A major reason for stating learning objectives at the planning stage of teaching is to make sure
Start With The End In Mind
Drawing from the backward design framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), the first step in the course design process is to determine the purposes and goals of the course. Most instructors do this informally; that is, they have in mind the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they want students to gain by the end of the term. Effective instructional design encourages instructors to express these items in measurable and specific ways, so that students have clear guidance about what is expected of them and how their performance will be assessed. These specific statements are typically called learning objectives. Learning objectives, sometimes referred to as learning outcomes (Melton, 1997), are the statements that clearly describe what students are expected to achieve as a result of instruction. Different from broad learning goals, learning objectives provide clear criteria for instructors to assess whether students are meeting the desired learning goals. Here is an example of how learning goals and learning outcomes relate to each other:
Benefits of Learning ObjectivesWell-written learning objectives can be: A compass for instructors: to guide the design of fair course assessment plans, selection of content/activities/teaching strategies/technologies, and make sure all critical course components are purposefully aligned to support student learning. A map for students: to see a clear picture of where the course is taking them and what is expected to be successful in the course. Students will be able to direct and monitor their learning throughout the lesson/unit/semester by referring back to the learning objectives. What Is An Effective Learning Objective?Learning objectives should be student-centered, describing what the students should be able to accomplish as a result of instruction, rather than what the instructor will cover or do in the course. To ensure your learning objectives are student-focused, it’s helpful to precede your objectives with this prompt: “Upon successful completion of this course/module/unit, students will be able to ____.” To give students a clear understanding of where they are headed, well-written learning objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result-oriented, and Time-bound (SMART).
SMART Learning Objective Example Specific – it focuses on the “scientific methods” Measurable – “describe” and “provide examples”are measurable and observable indicators Achievable – this is appropriate for an introductory level course Result-oriented – it focuses on the result (describe/ provide examples) rather than the process Time-bound – students know that this is a skill they should master by the end of this unit How to Write Effective Learning ObjectivesAs you create your learning objectives, think in terms of what evidence students will provide to demonstrate a level of mastery of the objective. A well-constructed learning objective consists of two parts: an action verb to make the type of learning explicit + the object. To write well-constructed learning objectives, you might follow the following the steps: Step 1: Identify the object (think about skills, knowledge, attitudes, abilities to be gained).
Step 2: Determine the mastery level. Determining the action verbs can be a tricky task. Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives can be an extremely useful framework for determining what level of cognitive activity a learning objective falls into and matching that level with appropriate forms of the assessment.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs & Activities Example The revised Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) has six categories, from less complex on the left to more complex on the right: Step 3: Complete the learning objective statement.
Step 4: Tweak and refine your learning objectives (using the Learning Outcome Review Checklist from Cornell).
Writing Learning Objectives & Examples Implementing Learning ObjectivesAlign your course components with learning objectivesEven the best-written learning objectives are useless unless they relate to the actual instructional content, activities, and assessments of the course. If the course content and assessments are not aligned with the learning objectives, instructors will not have the appropriate data for determining whether students are meeting the desired goals. Students will feel confused or frustrated by the mismatch between the course objectives, evaluation, and content. The action verbs can help instructors review the alignment between their course components. Here is an example: Misaligned objectives & assessments
Well-aligned objectives & assessments
Notice how the first example doesn’t require students to actually use any analysis skills, compared to the second example. References:
What is the importance of learning objectives in lesson planning?Learning objectives should be used to guide students as they work through the course, and to assess their learning progress. Excellent learning objectives provide a guide for students when reviewing materials and preparing for assessments. Learning objectives are the most powerful if they are actionable and measurable.
What are the four main purpose of learning objectives?Learning objectives are known to be made up of a number of components. The most known components are those identified by an educational theorist Robert Marger. The major components are audience, condition, standards and behavior.
What is learning objectives in lesson plan?Learning objectives should be student-centered, describing what the students should be able to accomplish as a result of instruction, rather than what the instructor will cover or do in the course.
What information is specified in a learning objective?Learning objectives should be brief, clear, specific statements of what learners will be able to do at the end of a lesson as a result of the activities, teaching and learning that has taken place. They are sometimes called learning outcomes.
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