Writing a complete objective

An objective is a statement which identifies exactly what the student should do, how
well it should be done, and how long it should take or under what conditions the given
task should be completed. The more exact the teacher is the easier it will be for
him/her to evaluate the student's performance. Thus, if the teacher states an objectives
in terms of specific behaviors, the success or failure of a student can be easily
observed. Any complete instructional objective has the following three parts:

° Type of behavior - the specific action or performance expected of the student.

° Condition - the circumstance(s) under which the behavior is to be demonstrated.
° Criteria - the degree or level to which the behavior must be demonstrated to be
acceptable.

Example: Given the picture of a flower (condition), the student will be able to label
the different parts (behavior), with fewer than three mistakes (criteria) and complete
the task in five minutes (condition/criteria).

As you can see, an instructional objective can state each of the three parts in any order
AS long as they are included and a complete and accurate picture of the expected
performance is drawn. In most cases, time is considered a condition and not a criteria
of performance. In cases where speed is an asset, time may be a primary criteria of
performance. In any case, the teacher should be clear as to whether time is a
condition, a primary criteria, or both; otherwise, measurement of student performance
based on the objective will be impaired.

Categories of instructional objectives

In the previous section child and adolescent learning was described as taking place in
three primary domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. If this is where
learning occurs, then instructional objectives should necessarily be aimed at each of
these domains and the teacher should have a strategy for accessing each. The next few
pages will guide you.

Instructional objectives can be divided into three basic categories:

Type of Objective Example of Objective

Cognitive objectives, The students will be able to solve four out of five linear
which deal with equations, without the aid of outside materials, in one hour.
knowledge
Affective objectives, The students will demonstrate their acceptance of the rule
which deal with attitudes "quiet while others speak" by not talking during any of the
two minute speeches.
Psychomotor objectives, The students will demonstrate their ability to serve a
which deal with skills volleyball with accuracy by completing eight out of ten
overhand serves within the standard court lines.

Benjamin Bloom, an educational theorist, suggests that each domain not only has its
own type of objective, but has many levels that the objective should test as well.
Known as Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the levels presented below
are considered hierarchical, with each new level building on the previous one and
representing higher intellectual, emotional or physical attainment.

Cognitive
1. Knowledge - ability to recall previously learned material.
2. Comprehension - ability to grasp the meaning of material.
3. Application - ability to use learned material in new a concrete situations.
4. Analysis - ability to break down material into component parts and
understand its organizational structure.
5. Synthesis - ability to put parts together to form a new whole.
6. Evaluation - ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose.
Affective
1. Receiving - becomes aware of an ides, process, or thing; is willing to
learn or try a particular behavior.
2. Responding - actively participates; responds obediently, then willingly and
receives satisfaction from responding.
3. Valuing - accepts worth of belief attitude, value or ideal; expresses
preference for it; develops a commitment to it.
4. Organization - conceptualizes values; compares, relates, synthesizes and
organizes values into hierarchy.
5. Characterization - allows values to control or guide behavior; integrates values
into a total philosophy of life.
Psychomotor
1. Perception - becomes aware of action to be performed through senses.
2. Set - becomes ready to act mentally, physically and emotionally.
3. Guided Response - performs action under supervision through imitation or trial
and error; involves practice.
4. Mechanism - performs action habitually with some degree of confidence;
involves increased efficiency.
5. Complex Overt - performs action automatically without hesitation and with
Response high degree of skill.
6. Adaptation - can modify action and skill to deal with problem situations.
7. Origination - creates new movement patters to fit a particular situation or
problem.

The levels of each domain are presented here not for memorization, but to illustrate
the levels of ability that exist within each domain. Objectives cannot start at the
highest level of the hierarchy without some preliminary work at the lower levels. A
teacher should not expect his/her students to evaluate material they have neither read
nor understood, just as one would not expect the child who is just beginning to walk
to play a running game of football or demonstrate an original dance step. In forming
objectives and observing students' performance, remember that failure to achieve an
objective may indicate that an earlier objective was never met.

A look at key verbs that can be used to form objectives at each level of the three
domains may help to clarify the differences between them. The chart on the next two
pages is meant to supply the teacher with a series of verbs that are both observable
and measurable. Finding these verbs is often the most difficult part of writing a clear
and complete objective. If the teacher can refer to these lists on a regular basis, the
writing of objectives should be that much easier.

