Writing Behavioral Objectives

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Writing Behavioral Objectives
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Goals must be written based on several factors

• Assessment data
• Observational data
• Projected rate of development
• Physical abilities
• Communicative abilities
• History of appropriate or inappropriate behaviors
• Level of social or interpersonal skills
• Amount of instructional time available

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Factors (continued)

• Prerequisities necessary for performing the skill
  desired
• Functional utility of the skills
• Availability of specialized materials etc needed
  to perform these skills

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Objectives

• Four parts
• Conditions
• Name
• Behavior
• Criteria

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Conditions

• Antecedent events or stimuli
• What you have to have
• Conditions
• Materials
• People
• Setting
• Events (before and after)
• Time

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Examples

• Verbal requests
• Written instructions
• Demonstrations
• Materials in the setting
• Environmental setting
• Manner of assistance
• People

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Name

• This is VITAL!!
• Individual
• Behavioral goals and objectives were initially
  used to individualize instruction
• Please do not use TLW or the learner

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Behavior

• Pinpoint the behavior
• Use a series of questions
• Narrow the range of actions
• What does he do?
• What do you want him to do?
• What do you want to avoid?
• Give an example?
• Are the prerequisite skills in place?
• Can she perform some of the steps of the task?
• How is she off task?

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• Are you concerned about the number of times or
  the length of time the behavior occurs?
• What else is the student doing concurrently?
• What does an error analysis show?
• Is this objective appropriate?

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• Must be measurable because
• Ensures the teacher is consistently observing the
  same behavior
• Tally of occurrence of the same behavior allows
  for comparisons and accurate reflections on
  progress or non progress
• Statement of the target behavior must be
  understood by a third party so the observed
  change is verified
• Continuity of instruction is facilitated

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Therefore

• Wording must allow for verifiable confirmation
• Interpretation of behavior at a minimum
• Verbs used in writing must allow of observation,
  measuring, and repeating

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Directly Observable

• To cover with a card
• To mark
• To underline
• To repeat orally
• To write
• To shade
• To fill in
• To remove
• To draw
• To point to

• To walk
• To count orally
• To put on
• To number
• To label
• To circle
• To cross out
• To say
• To read orally
• To name
• To state

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Ambigous action verbs

• To identify in writing
• To match
• To arrange
• To play
• To choose
• To give
• To use
• To total
• To measure
• To demonstrate

• To see
• To check
• To finish
• To comply
• To reject
• To regroup
• To average
• To utilize
• To use
• To convert

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Action Verbs not Directly Observable

• To distinguish
• To conclude
• To develop
• To concentrate
• To generate
• To think critically
• To be aware
• To infer
• To be curious

• To solve
• To test
• To create
• To learn
• To discover
• To know
• To read
• To understand
• To appreciate

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IBSO

• Is this behavior specific and observable?
• Three questions define the response

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Part 1.

• Can you count the number of times the behavior
  occurs?
• Can you count the number of minutes it take the
  student to perform the behavior?

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Part 2

• Will a stranger know exactly what to look for
  when you tell the target behavior you are
  planning to modify?

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Part 3

• Can you break down the target behavior into
  smaller components each of which is more specific
  and more measurable than the original target
  behavior?

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Criteria for acceptable performance

• Acquisition
• Accuracy
• Frequency
• Duration
• Latency