Writing Instructional Goals and Objectives

This site will introduce you to instructional goals, the three types of instructional objectives you
may need to create to reach your goals, and the best way to write and assess them. Enjoy!

Writing Instructional Goals and Objectives

What is a Goal?
Goals are broad, generalized statements about what is to be learned. Think of them as a target
to be reached, or "hit."

What is an Objective?
 Objectives are the foundation upon which you can build lessons and
assessments that you can prove meet your overall course or lesson goals.
 Think of objectives as tools you use to make sure you reach your goals. They are
the arrows you shoot towards your target (goal).

 
Are Goals and Objectives Really That Important?
 

 The purpose of objectives is not to restrict spontaneity or constrain the vision of

education in the discipline; but to ensure that learning is focused clearly enough
that both students and teacher know what is going on, and so learning can be
objectively measured. Different archers have different styles, so do different
teachers. Thus, you can shoot your arrows (objectives) many ways. The
important thing is that they reach your target (goals) and score that bullseye!

Thus, stating clear course objectives is important because:

 They provide you with a solid foundation for designing relevant activities and
assessment. Activities, assessment and grading should be based on the
objectives.
 As you develop a learning object, course, a lesson or a learning activity, you
have to determine what you want the students to learn and how you will know
that they learned. Instructional objectives, also called behavioral objectives or
learning objectives, are a requirements for high-quality development of
instruction.
 They help you identify critical and non-critical instructional elements.
 They help remove your subjectivity from the instruction.
 They help you design a series of interrelated instructional topics.
 Students will better understand expectations and the link between expectations,
teaching and grading.

 
Types of Objectives
There are three types of objectives:

 Cognitive
 Affective
 Psychomotor

Cognitive Objectives
Cognitive objectives are designed to increase an individual's
knowledge. Cognitive objectives relate to understandings,
awareness, insights (e.g., "Given a description of a planet, the
student will be able to identify that planet, as demonstrated verbally
or in writing." or "The student will be able to evaluate the different
theories of the origin of the solar system as demonstrated by
his/her ability to compare and discuss verbally or in writing the
strengths and weaknesses of each theory."). This includes
knowledge or information recall, comprehension or conceptual
understanding, the ability to apply knowledge, the ability to analyze
a situation, the ability to synthesize information from a given
situation, the ability to evaluate a given situation, and the ability to
create something new.

Affective Objectives
Affective objectives are designed to change an individual's
attitude. Affective objectives refer to attitudes, appreciations,
and relationships (e.g., "Given the opportunity to work in a
team with several people of different races, the student will
demonstrate an positive increase in attitude towards non-
discrimination of race, as measured by a checklist
utilized/completed by non-team members."). 

 
 

Psychomotor Objectives
Psychomotor objectives are designed to build a physical skill
(e.g., "The student will be able to ride a two-wheel bicycle
without assistance and without pause as demonstrated in
gym class."); actions that demonstrate the fine motor skills
such as use of precision instruments or tools, or actions that
evidence gross motor skills such as the use of the body in
dance or athletic performance.

Cognitive Objectives
Cognitive objectives are designed to increase an individual's knowledge. Many refer to Bloom's
taxonomy of cognitive objectives, originated by Benjamin Bloom and collaborators in the 1950's.

Examples:

 Given a description of a planet, the student will be able to identify that planet, as
demonstrated verbally or in writing.
 The student will be able to evaluate the different theories of the origin of the solar
system as demonstrated by his/her ability to compare and discuss verbally or in
writing the strengths and weaknesses of each theory.

Bloom describes several categories of cognitive learning.

Starting with basic factual knowledge, the categories progress through comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

 Knowledge - Remembering or recalling information.

 Comprehension - The ability to obtain meaning from information.
 Application - The ability to use information.
 Analysis - The ability to break information into parts to understand it better.
 Synthesis - The ability to put materials together to create something new.
 Evaluation - The ability to check, judge, and critique materials.

In the 1990's, Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom, along with David Krathwohl, one of
Boom's original partners, worked to revise the original taxonomy. The Anderson and Krathwohl
Taxonomy was published in 2001 in the book "A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and
Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives."

