Domains of Learning, Learned Capability Verbs, and the A-B-C-Ds of Writing Performance Objectives Lloyd Rieber Gregory Clinton University of Georgia

Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe Let’s begin with three of Lloyd’s “refrigerator slides.” These should be quite familiar to you now: (Note: I have added some clarifying details to Lloyd’s version of the Learned Capability Verbs slide.)

Learning Outcomes: Gagne’s Domains of Learning Verbal Information –Verbatim learning –Non-verbatim learning –Substance learning Intellectual Skills –Problem-solving –Rule-using –Defined concepts –Concrete concepts –Discriminations Cognitive strategies Affective Psychomotor Learning Hierarchy

Clearly identifying learning outcomes (“Learned Capability Verbs”) (Cognitive Strategy) Problem-solving Rule-using Concepts (defined) Concepts (concrete) Discriminations Verbal information Affective Psychomotor (Originate) Generate Demonstrate, predict Classify, identify Discriminate State, list, recite, summarize Choose (to) Execute A good way to start identifying goals is with: “The learner will be able to (LWBAT) generate/demonstrate/classify/identify…” Intellectual Skills (Instructional design is best suited for these.) Courses and Units LEARNING HIERARCHY Domains of LearningStandard “Learned Capability Verbs”

Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Now, referring back to the last three slides, let’s break down the meaning of Lloyd’s little jingle, starting with the “Audience”: Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

A udience Someone has to BAT! Just like in baseball … In the “sport” of writing Performance Objectives, “TO JUST ‘KNOW’ IS A NO-NO, TO ‘UNDERSTAND’ IS TOO BLAND, TO ‘DO’ IS NOTHING NEW, BUT TO ‘BAT’ IS WHERE IT’S AT!!” (It’s better to Be Able To do something, now and later, than to just know about it, or just to barely do it once by the time a lesson is finished!) Who will B e A ble T o …? So … Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

LWBAT SWBAT (whoever)WBAT Learners Students Trainees OR Mixing machine operators Sales managers Fifth grade students Middle school math teachers SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To …) A udience Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Ok, that was the Audience. Now for the Behavior … Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Audience SWBAT etc. B ehavior Remember … In Instructional Design an objective is a Performance objective. Even if your instructional goal is about a “topic” rather than a “task,” you still need for learners to perform some observable behavior that shows they learned what you are trying to teach them! (This can even take the form of a multiple choice quiz, for example, if you don’t have any better alternatives.) Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Audience SWBAT etc. B ehavior And … For the “Behavior” part of the objective, there is a vital piece included with it: the “Learned Capability Verb.” Dr. Rieber’s rhyme mentions Learned Capability Verb at the end of the rhyme, but the intent is to remind you to include it with the Behavior. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

B ehavior And furthermore … Learned Capability Verbs have agreed-upon meanings in ID. So, decide which one is right for each objective (according to the Domains of Learning) … and use them! Follow each Learned Capability verb with an ACTION and the resulting product or performance created by that action (the OBJECT). Taken together, that’s the BEHAVIOR! Thus … Audience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

generate, by taking a certain ACTION, a specific PRODUCT or PERFORMANCE (at the problem-solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain ACTION, a specific PRODUCT or PERFORMANCE (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain ACTION (e.g., by pointing), a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. B ehavior Audience SWBAT etc. SWBAT identify, by circling, all the polygons. Example: Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Ok, we’ve done the Audience and the Behavior. Now for the Condition … Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Behavior C ondition Under what conditions do you want learners to perform this show-you-that-they’ve- learned-it behavior? What materials will be available to them as they perform this task? Usually, the Condition part of the objective goes at the beginning. generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. Audience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), Audience SWBAT etc. Behavior generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. C ondition Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Condition Given (the necessary materials), Behavior generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. Audience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

We’ve now done the Audience, the Behavior, and the Condition. Finally, the Degree … Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), D egree Is there a certain level of performance your learners need to achieve? (To complete at least a certain number of items, or respond with 80% accuracy, etc.) generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. ConditionBehaviorAudience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), - at a minimum of X completed items - with 80% accuracy - etc. generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. ConditionBehaviorDegree (if appropriate) Audience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Here is the sequence again … Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), Condition Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), ConditionAudience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. ConditionBehaviorAudience SWBAT etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. ConditionBehaviorDegree (if appropriate) Audience SWBAT etc. - at a minimum of X completed items - with 80% accuracy - etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Given (the necessary materials), generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem- solving level of intellectual skills) demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills) identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills) etc. ConditionBehaviorDegree (if appropriate) Audience SWBAT etc. Given pictures of 12 geometric figures, SWBAT identify, by circling, all the polygons. Example: - at a minimum of X completed items - with 80% accuracy - etc. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

The “recipe” one last time: Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

The End! A final disclaimer: This is not the only “correct” way to write performance objectives. But it’s a MAINSTREAM approach that will serve you well. Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe