SETTING CLEAR OBJECTIVESSETTING CLEAR OBJECTIVESFOR YOUR LESSONSFOR YOUR LESSONS

Conceição MachadoIsabela Villas Boas

Our goal is to empower teachers to write clear and complete learning objectives for

their lessons and, if it is the case, participate more actively in pre and post-

observation conferences .

In order to help teachers reach this goal, our OBJECTIVE for this session is that, given examples of clear and unclear objectives and characteristics of well-elaborated objectives, participants will be able to:

a) Identify the four characteristics of clear objectives;

b) Write a clear objective for a specific lesson.

What are instructional What are instructional objectives?objectives?

“ An objective is a description of a performance you want LEARNERS to be able to exhibit before you consider

them competent. An objective describes an intended RESULT OF

INSTRUCTION, rather than the process of instruction itself ”.

Mager, R. F. (1994). Preparing instructional objectives. Belmont, CA: Dandlake

Let’s see what you already know aboutINSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: On your handout you have a list of objectives. Check the ones that are clear and complete.

TASK 1TASK 1

Can you think of some reasons for stating objectives?

Let’s work in pairs.

TASK 2TASK 2

If you don´t know where you are going, it is difficult to select a suitable means

for getting there.

Did you mention...?Did you mention...?

They help us find whether the objective has, in fact, been

accomplished.

Test items designed to measure whether important instructional

outcomes have been accomplished can be selected or created intelligently only when those instructional outcomes have

been made explicit.

They provide students with a means to organize their efforts toward the

accomplishment of those objectives.

OF OBJECTIVES

THE WHOTHE WHO. Your objectives had better say, “The students will be able to...”“The students will be able to...”

AUDIENCEAUDIENCE

An objective always says what a learner is expected to be able TO DOTO DO.

BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR

An objective always describes the important important conditionsconditions (if any) under which the performance is to happen.

CONDITIONCONDITION

Whenever possible, an objective describes the criterion of acceptable performance acceptable performance by identifying how well the learner must perform in order for his performance to be considered acceptable.

DEGREEDEGREE

Now let’s go back to the objective of our workshop.

Our OBJECTIVEOBJECTIVE for this session is that, given examples of clear and unclear objectives and characteristics of well-elaborated objectives, participants will be able to:

a) Identify the four characteristics of clear objectives;

b) Write a clear objective for a specific lesson.

AUDIENCEAUDIENCE

Participants...Participants...

... will be able to write a clear objective for a specific lesson...

OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORSOBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS

... will be able to identify clear objectives...

... given examples of clear and unclear objectives and characteristics of well-

elaborated objectives...

CONDITIONCONDITION

...four......four...

...five......five...

DEGREEDEGREE

Our OBJECTIVEOBJECTIVE for this session is that, given examples of clear and unclear objectives and characteristics of well-elaborated objectives, participantsparticipants will will be able to:be able to:

>> identifyidentify the four characteristics of clear objectives;

>> writewrite a clear objective for a specific lesson.

Given a list, find 9 verbs that show OBSERVABLE OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORBEHAVIOR

TASK 3TASK 3

An instructional objective describes an intended outcome of instruction

rather than an instructional procedure.

An objective always states performance, describing what the

learner will be doing when demonstrating mastery of the

objective.

SUMMARYSUMMARY

To state an objective clearly, you will sometimes have to state THE CONDITIONS you will establish when students are demonstrating their mastery of the objective. Here are some examples:

• Given a list of irregular verbs …

• Given a set of guided questions …

• When participating in a role-playing situation …

CONDITIONCONDITION

• If you can specify the acceptable level of performance for each objective, you will have a standard against which to test your instruction. Therefore, you will have the means for determining whether your instruction is successful in achieving your intent.

• You would know, and the student would know, the quality of performance necessary to work for or exceed in.

• What you must try to do ,then, is indicate in your objectives what the acceptable performance is.

DEGREEDEGREE

TASK 4

Now look back at the list of objectives you judged in the beginning of this workshop.

Have you changed your mind about any of them?

TASK 5

Now think about a lesson you’ve taught recently and

write an instructional objective for it.