Here is a comparison of the original and revised taxonomies:

Note that in the revised taxonomy, synthesis and evaluation are switched. Also, verbs are used
in place of nouns to imply the action one takes in each level.

 Remember - Using memory to recall facts and definitions.

 Understand - Constructing meaning from information.
  Apply - Using procedures to carry out a task.
 Analyze - Breaking materials into parts to determine structures and relationships.
 Evaluate - Making jugements based on checking against given criteria.
 Create - Putting materials together to form a unique product.

Whichever taxonomy you prefer, there are key verbs for each level you can use when writing
cognitive objectives.

Key Verbs for the Cognitive Domain

Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
 Define    Apply  Analyz  Appr  Arrang
 Identify  Demons e aise e
 List  Cite trate  Apprai  Asse  Assem
 Name exampl  Dramati se ss ble
 Recall es of ze  Calcul  Choo  Collect
 Recogniz  Demon  Employ ate se  Compo
e strate  Generali  Categ  Com se
 Record use of ze orize pare  Constr
 Relate  Describ  Illustrate  Comp  Critiq uct
 Repeat e  Interpret are ue  Create
 Underlin  Determ  Operate  Conclu  Esti  Design
e/Circle ine  Operatio de mate  Develo
 Differe nalize  Contra  Eval p
ntiate  Practice st uate  Formul
betwee  Relate  Correl  Judg ate
n  Schedul ate e  Manag
 Discrim e  Criticiz  Mea e
inate  Shop e sure  Modify
 Discus  Use  Deduc  Rate  Organi
s  Utilize e  Scor ze
 Explain  Debat e  Plan
 Initiate 
 Expres e  Sele  Prepar
s  Detect ct e
 Give in  Deter  Valid  Produc
own mine ate e
words  Develo  Valu  Propos
 Identify p e e
 Interpr  Diagra  Test  Predict
et m  Recon
 Locate  Differe   struct
 Pick ntiate  Set-up
 Report  Disting  Synthe
 Restat uish size
e  Draw  Syste
 Review conclu matize
 sions
 Estima
te
 Exami
ne
 Experi
 Recog ment
nize
 Identif
 Select y
 Tell  Infer
 Transla  Inspec
te t  Devise 
 Respo  Invent
nd ory
 Practic  Predict
e
 Relate
 Simulat
 Solve
es
 Test
 Diagno
se

Example of Questions for Each Level

Remember

 Who? What? Where? When? How?

 Describe:_______.
 What is _______?

Understand

 Re-tell ________ in your own words.

  What is the main idea of ________?
 What differences exist between _____ and _____?
 Write a brief outline.

Apply

 How is _____ an example of _____?

 How is _____ related to _____?
 Why is _____ significant?
 Describe an example of when ____ happens.

Analyze

 What are the parts of ________?

 Classify this according to ________.
 Create an outline/concept map of ________.
 Provide evidence that _____ is correct.

Evaluate

 Compare and contrast _____ to _____.

 Select the best product.
 Critique the play.
 Judge the following in these merits: ___________.

Create

 Organize the following: ________.

 Predict what will happen next.
 What solutions would you suggest for ________?
 How would you design a new ________?

Additional Links
 Major Categories in the Taxonomy of Learning Objectives
 Bloom's Taxonomy (University of Georgia)
  Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain
 Learning Objective Verbs for Specific Disciplines
 Beyond Bloom - A New Version of the Cognitive Taxonomy

Affective Objectives
 Affective objectives are designed to change an individual's attitude, choices, and relationships.

Example:

 Given the opportunity to work in a team with several people of different races, the
student will demonstrate a positive increase in attitude towards non-
discrimination of race, as measured by a checklist utilized/completed by non-
team members.

Krathwohl and Bloom created a taxonomy for the affective domain that lists levels of
commitment (indicating affect) from lowest to highest.

