Week Seven Learning Objectives

This week we will move from specifying learning goals, subordinate skills, and context through the instructional design process to create learning objectives. Using the skills you identified in Assignment 2, you will write objectives that indicate what students should know (learning) or be able to do (performance) after completing instruction.

Learning Objectives

• Differentiate among the terms instructional goal, terminal objective, subordinate skill, subordinate objective, behavioral objective, performance objective, and instructional objective.
• Name and describe the components of a properly written performance objective.
• Elaborate an instructional goal to describe the performance context.
• Write a terminal objective that includes relevant information about the instructional context.
• Write performance objectives for skills that have been identified in an instructional analysis. These objectives should include the conditions under which the skill will be performed, the skill to be performed, and the criteria to be used to assess learner performance.

Now that you've completed Assignment 2, you have finished the analysis phase of the instructional design process. This week we will begin the next step in the Dick and Carey model of instructional design—the process of converting learning goals to learning objectives. Learning objectives are important because they:

• provide a focus for instruction
• provide guidelines for learning
• provide targets for assessment
• convey instructional intent to others, and
• provide evaluation for instruction.

In order to write effective learning objectives, you will use information you gathered during the analysis phase. For the purposes of this course, we will use the three-component Mager-style objective format. These three components are:

1. a description of the terminal behavior or actions that demonstrate learning
2. a description of the conditions of demonstration of that action
3. a description of the standard or criterion.

You should begin Assignment 3.1 this week. Choose a subset of skills and knowledge that were identified during the instructional analysis phase.

You do not need to generate learning objectives for your entire instructional unit; 3-15 objectives will be sufficient. You may want to refer to the materials linked in the additional readings for extra help and examples.

Required Reading

Chapter 6 of Dick and Carey

Additional Reading

Criterion Referenced Instruction (R. Mager) - Theory into Practice 
Mager's Tips on Writing Objectives - Georgia State University
Understanding Objectives - Donn Ritchie
This guide to writing learning objectives

Ross Caslon case study -- we will generate learning objectives from this.

Suggested: How to Write and Use Instructional Objectives by N. Gronlund (2000). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. A small paperback worth its weight in gold for instructional designers, trainers, and educators. If you are really interested, you can buy a used copy inexpensively. See Amazon or Barnes and Noble for ordering info.

Assignment 3.1 Procedures

1. Edit the goal for your instructional unit to reflect eventual performance context.
2. Write terminal objective to reflect context of learning environment.
3. Write objectives for each step in goal analysis for which there are no substeps shown.
4. Write an objective for each grouping of substeps under a major step of the goal analysis, or write objectives for each substep.
5. Write objectives for all subordinate skills.
6. Write objectives for entry behaviors if some students are likely not to possess them.
7. Suggested formats: look at Table 6.1 and 6.2 for possibilities; also look at this example. Modify as needed to suit your instructional unit or create your own version.
8. Look at the grading rubric for this assignment to assess whether you are on the right track.

Online Class Discussion

Monday, October 13, 8-9:30 p.m., Eastern time via Webex. I will send you the email login so that you can enter the class discussion.

Agenda:

• 8:00-8:10 Introductory discussion
• 8:10-8:45 Discussion of the Ross Caslon case study. Be prepared to discuss an instructional goal, the learner context and characteristics, and possible strategies to increase transfer. We'll also discuss one or two objectives that might be created from the information provided.
• 8:45-:920 Discussion of your objectives-- be prepared to present 2 or 3 draft objectives
• 9:20-9:30 Preview of next week

Please email me with any questions.