Learning Objectives

Objectives used in an Education Program , whether you refer to objectives as learning objectives, behavioral objectives, instructional objectives, or performance objectives, they are all terms that refer to description of observable student behavior or performance that are used to make judgments about learning. It is important, therefore, that we learn to write good objectives. In the Program, we refer to all objectives as learning objectives. Every learning activity submitted under the Program must have a set of well constructed learning objectives related to the curriculum, not the instruction. This is a key point. Many tend to confuse learning objectives with the objectives an instructor may have that relate to student conduct or behavior in the classroom.

Many trainers mistakenly write [learning activity] goals instead of objectives. A goal is a statement of intended general outcome of an instructional unit or program. A goal statement describes a more global learning outcome. A goal statement may also be considered what the instructor desires to accomplish in delivering the learning activity. A learning objective is a statement of one of several specific performances, the achievement of which contributes to the attainment of the goal. A single goal may have specific subordinate learning objectives.

Properly constructed learning objectives should leave little doubt about what is intended. A well constructed learning objective describes an intended learning outcome and contains three parts, each of which alone mean nothing, but when combined into a sentence or two communicates the conditions under which the behavior is performed, a verb that defines the behavior itself, and the degree [criteria] to which a student must perform the behavior. If any one of these three components is missing, the objective cannot communicate accurately. The three parts of a learning objective are:

1. Conditions: A statement that describes the conditions under which the behavior is to be performed. This should include what tools or assistance is to be provided, or what other aids will be provided or denied.

• Learning objective: “Given a set of data the student will be able to [correctly] compute a balancing authority’s area control error (ACE).

• Condition is: “Given a set of data.”

2. Behavior [behavioral verb]: An action word that connotes an observable student behavior. This is the competency to be learned in performance terms. The choice of a verb is all-important here. Such frequently used terms as know, understand, grasp, and appreciate do not meet this requirement. If the verb used in stating an objective identifies an observable student behavior, then the basis for a clear statement is established. In addition, the type or level of learning must be identified.

• Learning objective: “Given a set of data the student will be able to [correctly] compute a balancing authority’s area control error (ACE).”

• Behavior is: “The student will be able to compute the balancing authority’s area control error (ACE).”

3. Criterion: A statement that specifies how well the student must perform the behavior. This can be accomplished with a statement indicating the degree of accuracy, a quantity or proportion of correct responses, or the like. The criterion can be implied.

• Learning objective: “Given a set of data the student will be able to [correctly] compute a balancing authority’s area control error (ACE).”

• Criterion: “The number [implied] computed (ACE)” will be correct."

A learning objective is the focal point of each learning activity. It is a description of an intended learning outcome and is the basis for the rest of the learning activity. It provides criteria for constructing an assessment for the learning activity, as well as for the instructional procedures the instructor designs to implement the learning activity. Without an objective that clearly communicates specific student behavior or performance, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine exactly what a particular learning activity is supposed to accomplish.

In order to write learning objectives, you should begin with an understanding of the particular content to which the objectives will relate. Understanding in more than one way the content to be learned should be a goal of instructors as well as students. This implies that instructors or others who prepare objectives as part of lesson plans or curriculum documents and guides should have more than superficial knowledge of the appropriate content. Writing a series of objectives that are within a body of content, but which have neither internal nor external consistency with that body of content, is not a productive use of time. However, the purpose of this is not to delve into the area of curriculum consistency, but rather present pointers that will help trainers write better objectives. So, with that in mind, let's begin.