8/10/2019 Behavioral Learning Objectives Graeff

1/3

Writing Behavioral Learning Objectives

By Timothy R. Graeff

You might have heard that learning objectives are an important component of effective

teaching. o!ever" !hat are learning objectives# $ore specifically" !hat areB%&'(OR&L learning objectives# o! should they be !ritten and used#

Behavioral learning objectives are li)e a road map for instruction. They identify theroutes one must ta)e to arrive at a desired learning destination. They describe !hatstudents !ill learn from a course and the behaviors *s)ills+ that !ill demonstrate suchlearning. ,eveloping" using" and communicating specific behavioral learning objectivescan result in increased student learning. ,eveloping a set of specific learning objectivesalso helps instructors identify their goals and directions for the course" thereby reducingthe chance of !asting their o!n time" as !ell as !asting students- time on irrelevantsubject matter. They force educators to consider !hat they are accomplishing by their

teaching and the s)ills students are learning in their classrooms.

The fundamental purpose of a stated learning objective is to communicate to students!hat !e !ant them to learn and ho! they !ill be epected to demonstrate that learning.Behavioral learning objectives should not state !hat the course !ill include" should notstate !hat the instructor !ill do" and should not focus on the instructor. ,o not statelearning objectives from the instructor-s perspective. /or eample" do not state that thepurpose of a class is to 0Give students a general overvie! of chemistry"1 or" that 0Theimportance of technology in the development of cultures !ill be stressed in this class.1Behavioral learning objectives should be stated from the students- perspective. Learningobjectives should state !hat the student !ill accomplish2 state !hat the student !ill beable to do" focus on the student" focus on the result of ta)ing the course" and focus on the

result of learning and the s)ills that are mastered. They should describe the performance!e !ant students to ehibit before !e consider them competent. (deally" they shoulddescribe the intended result of instruction" such as a s)ill" rather than the process ofinstruction itself.

The !ords !e use to !rite behavioral learning objectives are very important.Behavioral learning objectives should contain statements of performance behavior 33 !hatthe student !ill be able to do !hen the objective has been achieved. 'ague terms that areopen to many different interpretations *and thus should not be used in !riting learningobjectives+ include4

to appreciate to believe to enjoyto grasp the significance of to have faith in to internali5eto )no! to understand

These should not be used in !riting learning objectives because they are practicallyimpossible to measure.

8/10/2019 Behavioral Learning Objectives Graeff

2/3

6pecific verbs that are open to far fe!er interpretations *and thus are acceptable forlearning objectives+ include4

arrange build choosecircle cite combinecompare compute constructcontrast count critici5edefine delete describedesign differentiate discriminatedistinguish dra! eplaingenerate group identifyillustrate interpret labellist name organi5eplan put together reciterestate select separatesimplify solve sorttally verbali5e

(n addition" behavioral learning objectives should specify the conditions under !hichthe behavior !ill be epected to be performed" and the criteria or standards of acceptableperformance. /or eample" consider the follo!ing objective for a statistics course4

Given the means, standard deviations, and sample sizes for two groups, calculatethe t-test (correct to the nearest whole number) to determine whether or not thetwo group means are significantly different, within five minutes.

The performance behavior for this objective is 0calculate the t3test.1 The conditions are0Given the means" standard deviations" and sample si5es ... !ithin five minutes.1 Thecriterion is 0correct to the nearest !hole number.1 The objective tells students eactly

!hat they are to do" !hat information they !ill be given to solve the problem" ho! eactthey should be in their calculations" and ho! long it should ta)e them to do it. &lthough itis not necessary *or practical+ to al!ays include conditions and criteria" the more you sayabout them the better the objective !ill communicate the intended learning.

(magine ho! much better a student can study for a test *and thus" learn+ !hen they aregiven the above objective" versus simply being told that they should 0understand t3tests"1or 0)no! t3tests.1 When used effectively" behavioral objectives coordinate the goals ofinstruction !ith the means of evaluation" !hich !hen shared !ith students" give theminsights into ho! to study to learn the material. The fundamental goal of specifyingbehavioral learning objectives is to aid students- learning. T!o other eamples ofbehavioral learning objectives are given belo!. 7otice ho! they tell students !hat theyare to do" the conditions under !hich it should be done" the length of their ans!ers *inpages+" and the time it should ta)e them to do it *in minutes+.

8oorly stated objective4 Understand market skimming and penetration.

8/10/2019 Behavioral Learning Objectives Graeff

3/3

Behavioral learning objective4 ompare and contrast market skimming and marketpenetration as pricing strategies in terms of their effects on profit margin, brandimage and positioning, and competition (one page ! "# minutes).

8oorly stated objective4 $now what is meant by %price elasticity.&

Behavioral learning objective4 'efine price elasticity. hen, draw (on graphs) threedemand curves, each representing a different level of price elasticity. orrectlylabel the aes for each graph, and then identify which demand curve has thehighest price elasticity, and which demand curve has the lowest price elasticity(one page ! "* minutes).

6tudents have every right to epect these types of specific" measurable" and behaviorallearning objectives from their teachers. On the first day of the semester" they should beable to as)" 0What eactly do ( need to do to be able to earn an & in this class#1 (n fact"most professors epect them too. ,idn-t you !ant to )no! eactly !hat you needed to

do to be able to earn tenure and be promoted here at $T69# $ost ne! faculty !ant to)no! ho! many articles they need to publish" the type of journals they need to publish in"the number of conference presentations they need to ma)e" etc. (magine your frustrationif you as)ed this :uestion in an intervie!" and the department chair or ,ean responded!ith" 0Well" you need to be successful.1 6o" just as you !ere justified in !anting to )no!your performance objectives for receiving tenure and promotion" students are justified in!anting to )no! their behavioral learning objectives !hen they begin a class.