Introduction to Instructional Design Writing Performance Objectives

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Introduction to Instructional Design Writing
Performance Objectives

• Dr. Lloyd Rieber
• The University of Georgia
• Department of Instructional Technology
• Athens, Georgia USA

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Objectives

• Name and describe the components of a properly
  written performance objective.
• Write a terminal objective that includes relevant
  information about the instructional context.
• Write performance objectives for skills that have
  been identified in an instructional analysis.

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Revise Instruction
Conduct Instructional Analysis
Assess Need to Identify Goal(s)
Write Performance Objectives
Develop Assessment Instruments
Develop Instructional Strategy
Develop And Select Instructional Materials
Design and Conduct Formative Evaluation
Analyze Learners and Contexts
Design and Conduct Summative Evaluation
(Dick Careys Model)
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Instructional Congruency
Instructional Objectives
Evaluation
Instruction
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Performance Objective

• A detailed description of what students will be
  able to do when they complete a unit of
  instruction. It will provide an instructional
  focus for the designer when deciding about
  content, strategies, and evaluation.

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Performance Objective

• Performance objectives are derived from the
  skills in the instructional analysis. This
  includes sometimes writing objectives for the
  skills identified as entry behaviors.

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Performance Objective

• Terminal Objective
• The objective that describes exactly what the
  student will be able to do when he or she
  completes a unit of instruction.
• Subordinate Objective
• The objective that paves the way to the
  achievement of the terminal objective.

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Components Of An Objective

• Robert Mager has long advocated constructing an
  objective with three components
• The components are as follows
• Conditions of Demonstration describes the tools
  or information that learners will be given when
  they demonstrate their learning
• Terminal Behavior describes the learner actions
  that demonstrate that learning has occurred.
  Action verbs such as select, identify, and list
  included rather than ambiguous terms such as
  understand, be aware of and appreciate.
• Standards/Criteria describes how well the
  learner must do for you to say the learner has
  achieved the objective.

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Components Of An Objective

• Another method for writing objectives is to
  include five components as described by Gagne,
  Briggs and Wager(1989)

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Components Of An Objective

• Situation what is the stimulus situation faced
  by the student? Describe the environmental
  conditions under which the behavior is performed.
  
• Learned capability verb helps designer to inform
  others of the type of outcome being refer to.
  Helps to reduce ambiguity
• 3. Object indicates the content of the learners
  performance. Example the calculation of the sum
  of two three-digit numbers
• 4. Action verb describes how the performance is
  to be completed.
• 5. Tools, constraints, special conditions, or
  criteria in some situations, the performance
  will require the use of special tools, certain
  constraints, or other special conditions.

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Learned Capability Verbs

• Problem-solving
• Rule-using
• Concepts
• Verbal information
• Affective
• Psychomotor

• Generate
• Demonstrate
• Classify, identify
• State, list, recite, summarize
• Choose
• Execute

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Components Of An Objective
Example Given an illustration of three plane
figures, two the same and one different, the
LWBAT point to the figure that is different
without assistance.
lt condition gt
lt Terminal Behavior gt
lt criteriagt
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Components Of An Objective
Example Given an illustration of three plane
figures, two the same and one different, the
LWBAT discriminate the figure that is different
by pointing to it without assistance.
lt situation gt
lt LCV gt
lt object gt
lt actiongt
lt criteriagt
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What Are The Differences Between Objectives And
Goals?

• Goals are typically written from the courses
  perspective whereas objectives are written from
  the learners perspective.
• A goal is a generic, less precise description of
  the outcome of instruction.
• The objectives reflect some type of criteria or
  standard whereas the goal does not descriptions
  of the outcome of instruction is very precise.

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Derivation of Behaviors

• the designer should carefully consider the
  verbs that may be used to describe behavior.
• Intellectual Skills
• It can be described by such verbs as
  discriminate, identify, classify, demonstrate, or
  generate.

