How to Write Learning
Objectives
Program Goals will usually be broader than the goals or learning objectives for a particular course.
Here
is a program goal from the Classics program:
“Read and analyze historical
documents within their social contexts and evaluate the role of the individual
in ancient cultures.”
“contextualize Herodotus' Histories in its larger cultural settings, including:
1. They use verbs that indicate how the student work can be observed.
2. They focus on what the student should do, not what the instructor teaches.
3. They reflect what students should be able to do after a course ends, not simply what they do during the course.
4. They usually can be assessed in more than one way.
5. They can be understood by someone outside the discipline.
Learning objectives specify both an observable behavior and the object of that
behavior.
For
example:
Students
will be able to write a research
paper.
In addition, the criterion could also be specified:
Students will be able to write a research paper in the appropriate scientific style.
Optionally, the condition under which the behavior occurs can be specified:
At the end of their field research, students will be able to write a research paper in the appropriate scientific style.
Note that the verb you choose will help you focus on what you assess. For example:
Students will be able to do research.
The verb do is vague. Do you mean identify an appropriate research question, review the literature, establish hypotheses, use research technology, collect data, analyze data, interpret results, draw conclusions, recommend further research, or all of those? Each of the verbs in those statements is appropriately specific.
More examples. The more specific example is easier to assess than the broad example:
A.
Broad:
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history, literature and function of the theatre, including works from various periods and cultures.
More specific:
Students will be able to explain the theoretical
bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them with examples from plays
of different eras.
Even more specific, specifying
the conditions:
During the senior dramatic literature course, the students will be able to explain the theoretical bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them with examples from plays of different eras.
B.
Broad:
The student will be able to discuss philosophical questions.
More
specific:
The student is able to develop relevant examples and to express the significance of philosophical questions.
C.
Broad:
Students will be able to think in an interdisciplinary manner.
More specific:
Asked to solve a problem in the student’s field, the student will be able to draw from theories, principles, and/or knowledge from other disciplines to help solve the problem.
D.
Broad:
Each student will be able to function as a team member.
More specific:
Each student will reflect upon his or her contributions to a team effort, ability to accept other team members as resources, and willingness to accept compromises if required to achieve a team goal.
E.
Broad:
Students will understand how to use
technology effectively.
More specific:
Each student
will be able to use word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation
graphics in preparing their final research project and report.
Summary of assessable
learning outcomes:
1. They use verbs that indicate how the student work can be observed.
2. They focus on what the student should do, not what the instructor teaches.
3. They reflect what students should be able to do after a course ends, not simply what they do during the course.
4. They usually can be assessed in more than one way.
5. They can be understood by someone outside the discipline.
Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives[1]
has served to exemplify the verbs that faculty might use in writing their
program’s learning objectives:
Cognition
Knowledge Comprehension Application
define annotate apply
describe explain demonstrate
recall give examples illustrate
state predict solve
list infer manipulate
summarize interpret interview
identify generalize construct
point to calculate draw
match convert perform
subdivide write evaluate
compare create assess
contrast compose critique
identify formulate prioritize
infer outline defend
distinguish plan judge
diagram conceive recommend
illustrate hypothesize defend
categorize predict select
Sample
affective learning verbs[2]:
Volunteer, support, question, praise, join, defend, challenge, attempt
Sample psychomotor learning verbs[3]:
Dance, sing, draw, bend, operate, reach, relax, shorten, lift, throw, hit