Verbs to use in writing objectives

The Cognitive Domain

1. KNOWLEDGE

Defines, Describes, Identifies, Labels, Lists, Matches, Names, Outlines, Reproduces,

Selects, States

2. COMPREHENSION

Converts, Defends, Distinguishes, Estimates, Explains, Extends, Generalizes, Gives

examples, Infers, paraphrases, Predicts, Rewrites. Summarize

3. APPLICATION
Changes, Computes, Demonstrates, Discovers, Manipulates, Modifies, Operates,
Predicts, Prepares, Produces, Relates, Shows, Solves, Uses

4. ANALYSIS

Breaks down, Diagrams, Differentiates, Discriminates, Distinguishes, Identifies,

Illustrates, Infers, Outlines, Points out, Relates, Selects, Separates, Subdivides

5. SYNTHESIS

Categorizes, combines, compiles, Composes, Creates, Devises, Designs, Explains,

Generates, Modifies, Organizes, Plans, Rearranges, Reconstructs, Relates,
Reorganizes, Revises, Rewrites, Summarizes, Tells, Writes

6. EVALUATION

Appraises, Compares, Concludes, Contrasts, Criticizes, Describes' Discriminates,

Explains, Justifies, Interprets, Relates, Summarizes, Supports

The Affective Domain

1. RECEIVING

Asks, Chooses, Describes, Follows, Gives, Holds, Identifies, Locates, Names, Points
to, Selects, its Erect, Replies, Uses

2. RESPONDING

Answers, Assists, Complies, Conforms, Discusses, Greets, Helps, Labels, Performs,

Practices, Presents, Reads, Recites, Reports, Selects, Tells, Writes

3. VALUING

Completes, Describes, Differentiates, Explains, Follows, Forms, Initiates, Invites,

Joins, Justifies, Proposes, Reads, Reports, Selects, Shares, Studies, Works

4. ORGANIZATION

Adheres, Alters, Arranges, Combines, Compares, Completes, Defends, Explains,

Generalizes, Identifies, Integrates, Modifies, Orders, Organizes, Prepares, Relates,
Synthesizes

5. CHARACTERIZATION
Acts, Discriminates, Displays, Influences, Listens, Modifies, Performs, Practices,
Proposes, Qualifies, Questions, Revises, Serves, Solves, Uses, Verifies

Psychomotor Domain

1. PERCEPTION

Chooses, Describes, Detects, Differentiates, Distinguishes, Identifies, Isolates,

Relates, Selects, Separates

2. SET

Begins, Displays, Explains, Moves, Proceeds, Reacts, Responds, Shows, Starts,

Volunteers

3 4 & 5. GUIDED RESPONSE, MECHANISM, COMPLEX OVERT BEHAVIOR

Assembles, Builds, Calibrates, Constructs, Dismantles, Displays, Dissects, Fastens,

Fixes, Grinds, Heats, Manipulates, Measures, Mends, Mixes, Organizes, Sketches,
Works

6. ADAPTATION

Adapts, Alters, Changes, Rearranges, Reorganizers Revises, Varies

7. ORIGINATION

Arranges, Combines, Composes, Constructs, Creates, Designs, Originates

If these verbs do not provide sufficient background for how to write objectives, then it
is time to sit down, write a few objectives, and begin to see if they meet the three
conditions of a complete objective. The teacher who writes objectives should always
place them in the context of a specific subject, topic and level of student. For
example:

Objective (with behavior, condition & criteria) Description of

Objective
1. By the end of the lesson (condition), the student will be able to Domain:
write (behavior) a two paragraph composition in English with fewer cognitive
than eight mistakes(criteria). Level: synthesis
Time period:
lesson
2. By the end of the school year(condition), the student will Domain:
demonstrate his/her support of the reforestation project by affective
organizing and implementing(behavior) a tree planting party with at Level:
least ten participants (criteria). organization
Time period:
school year
3. By the end of the unit (condition), the student will be able to Domain:
calibrate(behavior) at least three pipettes(criteria) within a 30 psychomotor
minute lab period(criteria). Level: complex
overt behavior
Time period:
unit

Avoiding errors in stating objectives

Having the basic characteristics of objectives, an understanding of the domains and

levels to be addressed and a supply of measurable and observable verbs, the teacher is
ready to begin constructing his/her objectives. Considering the subject, context, aims
and goals of a given unit, and the needs of the students, the teacher should be able to
develop objectives which provide direction to a given unit. In doing this, however, it
is important to avoid the many pitfalls that are commonly associated with objectives.

