Learning Objectives Targets for Instruction Learning Objectives Are
Learning Objectives "Targets for Instruction"
Learning Objectives • Are statements of expected learning outcomes • Communicate those expected learning outcomes to students • Assist students in their learning processes • Assist teachers in their planning for instruction • Assist teachers in planning assessments
Three Levels of Objectives • • • Global (Goals) • Semester, quarter, year • Not content-specific ("Improve critical thinking skills") Educational (Unit) • Week, month • Content-specific Instructional (Lesson) • Class period • Tied to specific activities
Levels of Objectives Year, semester Global Objectives Unit Educational Objectives Lessons Instructional Objectives Unit
Objectives should be Explicit, Clear, and Measurable • It is very difficult, if not impossible, to measure "states of mind" such as appreciates, understands, realizes, etc. , unless those states of mind can be behaviorally demonstrated. • How could a student demonstrate that he/she appreciates classical music? • How could a student demonstrate that he/she understands the Pythagorean Theorem? • Without behavioral demonstrations, there is nothing to assess.
Objectives Describe Students’ Learning, Not Teachers' Plans • Not: The learning theory of Lev Vygotsky will be presented. • Instead: Students will be able to explain Lev Vygotsky's learning theory.
Objectives versus Activities • Objectives are "ends" • "Following instruction, students will be able to. . . " • Activities are "means" (to the ends) • "During instruction, students will. . . "
Possible confusion. . . • Sometimes activities are used to measure learning outcomes, and. . . • Sometimes the same or similar activities are used during instruction. • What is the purpose of the activity-instruction or assessment? • Students will solve 10 multiplication problems with 80% accuracy (assessment) • Students will divide into groups and construct collages (instruction)
Writing Learning Objectives as Complete Sentences
Part 1 of the Objective (the verb) • Following the (year, unit, lesson), students will be able to. . . • What will they be able to DO to demonstrate their learning? • What they DO will depend on the level of learning that is expected of them. • Memorize facts, solve problems, construct something, judge something • Levels of learning are expressed in Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning
• Knowledge (facts/information) • • Comprehension (understanding of facts/information) • • Separate, break down, diagram, differentiate, etc. Synthesis (generalize information) • • Demonstrate, construct, solve, etc. Analysis (analyze information) • • Discuss, explain, interpret, summarize, etc. Application (use of facts/information) • • List, name, identify, define, etc. Combine, create, group, organize, etc. Evaluation (critique information) • Criticize, judge, grade, appraise, etc.
Following the (year, unit, lesson), students will be able to. . . (add a Bloom's Taxonomy verb here) See page 69 of Airasian's text for a list of verbs
• For example: • Following the unit, students will be able to EXPLAIN. . . • Following the lesson, students will be able to NAME. . . • Following the year, students will be able to DEMONSTRATE. . .
Part 2 of the Objective (the noun phrase) • What will they be able to explain, name, or demonstrate? • Add the course learning content or skill that students are expected to learn
For example: • Following the unit, students will be able to EXPLAIN how hurricanes are formed. • Following the lesson, students will be able to NAME the three branches of our government. • Following the year, students will be able to DEMONSTRATE improvement in their general writing ability.
Hints for Writing Objectives • 1. Use verbs from Bloom’s Taxonomy on page 69 of Airasian text • 2. Do not use Bloom’s category words (know, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate) • 3. Do not use “states of mind” verbs for educational or instructional objectives
. . . more hints • 4. Make objectives describe learning outcomes, not instructional activities • 5. Use only one verb per objective (not list and explain, or define and interpret) • 6. Global objectives may be less measurable and may contain “states of mind” words • 7. Make educational and instructional objectives explicit, clear and measurable
Evaluate these 10 objectives. . . (they ALL have a problem) • 1. Students will learn to play an instrument. • “Learn” is a state of mind that can’t be seen. • 2. Students will grasp the concept of photosynthesis. • “Grasp” is a state of mind that can’t be seen. • 3. Students will appreciate the value of lifelong recreation. • “Appreciate” is a state of mind that can’t be seen, although this objective would work as a Global objective.
• 4. Given 30 algebra problems, students will work in pairs to solve them all. • This is an instructional activity, not an activity that will measure a learning outcome • 5. Students will understand how to search for online journal articles. • “Understand” is a state of mind • 6. Students will critique current literature. • Unclear--What current literature?
• 7. Students will be given instructions about how to write an APA reference. • Not a learning outcome--tells the teacher what to do. • 8. Students will be able to dribble a basketball with both hands. • Unclear--both hands at the same time or each hand separately? • 9. Students will analyze a list of learning objectives. • “Analyze” is a Bloom’s category • 10. Students will write without grammatical or spelling errors. • Unclear--will write what? Noun phrase is omitted
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