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.

Instructional Goals

There are certain expectations that people have for individuals who have completed twelve years of school.

Instructional Goals

We expect high school graduates to be able to solve problems

Instructional Goals

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.

Instructional Goals

A team of teachers is required.

Instructional Goals

Begin by identifying the part of the goal to be achieved in the lesson you are teaching.

Standards

The state standards are a good place to start.

Task Analysis

Writing instructional objectives for a complex goal such as problem-solving or critical thinking requires completion of a task analysis.

Task Analysis

Consider this educational goal.

Students will be able to write a complete sentence .

Task Analysis
What

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

Task Analysis
Students

will be able to write a complete sentence.

Students are able to distinguish parts of speech. Students are able to distinguish subject and predicate. Students are able to distinguish a complete thought.

Task Analysis
Students

will be able to write a complete sentence.

Students are able to distinguish a clause. Students are able to distinguish a subordinate clause. Students are able to distinguish a phrase from a clause.

Task Analysis: Determining Student Abilities

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.

Writing Instructional Objectives

Think about what a student who achieved the objective would look like.

Writing Instructional Objectives

A student who can write a complete sentence can

Distinguish a complete thought Distinguish a subordinate clause Distinguish a phrase from a clause Express a complete thought in a sentence that includes a subordinate clause

Writing Instructional Objectives

Now think about what the weakest students in your class can do.

Writing Instructional Objectives

Now you should have an idea of the learning tasks to establish for your students.

Writing Instructional Objectives

The sample of tasks you select should reflect the level at which students are operating in the cognitive, psychomotor, and/or affective domains.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Knowledge

Recalls the names of the parts of speech States the definition of noun and verb

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Comprehension

Identifies subordinate clauses in a sentence States the difference between a clause and a phrase in his/her own words

Cognitive Domain: Application

Application

Writes a sentence with a subordinate clause

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Analysis

Identifies errors in a set of sentences and corrects those errors.

Cognitive Domain: Synthesis

Synthesis

States reasons for requiring a subordinate clause to be included within a complete sentence

Cognitive Domain: Evaluation

Evaluation

Critiques a set of communications for their ability to communicate clearly.

Writing Instructional Objectives

As

you write instructional objectives, you should remember the following :

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Instructional objectives guide the use of instructional activities

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Instructional objectives guide the selection of instructional resources Not Vice Versa

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

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

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Instructional objectives are aimed at general learning outcomes.

General learning outcome:

Students are able to use grid lines on a map to find locations.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

They are not specific to a given set of resources
Learning outcome specific to a set of resources:
Students are able to use the grid lines on a map of Wisconsin to find Birchwood.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Instructional Students will objectives are stated understand the law of in terms of observable supply and demand. student outcomes. is not a statement of an observable outcome.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Students

will use the law of supply and demand to explain the pricing of consumer products. is a statement of an observable outcome Students can be asked to provide an explanation of the pricing of a consumer product.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

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.

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Example: Understands the requirements for a complete sentence

States the rule for writing a complete sentence Identifies examples of complete and incomplete sentences Identifies statements that express a complete thought Writes complete sentences

Guidelines for Instructional Objectives

Instructional

objectives determine assessment and evaluation.

Choosing Appropriate Instructional Objectives

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.

Choosing Appropriate Instructional Objectives

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.

Choosing Appropriate Instructional Objectives

Your

unit examination requires students to pick out groups of words that express a complete thought.

Which of the following is an appropriate instructional objective for the unit?

Choosing Appropriate Instructional Objectives

A) Students will be able to write a complete sentence.

B) Students will be able to identify statements that express a complete thought.

Choosing Appropriate Instructional Objectives

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.

Instructional Objectives Summary

Start

the process of determining instructional objectives by reviewing the subject area standards for the grade level you are teaching. the standard your lesson is focused upon.

Identify

Writing Instructional Objectives Summary

If

the standard involves learning a complex concept, generalization, or skill, complete a task analysis. the steps in the task the lesson will address.

Identify

Writing Instructional Objectives Summary

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 teacher

Writing Instructional Objectives Summary

The

statement guides the selection of instructional resources and activities. The statement determines the assessment or evaluation that will be used.

Writing Instructional Objectives Conclusion

Instructional 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,

Writing Instructional Objectives Conclusion

You dont know where you are going You have no means to determine how to get there And, you dont know when you have arrived