Below are listed five common errors in the stating of instructional objectives. (Note:
the objectives provided as examples of correct objectives are incomplete and, if used
in the context of a class session, need conditions and criteria in order to be complete).

1. A common error in stating instructional objectives is to describe teacher activities

rather than student behavior.

Wrong: The student will be exposed to the interrogative. Right: Given three
statements, the student will be able to rephrase them in question form.

The first statement indicates what the teacher intends to present, while the second
statement is written in terms of the expected outcomes.

2. A second common error in stating objectives is writing objectives in terms of

learning process rather than learning product. For example:

The student will: Wrong: Gain knowledge of the difference between triangles. Right:
Be able to construct three different triangles.
The first statement reflects a process of learning rather than an expected outcome of
instruction. The second statement, however, clearly states the anticipated outcome.

3. The third common error in writing objectives is to list the subject matter to be to
covered instead of the learning outcomes.

The student will be able to: Wrong: Know the human respiratory system. Right:
Diagram and label the human respiratory system.

The first statement consists of only a subject matter topic. There is no indication of a
learning outcome. The second statement illustrates a clearly stated learning outcome.

4. The fourth common error in writing objectives is to write with covert behaviors
which are internal and difficult to observe by another person rather than with overt
behaviors, which are manifesting activities that can easily be evaluated by an
observer.

The student will be able to: Wrong: Be concerned about the welfare of others. Right:
Show concern for others by volunteering to help with food distribution.

Subject-specific verbs

As a final reference point, here are a few, subject-specific verbs that can be used in
writing objectives.

LANGUAGE MATHEMATICAL LAB SCIENCE

BEHAVIORS BEHAVIORS BEHAVIORS
Abbreviate, Accent, Add, Bisect, Calculate, Check, Apply, Calibrate,
Alphabetize, Articulate, Compute, Count, Derive, Conduct, Connect,
Call, Capitalize, Edit, Divide, Estimate, Extrapolate, Convert, Decrease,
Hyphenate, Indent, Extract, Graph, Group, Demonstrate, Dissect,
Outline, Print, Integrate, Interpolate, Measure, Feed, Grow, Increase,
Pronounce, Punctuate, Multiply, Number, Plot, Prove, Insert, Keep, Lengthen,
Read, Recite, say, Sign, Reduce, Solve, Square, Limit, Manipulate,
Speak, Spell, State, Subtract, Tabulate, Tally, Operate, Plant, Prepare,
Summarize, Syllabify, Verify Remove, Replace, Report,
Tell, Translate, Reset, Set, Specify,
Verbalize, Whisper, Straighten, Time,
Write Transfer, Weigh

In summary, an instructional objective is a description of what the teacher wants the

students to attain or achieve by the end of a given time period. Instructional objectives
are derived from curriculum aims and general goal statements and take into account
learning styles, models of teaching and subject specific issues.

Well-stated instructional or behavioral objectives are not open to different

interpretations. A good and useful objective uses concrete action verbs to describe
what the learner will do, feel, and/or think after studying a unit or lesson. Instructional
objectives are often the key to a clear and well organized lesson and a starting point
for fair and accurate student assessment.

ACTIVITY BOX

1. Choose a topic and write three objectives, one for each of the three domains of
learning: cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitude), and psychomotor (skill).

2. Examine each objective to make sure that they are complete (i.e. contain references
to type of behavior, condition and criteria) and measurable and observable (i.e. use
appropriate verbs).

3. Take the verbs listed in one of the three subject specific lists (language, math or lab
science) and identify which domain and level of the domain the verb would fit. (Note:
You may need to write a sample objective in order to complete this activity, since the
verbs are only as detailed as the objectives).

4. Explain two ways of avoiding errors in writing instructional objectives using

examples.