful an activity has been

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The Purpose of Learning Objectives

• To communicate to participants
• What we intend for them to learn
• so they can organize their efforts toward
  accomplishing the desired behavior
• For self-selection purposes

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The Purpose of Learning Objectives

• To communicate to other interested parties
• The purpose and degree of success of our
  activities
• Professional Accreditation Agencies, SACS, SCHEV

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Characteristics of a Learning Objective

• It is always expressed in terms of the learner.
• It is precise and supports only one
  interpretation.
• It describes an observable behavior
• It specifies conditions under which the behavior
  is performed
• It specifies criteria for accomplishment

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ABCD Model Questions a good objective answers

• Audience Who will be performing the behavior?
• Behavior What behavior should the learner be
  able to do?
• Condition Under what conditions do you want the
  learner to be able to do it?
• Degree How well must it be done?

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ABCD Model

• Audience - Identify who will be learning (not
  the instructor)
• The Learner
• The Staff member
• The Student
• The Participant
• The Employee
• The Trainee
• The Organization Member
• The Audience Member

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ABCD Model

• Behavior (Performance)
• Should include an action verb indicating what the
  learner will be able to do
• Should be something that can be seen or heard

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Overt vs. Covert Performance

• Overtrefers to any kind of performance that can
  be observed directly whether that performance is
  visible or audible

• Covertrefers to performance that cannot be
  observed directly, performance that is mental,
  invisible, cognitive or internal

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When a performance is covert

• Add an indicator behavior to the objective that
  is covert

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ABCD Model (Behavior)

• "Learner will be able to" (LWBAT)
• Cognitive objectives
• Psychomotor objectives
• "Learner will choose to" (LWCT)
• Affective objectives

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Covert Verbs

• know
• familiarize
• gain knowledge of
• comprehend
• study
• cover
• understand

• be aware
• learn
• appreciate
• become acquainted with
• realize

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Action Verbs That Could Be Used When Writing
Cognitive Learning Objectives
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ABCD Model

• Condition
• State the conditions you will impose when
  learners are demonstrating their mastery of the
  objective.
• What will the learners be allowed to use?
• Under what conditions must the mastery of skill
  occur?

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Conditions

• Givens
• Resources
• Environment
• Direction
• Format
• Deadlines

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ABCD Model

• Degree (or criterion)
• A degree or criterion is the standard by which
  performance is evaluated.
• The power of an objective increases when you tell
  the learners HOW WELL the behavior must be done.

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Degree

• Accuracy/Tolerance
• Speed
• Number
• Reference or Standards
• Permissible Errors
• Degree of Excellence

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Time Management 1. Cognitive Synthesis The
SWBAT create a weekly schedule given a weekly
schedule form. The form must be legible and
include the following meals, sleep, classes,
work, study hours, extra-curricular activities,
commute time, and time to get ready. 2.
Cognitive Knowledge The SWBAT identify 5 of the
8 components of a weekly schedule. 3. Affective
The student will choose to (SWCT) endorse the
use of a weekly schedule.
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SQ3R Reading Method Cognitive Knowledge The
SWBAT identify the content and sequence of the
SQ3R reading method. Cornell Note-taking
Method Cognitive Knowledge The SWBAT identify
three elements of the Cornell notetaking
format. Anger Management Affective The student
will choose an effective alternate course of
action from the techniques learned in the
workshop.
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Academic Advising Cognitive - Knowledge
questions Given a current catalog, a SWBAT
indicate the resources available to answer a
financial aid question. Given a current
catalog, a SWBAT identify the specific elements
of the general education requirements.
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Diagnosing Objectives
Audience
Behavior
Conditions

• Participants will be able to name two reasons why
  objectives are important without handouts or
  notes.

Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Audience
Behavior
Conditions

• Participants will be able to apply the
• ABCD Model to their course objectives
• and syllabus prior to fall semester

Degree ???
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Diagnosing Objectives
Audience
Behavior
Conditions

• Participants will be able to diagnose learning
  objectives without handouts when given a sample
  objective with 100 accuracy.

Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Conditions
Behavior

• "Given a sentence written in the past or present
  tense, the student will be able to rewrite the
  sentence in future tense with no errors in tense
  or tense contradiction (i.e., I will see her
  yesterday.)."

Audience
Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Behavior
Conditions
Audience

• Given examples and non-examples of
  constructivist activities in a college classroom,
  the student will be able to accurately identify
  the constructivist examples and explain why each
  example is or isn't a constructivist activity
  with no mistakes."

Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Conditions
Audience
Behavior

• Given a standard balance beam raised to a
  standard height, the student (attired in standard
  balance beam usage attire) will be able to walk
  the entire length of the balance beam (from one
  end to the other) steadily, without falling off,
  and within a six second time span."

Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Audience
Behavior
Condition

• "Given two cartoon characters of the student's
  choice, the student will be able to list five
  major personality traits of each of the two
  characters, combine these traits (either by
  melding traits together, multiplying together
  complementary traits, or negating opposing
  traits) into a composite character, and develop a
  short (no more than 20 frames) storyboard for a
  cartoon that illustrates three to five of the
  major personality traits of the composite
  character."

Degree
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Diagnosing Objectives
Behavior
Condition
Audience

• "Given the opportunity to work in a team with
  several people of different races, the student
  will choose to demonstrate a positive increase in
  attitude towards non-discrimination of race, as
  measured by a checklist utilized/completed by
  non-team members."

Degree
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SMART Model

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time - Limited

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SMART

• Specific
• It's difficult to know what students should be
  doing if they are to pursue the goal to Write
  better." It's easier to recognize "Write an
  essay."

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SMART

• Measurable
• It's difficult to know what the scope of "Write
  an essay" really is. It's easier to appreciate
  that effort if the objective is "Write a 300-500
  word argumentative essay with fewer than 10
  mechanical errors."

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SMART

• Attainable The student must know what
  constitutes a condition or the objective is not
  attainable. The objective must fit in with the
  scope of the work in the class/workshop/activity.

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SMART

• Relevant
• If the student sees no connection between the
  objective and his/her own goals and the
  assignment, the objective will not be relevant.

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SMART

• Time-Limited The learning objective must
  include the time frame in which the work is to be
  done. As the final exam, the students will be
  able to write in 90 minutes a 300-500 word
  argumentative essay with fewer than 10 mechanical
  errors.

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Intermediate and Terminal Objectives

• Intermediate Objective
• Statement which indicates , within a sequence of
  various items of learning an item which the
  subject must master before the terminal objective
  is attained.
• Terminal objective
• Statement of a lasting and intrinsically useful
  skill which the subject must have acquired at the
  end of a particular learning activity

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Reasons for making the distinction

• Intermediate objectives provide checkpoints in
  the learning process. (ongoing evaluation)
• Terminal objectives encourages thinking about the
  really important skills.
• A means of distinguishing between what is
  essential

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Terminal vs. Intermediate

• More important, essential broad or complex the
  greater likelihood that it is a terminal
  objective.
• Consensus easier on terminal than intermediate
  objectives.

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References
Blooms Taxonomy Affective Domain http//www.itc.ut
k.edu/jklittle/edsmrt521/affective.html Assessing
Learning Objectives Bloom's Taxonomy
http//www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/
assessment/bloomtaxonomy.asp Blooms
Taxonomy http//www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm
Cognitive Domain http//www.itc.utk.edu/jklittle/
edsmrt521/cognitive.html Psychomotor
Domain http//www.itc.utk.edu/jklittle/edsmrt521/
psychomotor.html Instructional Design http//carbo
n.cudenver.edu/mryder/itc_data/idmodels.htmlisd
Assessment Curriculum Development Performance
Criteria http//its.foxvalleytech.com/iss/curric-a
ssessment/CRITCOND.html How to Write an
Assessment Based on an Objective http//www.adprim
a.com/assessment.htm Performance
Criteria http//its.foxvalleytech.com/iss/curric-a
ssessment/CRITCOND.html Multiple Choice Questions
and Blooms Taxonomy http//web.uct.ac.za/projects
/cbe/mcqman/mcqappc.html
Writing Learning Objectives Basic Guidelines (and
Examples) for http//www.mapnp.org/library/trng_d
ev/lrn_objs.htm How to Write Clear
Objectives http//tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/rese
arch/Write_Objectives.shtml How to Write Learning
Objectives in Behavioral Form http//www.adprima.c
om/objectives.htm Understanding
Objectives http//edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/EDTEC540/
objectives/ObjectivesHome.html Guidelines for
writing learning objectives in librarianship,
information science and archives
administration http//www.unesco.org/webworld/ramp
/html/r8810e/Contents Quick Guide to Writing
Learning Objectives http//www.nwlink.com/donclar
k/hrd/templates/objectivetool.html Writing
Learning Objectives http//www.arl.org/training/il
cso/objectives.html Writing good work
objectives http//home.att.net/nickols/workobjs.h
tm Writing instructional objectives The what,
why how and when. http//www.sogc.org/conferences/
pdfs/instructionalObj.PDF
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Writing Measurable Objectives

• Questions ????