Writing Instructional Objectives

Guidelines for Effective Lesson Planning

Instructional Goals

Before beginning to write your instructional objective(s), consider the larger educational goal to which the objective leads.

There are certain expectations from a child who have completed particular years of school. For example:We expect high school

graduates to be able to solve problems And to critically evaluate

issues and make decisions.

Instructional Goals

Students do not achieve these goals at one grade level or in one class.

Instructional Goals

One teacher cannot be responsible for students achieving these goals.

(Or)

Begin by identifying the part of the goal to be achieved in the lesson you are teaching.The National standards are a good place to start.

Standards

What is an instructional objective?

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, p.

5)

Instructional Objective

Instructional Objective

An instructional objective

describes the intended result of

the instruction.

It describes what a learner will be

able to do after the instruction.

Task Analysis

Consider this educational goal.

Student will be able to find the area of a triangle.

Task Analysis

What a student must be able to do to complete this task?

Goal:Students will be able to find the area of the given triangle.Tasks:

Identify the type of triangle.Recall the formula to find the area of the given triangle based on its type.Apply the given measurements in the formula.Calculate the area of the given triangle.Write the area with appropriate units.

Task Analysis

Determining the ability of the student:

After the task analysis is complete, you need to determine which tasks students have already mastered and which they continue to need work. This is often referred to as formative evaluation or formative assessment.

Student Ability

Think about what a student who achieved the objective, was able to do?Also think about what the weakest students in your class can do?

Now you should have an idea of the learning tasks to establish for your students.The sample of tasks you select should reflect the level at which students are operating in the cognitive, psychomotor, and/or affective domains.

Writing Instructional Objectives

Writing Instructional Objectives

Tasks Level in Cognitive Domain

Identify the type of triangle Understanding

Recall the formula to find the area of the given triangle based on its type.

Remembering

Apply the given measurements in the formula.

Applying

Calculate the area of the given triangle.

Applying

Write the area with appropriate units.

Remembering

(As you write instructional objectives, you should remember the following )

1.Instructional objectives guide the use of instructional activities2.Instructional objectives guide the selection of instructional resources – Not Vice Versa3.Instructional objectives are aimed at general learning outcomes. They are not specific to a given set of resources.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives (IO):

Cont…

Guidelines for IO

4.Instructional objectives focus on learning outcomes for students, NOT actions by the teacher

For Example:Which of these two statements is more appropriate as

an instructional objective?Students will be shown the steps for solving a word problem.Students will identify the steps in solving a word problem.

The first statement identifies what the teacher will do, not what the learning outcomes for students will be. Therefore, the second statement is the more appropriate statement of an instructional objective.

Cont…

Guidelines for IO

5.Instructional objectives are stated in terms of observable student outcomes. If you are going to use a broad instructional objective such as “understands,” then provide sub-objectives that describe what a student who “understands” looks like.

For Example: Understands the method to find the area of the triangle

Identify the type of triangle.Recall the formula to find the area of the given triangle based on its type.Apply the given measurements in the formula.Calculate the area of the given triangle.

Sub- Objectives

Cont…

Guidelines for IO

6.Instructional objectives determine assessment and evaluation.

For Example:Your unit examination requires students to

calculate the area of a given triangle. Which of the following is an appropriate instructional objective for the unit?

A.Students will be able to create two triangles having the same area .

B.Students will be able to calculate the area of a triangle.

B is the appropriate instructional objective for the examination item identified. Statement A requires a different level of development and a different form of evaluation.

Cont…

Guidelines for IO

ABCD’s of Writing Objectives

AA AudienceAudience

DD DegreeDegree

BB BehaviourBehaviour

CC ConditionCondition

Guidelines for IO

Guidelines for IO

Summary:Start the process of determining instructional objectives by reviewing the subject area standards for the grade level you are teaching.Identify the standard your lesson is focused upon.If the standard involves learning a complex concept, generalization, or skill, complete a task analysis.Identify the steps in the task the lesson will address.The statement of an objective should reflect an appropriate level in the cognitive, affective, or psychomotor domain.The statement identifies learning outcomes for students and not actions by the teacherThe statement guides the selection of instructional resources and activities.The statement determines the assessment/evaluation that will be used.

Instructional Objective

ConclusionInstructional objectives guide the remaining steps in planning a lesson.No lesson can be effective without effective instructional objectives – A lesson without effective objectives is like a trip without a destination, You don’t know where you are

going You have no means to

determine how to get there And, you don’t know when you

have arrived

Instructional Objective

Write objectives based on the selected topic

Instructional Objective