Writing Objectives

Rationale and Strategies

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Session Goals
• Appreciate the value of writing clear and
measurable behavioral objectives.

• Re-evaluate objectives they have written and

work to enhance them.

• Make additional efforts to enhance the

congruency of: Objectives, Learning
Activities, and Test Items.

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 Session Objectives

• State the definition of a behavioral objective.

• List the three components of a behavioral objective.
• List three purposes which behavioral objectives serve.
• State a rationale for writing behavioral objectives.
• Describe a strategy for writing behavioral objectives.
• Describe how to increase the congruency among:
objectives, learning activities, and evaluation

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Model for Designing Instruction

Needs
Assess
Evaluation Learner
& Feedback Character
istics

Goals
Support & &
Logistics Revise
Objectives

T&L Content
Activities

Pre & Post

Assessment

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Goals and Objectives

Goals = Objectives

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Goals
• Definition
– A statement that describes in broad terms what
the learner will do.
• Example
– Students will gain an appreciation and
understanding of the value of applying family
systems theory to the real world of patient care.

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Objectives
• Definition
– A statement in specific and measurable terms that
describes what the learner will know or be able to
do.
• Example
– Students will be able to construct a three
generation genogram with a patient in the office
setting within a 5 minute time frame and explain
how the information potentially impacts on the
patient’s care.

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Comparison
• Goal
– Students will gain an appreciation and
understanding of the value of applying family
systems theory to the real world of patient care.
• Objective
– Students will be able to construct a three
generation genogram with a patient in the office
setting within a 5 minute time frame and explain
how the information potentially impacts on the
patient’s care.

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 Parts of an Objective

• Measurable verb
– Construct
– Explain
• Criteria
– 3 generation genogram
– Within 5 minutes
• Conditions
– In the office setting with patient

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Measurable Verbs
• Know the purposes of behavioral Objectives.
• State the purposes of behavioral objectives.
• Understand the difference between goals and
objectives.
• Describe the difference between goals and
objectives.

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 Terms: Sources of Confusion

• Behavioral Objectives
• Instructional Objectives
• Educational Objectives
• Terminal Objectives
• Outcomes
• Objectives
• Aims
• Intents
• Objections

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Rationale
• Purposes
– Guide for the teacher
– Guide for learner
– Basis for dialogue
– Basis for evaluation
– Makes curriculum explicit
– Makes curriculum analysis/evaluation
possible

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 Domains

• Cognitive (knowing)
• Psychomotor (doing)
• Affective (feeling)

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 Levels of Cognition

• Bloom’s Taxonomy
– Knowledge (verbal recall)
– Comprehension Evaluation
– Application
– Analysis
– Synthesis
– Evaluation
Knowledge

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 Levels of Objectives

• What is the level of this objective?

– Participants will be able to name the three parts of a
behavioral objective.

• What is the level of this objective?

– Participants will be able to write a behavioral
objective that contains a measurable verb, condition,
and criteria.

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Specificity and Level
• No So Specific:
– The learner will be able to: orally present a new
patient's case
• More Specific:
– The learner will be able to: orally present a new
patient's case in a logical sequence (SOAP),
chronologically developing the present illness,
summarizing the pertinent positive and negative
findings as well as the differential diagnosis and
plans for further testing and treatment.

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 Writing Process

• Start with the bigger goal in mind.

• Write the objective in general but measurable terms.
• Think about the learning context.
• Think about how you want to measure it.
• Rewrite to make the objective more specific and check
it for measurable verb, meaningful conditions, and
meaningful criteria.
• Share it with a colleague for feedback.
• Rewrite to further clarify.

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Creating the Magic Triangle

Teaching/Learning Activities

Objectives Evaluation

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Not So Magic Triangle

Teaching/Learning Activities

Objectives Evaluation

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The End

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