StanfordOnline: O.P.E.N. Creating Effective Online and Blended Courses Lesson 2: Learning Objectives "Creating Effective Online and Blended Courses" by Sherray Hurlbert, Lake Area Technical Institute is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 / A derivative from the original workLake Area Technical InstituteCC BY-SA 4.0original work

Considerations in Writing Learning Objectives Learning Objective Identify key characteristics of a learning objective.

Characteristics of an Effective Learning Objective

Learning objectives tell students what they must do to successfully complete your course. The following is an instructor- centered, not student-centered, objective, and it describes an instructional activity rather than the knowledge or skill students must demonstrate after this activity: Arrange for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative to speak to the class about endangered species. Students will describe the role of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service in protecting endangered species in the United States. KEEP LEARNING OBJECTIVES STUDENT CENTERED

Which of the following objectives are student centered? Check all that apply. Provide an introduction to the field of robotics. Cover three theories of child development. Perform wildlife disease risk analysis using the 5-step model outlined by Jacob-Hoff and colleagues. Compare and contrast Erikson’s, Piaget’s, and Vygotsky’s theories of child development. KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Rewrite this instructor-centered objective to be a student-centered learning objective. Show students the video dramatization of two healthcare workers in conflict, and discuss afterwards how cultural differences contributed to the disagreement. KNOWLEDGE CHECK Working in teams of three, students will role- play conflict resolution of a disagreement involving cultural differences.

Behavior : The behavior described in a learning objective must clearly state an observable and/or measurable action that students can perform to demonstrate mastery of the skill or knowledge called for by the objective.

AVOID FALSE PERFORMANCE The behavior described in a learning objective is the main component of the objective. Check carefully that the behavior is observable and unambiguous. The following is “false performance,” a statement that sounds like an objective but is not: Understand Darwin’s theory of evolution. You can drill down into this broad concept to create a concrete objective: Compare and contrast evolution and microevolution.

Comprehend the benefits of a diverse culture. The behavior in the following learning objective is ambiguous. Rewrite the objective so that it is measurable. KNOWLEDGE CHECK List five advantages of a multicultural team over a nondiverse team.

Which of the following learning objectives describes observable behavior? Identify logical flaws in a written argument. Observable Not Observable x

Explain Newton's second law. Which of the following learning objectives describes observable behavior? Observable Not Observable x

Understand the U.S. stock market. Which of the following learning objectives describes observable behavior? Observable Not Observable x

Which of the following learning objectives describes observable behavior? Appreciate the historical context of the 1940s. Observable Not Observable x

DESCRIBE BEHAVIOR, NOT PERFORMANCE A common mistake in stating performance or behavior characteristic in a learning objective is to describe a teaching point, practice exercise, or some other aspect of learning activity. Such activities are intended to teach and support the learning objective. Notice in the following examples that the behaviors described are not learning objectives but rather learning activities: ● Participate in class discussion of constructivism. ● Evaluate an essay written by a peer for tone, style, purpose, and logic.

Explain why the following learning objective is ineffective. Given that students have completed six laboratory experiments, they must be able to complete 100 percent of the questions on the biology exam with 87 percent accuracy. KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Condition A condition describes (1) what a student may or may not use to demonstrate mastery of the objective and/or (2) the circumstance under which the behavior is to be performed. Not every objective requires a condition, but if a condition applies, be sure to specify it clearly. Think... What tool, prop, or special circumstance is necessary? What tool, prop, or special circumstance should be denied? What limitations must be set, or what latitude must be given ?

CONDITION CHARACTERISTIC ADDS SPECIFICITY Students will be able to create and produce a nonverbal performance. This learning objective is workable, but it is broad. By adding a condition, you can make your learning objective more specific, so you can better focus your instruction and students can better direct their learning efforts: Students will be able to create and produce a nonverbal performance incorporating various physical movement techniques.

Be sure that any conditions stated in your learning objectives relate to the performance of the behavior, not to the instructional activities that support the objective. The following examples do not constitute conditions: ● Given a three-part lecture.… ● After completing this unit…. ● Given that the student has passed an introductory course….

Which of the following describes the condition characteristic of an objective? The learner who will be performing the action The knowledge or skill a learner is expected to demonstrate The situation under which the performance is to occur The criterion of acceptable performance KNOWLEDGE CHECK x

Which part of this learning objective is an example of a condition? Students will be able to describe, in order from simplest to most complex, the major levels of organization in the human organism. “Major levels of an organization” “This learning objective contains no condition.” “Describe major levels of organization in the human organism” “In order of simplest to most complex” x

KNOWLEDGE CHECK Which of the following is an example of a condition? “With 80 percent accuracy” “At the end of this module” “Without the use of a calculator” “Prior to finishing laboratory tests” x

Degree Learning objectives sometimes state a degree of acceptable performance. Often, the degree is implied; that is, students can assume the behavior is to be performed without error unless a criterion is explicitly stated. Sometimes the degree is specific: “list all 12 moving parts,” “to within 1/32 inches.”

DEGREE CHARACTERISTIC ADDS CRITERIA ● Students will be able to create and produce a nonverbal performance incorporating various physical movement techniques. These objectives can be sharpened even further by adding a degree of acceptable performance. ● Students will be able to create and produce a 10-minute nonverbal performance incorporating at least three of the physical movement techniques discussed in class.

If you state the degree of acceptable performance in your learning objective, be sure it is precise. Criteria such as: ●“to the satisfaction of the instructor,” ●“must be able to make 80 percent on a multiple-choice exam,” ●“must pass a final exam” are too vague (and in the case of satisfying the instructor, too subjective) to be useful in a learning objective.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK Which part of the objective below is a degree? What makes up the degree in this objective? Using the standard terminology of the Western art music tradition, describe musical concepts during the 1950–1970 period, naming at least three social factors that influenced these concepts.

Review Time: Look at the following objective and identify which of the ABCD elements are included. Check all that apply. Students should be able to communicate with team members in order to manage time effectively to provide appropriate evidence-based care. Audience Behavior Condition Degree

Read the following sentence and identify which characteristics of the ABCDs, if any, must be improved to make it an effective objective. Check all that apply. Wherever possible, further develop my knowledge and skills in order to provide effective, evidenced-based nursing care for the duration of the patient visit. Audience Behavior Condition Degree

Which of the following characteristics from the ABCD method are critical to writing a student- centered and observable and/or measurable objective? Check all that apply. Audience Behavior Condition Degree

Rewrite this objective to include a behavior that is measurable and/or observable. Provide examples in which students can identify the premises and conclusion of an argument. “Students will be able to identify the premises and conclusion of an argument”