WRITING LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Transcription

1 WRITING LEARNING OBJECTIVES C E N T E R F O R F AC U L T Y D E V E L O P M E N T TODAY S OBJECTIVES Upon completion of today s seminar, you shall be able to: Understand learning Know the format of an objective Understand properly and poorly written Learn the benefits of for instructors and students Understand SMART 1

2 WHAT IS A LEARNING OBJECTIVE? Intended learning outcomes Behavior you expect from students by the end of instruction Allows students to see what is expected of them Narrows their attention Index of learning A visible way to determine if students have learned what they were suppose to learn You cannot see understanding or learning, so you have to find observable elements of that behavior List, explain, describe, etc. 3 MAJOR COMPONENTS 1) Condition: the conditions under which the students will perform the task 2) Behavior: a description of what the student will be able to do 3) Criterion: the standard for evaluating student performance Example: (1) Given a set of data (2) the student will be able to compute the standard deviation (3) and record the correct answer. 2

3 USE MEASURABLE VERBS FOR BEHAVIORS What will the student be able to DO at the completion of an activity or course? When writing your learning, use action verbs that demonstrate achieving the. Action verbs result in overt behavior that can be observed and measured. Avoid verbs that are unclear and call for behavior that cannot be observed or measured. What are some observable verbs? Defer to Bloom s (see file) BLOOMS Picture from: julietovar.edublogs.org 3

4 TYPES OF COGNITIVE RESPONSES For the behavioral component of the objective, we must know the type of response in order to construct a good objective. Most learning measure cognitive responses Bloom s revised taxonomy - Remembering (define, identify, label, list, name, state) - Understanding (classify, describe, discuss, estimate, explain, interpret) - Applying (show, translate, produce, act, interpret, assess, chart, collect, solve) - Analyzing (compare, contrast, distinguish, question, diagram, differentiate, test, criticize) - Evaluating (critique, support, judge, defend, recommend) - Creating (invent, compose, plan, construct, formulate, assemble) USE MEASURABLE VERBS FOR BEHAVIORS Non-action verbs: know, have knowledge of, understand, appreciate, recognize, comprehend These verbs describe something happening in the learner s head, which can t be seen or measured. Action verbs: define, write, list, identify, explain, select, demonstrate, document, conduct, solve, compute, calculate, differentiate, classify These verbs describe an observable way to measure an unobservable concept like learning. 4

5 TODAY S OBJECTIVES Poorly Written REAL LOs Understand learning Know the format of an objective Understand properly and poorly written. Learn the benefits of Understand SMART Describe the term learning objective Describe the format of an objective: condition, behavior, and criteria. Identifying properly and poorly written Discuss the benefits of Create SMART! SMART OBJECTIVES Behavioral should be: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timed Poorly written: At the completion of this course, students will be able to understand the concept of leadership. More effective: At the completion of this course, students will be able to contrast the concepts of transformational and transactional leadership in the form of a short-answer response. 5

6 PRACTICE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE IMMEASURABLE! Upon completion of this course, the student shall be able to: Realize the significance of ethical behavior in the business environment Describe the importance of ethical behavior in the financial industry in an essay reaching at least a proficient level as determined by a rubric. Comprehend the functions within Excel List the steps in conducting basic statistics (e.g. t- tests, standard deviation) in excel with zero errors PRACTICE CONTINUED Upon completion of the lesson, the student shall be able to: Know how to be safe in a lab environment. List the safety protocol for working with hazardous chemicals with zero errors Given a case study of a chemical lab environment, the student shall be able to Identify 80% of the safety violations. 6

7 FOUNDATION OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL TRIAD Clear learning are the foundation of the instructional triad: Objectives Activities Assessments With clear, it is easier to design content and activities, and also assessments to measure achievement of the all at the appropriate (and similar) level of Bloom s. WHY WRITE OBJECTIVES: STUDENT PERSPECTIVE Clear picture of class requirements: When students know what is expected of them, they are more motivated and self-directed Helps to organize their study habits: Can use to direct attention If its in the LO its probably important for me to know, right? Overall, increased motivation when students know point of assignments & how to organize their efforts 7

8 WHERE TO USE LEARNING OBJECTIVES Write for each Course: listed in your syllabus Major topic, unit, module, or week: list or recite at the beginning of each class First slide of ppt, on board, etc. Activity: You can include these at the top of worksheet or handout for an activity IN SUMMARY: PROPERLY WRITTEN OBJECTIVES Clarify expectations Well-written learning should leave little room for doubt about the intended learning outcomes of a course Makes it clear how one will be assessed Are written in observable terms Understand vs. Describe Create a road map for instruction You should come back to every time you assign, lecture, and create exams or activates. Foundation for the instructional triad / Instructional alignment 8