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Derivation of Behaviors

• Psychomotor Skills
• Objectives that relate to psychomotor skills
  usually are easily expressed in terms of
  executing a physical behavior (e.g.,running,
  jumping, or driving)
• Attitudes
• When objectives involve attitudes, the learner is
  usually expected to choose a particular
  alternative or sets of alternatives.
• Verbs for Declarative/Verbal Information learning
  Outcomes
• Count, define, list, name, quote, recite, state
  and write

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A List Of Other TypesOf Performance Verbs

• Verbs for General Discrimination Learning
  Outcomes
• choose, collect, define, describe, detect,
  discriminate, distinguish, identify, indicate,
  isolate, list, match, omit, order, pick, place,
  point, select, and separate.
• Verbs for Psychomotor Learning Outcomes
• arch, bend, catch, climb, float, grab,
  grip, hit, hop, jump, kick, knock, lift, pitch,
  pull, run, skate, step, stretch, swim, swing,
  throw, and toss
• Miscellaneous Verbs
• aim, buy, complete, crush, determine,
  develop, erase, expand, finish, repeat, suggest,
  support, vote, and watch.

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Derivation Of Conditions

• In selecting appropriate conditions you need to
  consider both the behavior to be demonstrated and
  the characteristics of the target population. You
  should also distinguish among the functions that
  the conditions component serve.

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Derivation of Conditions

• These functions include specifying
• The cue or stimulus that learners will use to
  search the information stored in memory.
• The characteristics of any resource material
  required to perform the task.
• The scope and complexity of the task.

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Derivation of Conditions

• The conditions associated with an objective will
  shape the instruction every bit as much as the
  behavior in the objective.
• How does the designer decide exactly what the
  conditions should be? Sometimes it is simply a
  matter of SME judgment. The context analysis
  describes the situations under which the desired
  behavior will occur, and that is what we want to
  describe in the conditions of an objective.

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Derivation of Criteria

• The final part of the objective is the criterion
  for judging acceptable performance of the skill.
  In specifying logical criteria, you must consider
  the nature of the task to be performed.

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Process For Writing Objectives

• The steps in writing objectives are
• Edit goal to reflect eventual performance
  context.
• Write terminal objective to reflect context of
  learning environment.
• Write objectives for each step in goal analysis
  for which there are no substeps shown.
• 4. Write objectives that reflect the substeps in
  one major objective, or write objectives for each
  sub-step.
• Write objectives for all subordinate skills.
• Write objectives for entry behaviors if some
  students are likely not to possess them.

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Lloyds Advice on Writing Objectives

• A-B-C, and maybe D, but definitely include the
  cap-a-bil-a-tee.
• SWBAT (audience), Behavior, Condition,
• add Degree if it makes sense, and if you have
  the basis for determining this.

Learned Capability
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A Little More About Adding The Degree

• You should have a basis for determining the
  degree to which learning/performance should be
  demonstrated?
• I would not expect students to solve certain
  problems more than 10-25 of the time. (Remember
  the first time you baked a cake?)
• Some educators default to the 80 of the time
  rule.
• Does anyone know where this statistic comes from?

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Example Verbal Information

• Given a list of 20 chemical symbols, SWBAT list
  the chemical's name by writing it next to the
  symbol.

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Example Concrete Concept

• Given pictures of 12 geometric figures, SWBAT
  identify by circling all the polygons.

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Example Defined Concept

• Given three video scenes showing a teacher using
  grouping strategies, SWBAT classify by labeling
  the scene that demonstrates the principles of
  cooperative learning.

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Example Rule/Principle

• Given two numbers greater than 100, SWBAT
  demonstrate by multiplying the two numbers
  together correctly within 5 minutes.

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Example Problem-Solving

• SWBAT generate by constructing lesson plans that
  appropriately use and integrate computer tools to
  teach about subject matter of their choice.

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Example Attitude

• SWBAT choose to design a personal dietary plan
  that meets the fundamental requirements of good
  nutrition based on the "food pyramid."

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Do these objectives sound like tests?

• If they do, then give yourself a point for
  insight!
• Well-written objectives can be considered first
  drafts of assessment instruments.
• Tuck this thought away for a later discussion
  about assessment (chapter 7).

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Closing

• A well-written objective describes very precisely
  the expected learning outcome in terms of a
  behavior or performance that can be clearly and
  fairly assessed.
• A well-written objective is the main tool for the
  subsequent design of instructional strategies
  (i.e. lesson design) and assessment.
• There are several recipes for writing
  objectives, but all have the same fundamental
  components.
• A-B-C, and maybe D, but definitely include the
  cap-a-bil-a-tee.