The levels are described as follows:

Affective Domain Hierarchy

Level Definition Example
Being aware of or attending to Individual reads a book passage
Receiving
something in the environment. about civil rights.
 Individual answers questions about
Showing some new behaviors as a the book, reads another book by the
Responding
result of experience. same author, another book about
civil rights, etc.
The individual demonstrates this by
Showing some definite involvement
Valuing voluntarily attending a lecture on civil
or commitment.
rights.
Integrating a new value into one's
general set of values, giving it some The individual arranges a civil rights
Organization
ranking among one's general rally.
priorities.
The individual is firmly committed to
Characterization Acting consistently with the new
the value, perhaps becoming a civil
by Value value.
rights leader.

Here are key verbs for each level you can use when writing affective objectives:

Key Verbs for the Affective Domain

Receiving Responding Valuing Organization Characterization
 complete  codify
 comply  accept  discriminate
 accept
 cooperate  defend  display
 attend  internalize
 discuss  devote  order
 develop  verify
 examine  pursue  organize
 recognize
 obey  seek  systematize
 
 respond  weigh
 
 
   

Additional Links
Behavioral Objectives - Affective Domain

Krathwohl's Taxonomy

References
Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom,B.S. and  Masia, B. B. (1964).Taxonomy of educational objectives,
Book II. Affective domain. New York, NY. David McKay Company, Inc.
 

Psychomotor Objectives
 

This domain is characterized

by progressive levels of
behaviors from observation to
mastery of a physical skill.
Several different taxonomies
exist.

Simpson (1972) built this taxonomy on the work of Bloom and others:

 Perception - Sensory cues guide motor activity.

 Set - Mental, physical, and emotional dispositions that make one respond in a
certain way to a situation.
 Guided Response - First attempts at a physical skill. Trial and error coupled with
practice lead to better performance.
 Mechanism - The intermediate stage in learning a physical skill. Responses are
habitual with a medium level of assurance and proficiency.
 Complex Overt Response - Complex movements are possible with a minimum of
wasted effort and a high level of assurance they will be successful.
 Adaptation - Movements can be modified for special situations.
 Origination - New movements can be created for special situations.

Dave (1970) developed this taxonomy:

  Imitation - Observing and copying someone else.
 Manipulation - Guided via instruction to perform a skill.
 Precision - Accuracy, proportion and exactness exist in the skill performance
without the presence of the original source.
 Articulation - Two or more skills combined, sequenced, and performed
consistently.
 Naturalization - Two or more skills combined, sequenced, and performed
consistently and with ease. The performance is automatic with little physical or
mental exertion.

Harrow (1972) developed this taxonomy. It is organized according to the degree of coordination
including involuntary responses and learned capabilities:

 Reflex movements - Automatic reactions.

 Basic fundamental movement - Simple movements that can build to more
complex sets of movements.
 Perceptual - Environmental cues that allow one to adjust movements.
 Physical activities - Things requiring endurance, strength, vigor, and agility.
 Skilled movements - Activities where a level of efficiency is achieved.

The following list is a synthesis of the above taxonomies:

Psychomotor Domain Hierarchy

Level Definition Example
The learner watches a more experienced
Active mental attending of a person. Other mental activity, such as
Observing
physical event. reading may be a pert of the observation
process.
The first steps in learning a skill. The learner
Attempted copying of a is observed and given direction and
Imitating
physical behavior. feedback on performance. Movement is not
automatic or smooth.
The skill is repeated over and over. The
Trying a specific physical entire sequence is performed repeatedly.
Practicing
activity over and over. Movement is moving towards becoming
automatic and smooth.
The skill is perfected. A mentor or a coach is
Fine tuning. Making minor
often needed to provide an outside
Adapting adjustments in the physical
perspective on how to improve or adjust as
activity in order to perfect it.
needed for the situation.

Here are key verbs for each level you can use when writing psychomotor objectives:
 Key Verbs for the Psychomotor Domain
 bend  grinds  organizes
 calibrates  handle  perform
 constructs  heats (skillfully)
 differentiate  manipulates  reach
(by touch)  measures  relax
 dismantles  mends  shorten
 displays  mixes  sketches
 fastens  operate  stretch
 fixes  write
 grasp