Learning Objectives: Why Are Learning Objectives Important? They Guide Your Choices

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Learning Objectives
Every program of instruction, course, or training activity begins with a goal. This goal
can be broken down into specific goals, or learning objectives, which are concise
statements about what students will be able to do when they complete instruction.
Why are learning objectives important? They guide your choices.

The philosopher Seneca once said, “If one does not know to which port one is sailing,
no wind is favorable.” When you know where you are headed, you can more easily get
there. Well-defined and articulated learning objectives are important because they:
 provide students with a clear purpose to focus their learning efforts
 direct your choice of instructional activities
 guide your assessment strategies
What’s the difference between a learning goal and a learning objective?

Learning Goals are what you hope to accomplish in your course: the overall goals that do not
necessarily result in products of observable and measurable behavior.
Learning Objectives are brief, clear statements about what students will be able to do when
they complete instruction.
Starting with a well-written learning objective is important, so let’s review how to write
them. >>>
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development/Documents/tutorials/Assessment/index.htm
All lesson plan formats have strengths and are designed to help you plan for student learning. Ever
hear of the 4-A model? Use this lesson to learn about what makes this format unique.
The 4-A Model

Lesson plans are an important part of education. They're a written plan of what a teacher will do in
order to achieve the goals during the school day, week, and year. Typically, lesson plans follow a
format that identifies goals and objectives, teaching methods, and assessment. These basic
components can be modified in many ways depending on specific student and teacher needs.
The 4-A lesson plan model focuses on four main concepts. Each is necessary for student success,
and by identifying how they will be used in instructional practices, teachers ensure they are front-
and-center. The four components are:
1. Activate prior knowledge

2. Acquire new knowledge
3. Application
4. Assessment
These somewhat broad categories, which we'll narrow down in a bit, allow teachers to make sure
students are ready to learn. By activating prior knowledge, students make important connections to
past learning and prepare their brains for new content. New content is presented and taught, then
applied to real-world or past situations. Finally, an assessment is given to determine student
understanding. Let's dig a bit deeper into these components.
Activating Prior Knowledge

What does it mean to activate prior knowledge, and how can teachers accomplish this? The term
simply refers to tapping into a student's previous experience with the topic. For example, if the new
learning is oceanic life, a teacher could activate students' prior knowledge by connecting to other life
forms they studied, or asking students to share experiences about the ocean. In fact, many
instructional methods can be used to activate prior knowledge, including:
 Brainstorming
 Games
 Journaling
 Conversations
 Concept Mapping
Virtually any way you can think of to get students thinking about a prior experience will do the trick.
Acquire New Knowledge

During this instructional time, teachers promote higher order thinking and prompt students to use
inquiry skills in order to master content. Why do this? Instead of a serve-and-return method of
instruction, which simply has students listen and repeat content, the 4-A model fosters a more
rigorous learning model, one that has students thinking deeply about content. This is accomplished
in countless ways, such as having guest speakers, using interactive learning logs, role-playing, and
teaching mini-lessons. This is the typical 'instructional methods' portion of lesson plans with an
emphasis on pushing towards high-level skills.
For one lesson in the oceanic life study, a teacher may have students watch a video of life in the
ocean, then read about how mammals and fish interact to survive. Another day she may have a
zoologist speak to the students, then have students respond to the experience by writing a letter
asking further questions.
Application
During this portion of the 4-A plan, teachers plan for ways students can take in the new information,
consolidate it, and apply it in new and useful ways. Students apply their knowledge by sharing their
ideas, creating a product, participating in activities, doing a case study, and so on.
EVALUATION
https://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/LessonPlanning/lp_14.html
APPLICATION
https://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/LessonPlanning/lp_15.html#:~:text=LESSON
%20PLANNING%3A%20APPLICATION&text=The%20application%20part%20of%20a,lesson%20is%20far
%20from%20over.

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https://study.com/academy/lesson/right-triangles-lesson-plan.

Why are learning objectives important? They guide your choices.

 provide students with a clear purpose to focus their learning efforts

 direct your choice of instructional activities

 guide your assessment strategies

What’s the difference between a learning goal and a learning objective?

The 4-A Model

1. Activate prior knowledge

Activating Prior Knowledge

Acquire New Knowledge

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