10 Aug S.M.A.R.T. Learning Objectives One of the aspects we will cover during this week’s discussion is writing/developing learning objectives. This is a vital initial step to complete d
I need the following questions answered in 150 words each.
S.M.A.R.T. Learning Objectives
One of the aspects we will cover during this week's discussion is writing/developing learning objectives. This is a vital initial step to complete during the planning and design phase of developing a training program. Once you have the learning objective you can begin the process of creating the backbone of your course training plan – learning assessments, learning content, instructional strategies, and learning activities/teaching methods.
Objectives not only outline what the learner is expected to know at the completion of training they also set the expectations for the trainer about what instruction is to be delivered. Well written objectives help with successfully ensuring the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) needed for the job function or tasks can be completed and mastered to the standard of metric set for the task. Effective objectives should be specific, measurable, and observable. I’m sure through your courses of study you have reviewed writing SMART Goals. Well, this method can also be effectively used to create effective learning objectives as well.
The SMART acronym stands for:
· S – Specific (describes what a student should learn or be able to do after training)
· M – Measurable (the standard or metric you will be used to determine successful completion)
· A – Attainable/Achievable (does the learner have the existing knowledge and resources to complete the task.)
· R – Relevant (is learning connected to a purpose for the learner to learn the information)
· T – Timely (timeframe behavior will be complete)
· Using this method is a great way to check the effectiveness of your objective as written.
Read the “Writing Learning Objectives” attached in the Resources under Topic 3. Writing Learning Objectives
QUESTION 1- What are 2 -3 Key Points from your reading on the importance of well written learning objectives?
Page 6 of the Writing Learning Objectives in your Topic 3 Resources discusses Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of Learning. Bloom's is used when writing learning objectives and are written based on the KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) the learner is expected to perform as a result of training.
Bloom's discusses three categories or types of objectives – Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral. QUESTION 2- Select one and describe the domain of learning and what assessment methods can you use to effectively measure learning in that domain?
RESOURCES
Read "Tips for Writing Effective Learning Objectives," from Communique (2019).
Read “Design of Learning Objects for Concept Learning: Effects of Multimedia Learning Principles and an Instructional Approach,” by Chiu and Churchill, from Interactive Learning Environments (2015).
Read "Objectives that Students Understand," by Marzano, from Educational Leadership (2011).
Read "Examination of the Teaching Styles of Nursing Professional Development Specialists, Part I: Best Practices in Adult Learning Theory, Curriculum Development, and Knowledge Transfer," by Curran, from The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing (2014).
Read “How Can We Align Learning Objectives, Instructional Strategies, and Assessments?,” by Kurt, from Educational Technology (2020). https://educationaltechnology.net/how-can-we-align-learning-objectives-instructional-strategies-and-assessments/
Read “Learning Eye to Eye: Aligning Training to Business Objectives,” by Biech, from the Association for Talent Development website. https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/learning-eye-to-eye-aligning-training-to-business-objectives
Writing Learning Objectives
What are learning objectives?
Learning objectives (also called “learning outcomes” or “learning targets”) are statements that describe:
· Specific, measurable, observable student behaviors.
· The behaviors students need to perform in order to demonstrate mastery of the content being taught.
· The intended outcome or result of instruction, not the instructional process.
Why should instruction include learning objectives?
· To guide lesson planning
· To guide assessment design
· To give students a target for what they need to learn and be able to do
How should learning objectives be written?
Learning objectives should always begin with the phrase, “Students will” (or, “Students will be able to,” or, “Students can”) although this can be understood rather than literally written out.
There are two essential components of a well-written learning objective:
· The verb that describes the desired performance (e.g., "explain…").
· The object noun or phrase that describes what is being affected by the verb (e.g., "cause and effect relationships"). The object noun or phrase reflects the content being taught.
“Students will explain cause and effect relationships.”
The above learning objective is still a bit vague for guiding instructional planning or describing learning targets to students. Learning objectives can be more specific, when needed, by adding the following:
· Specific criteria or standards by which the performance will be assessed (e.g., “three”).
· Additional given conditions or circumstances required for students to complete the performance (e.g., "…within a given grade-level fictional text.”).
PRO TIP: These additional conditions are sometimes referred to as “givens,” because they often include the word “given.”)
“Students will explain three cause and effect relationships accurately within a given grade-level fictional text.”
Examples of Learning Objectives
|
Learning Objective: |
Things to Note: |
|
1. Students will multiply two-digit numbers. |
Verb: “multiply” Subject noun: “numbers” Criteria: “two-digit” Additional conditions or givens: None needed. |
|
2. Describe the four functions of a cell. |
Verb: “describe” Subject noun: “functions of a cell” Criteria: “four” Additional conditions or givens: None needed. |
|
3. Students will identify elements from the periodic table that are used in given food products. |
Verb: “identify” Subject noun: “elements from the periodic table” Criteria: None Additional conditions or givens: “used in given food products” |
|
4. Read a given grade-level sentence or paragraph orally with appropriate expression. |
The order of the components has been changed for better sentence structure. Verb: “read orally” Subject noun: “sentence or paragraph” Criteria: “with appropriate expression” Additional conditions or givens: “given grade-level” text |
|
5. Students will apply the formula for the area of squares to real-world applications. |
Verb: “apply” Subject noun: “formulas for the area of squares, rectangles, and triangles” Criteria: None Additional conditions or givens: “to real-world applications” PRO TIP: “Real-world applications” could be made more specific in order to guide instructional planning and students who want to know what is expected of them, e.g., “… in designing the floor plan of a house.” |
|
6. Compare and contrast the roles of the primary antagonist and protagonist in The Screwtape Letters. |
Verbs: “compare and contrast” Subject noun: “roles of the primary antagonist and protagonist” Criteria: None Additional conditions or givens: “The Screwtape Letters” PRO TIP: Ideally, learning objectives only include one performance. Here, students are completing two: compare and contrast. However, these are two skills that are commonly taught and performed together, so they may be used in one learning objective. |
|
7. Use proportions and percentage equations to compute discounts on prices, add tax, and find the total cost for various consumer products. |
Verbs: “compute,” “add,” “find” Subject noun: “discounts,” tax,” and “total cost” Criteria: “Use proportions and percentage equations” Additional conditions or givens: “for various consumer products” PRO TIP: Depending on the desired performance outcome, “various” could possibly be replaced with a given, e.g., “for given consumer products.” PRO TIP: Ideally, learning objectives only include one performance, but here, three have been combined for practicality due to the overlap if all three were listed separately. |
Non-examples of Learning Objectives
|
Not a Learning Objective: |
Things to Note: |
|
1. Students will understand why the United States entered World War II. |
“Understand” is not an observable behavior. The following is observable: Revised: Students will explain four reasons why the United States entered World War II. |
|
2. Students will be able to interact in a way that shows their understanding of the concept. |
This is missing several pieces of information: · Is the learning objective being able to interact, or is it something else? · What is the concept being taught? · What is an observable way that the understanding would be demonstrated? |
|
3. Given an essay question, students will be able to describe three outcomes of World War I. |
“Given an essay question” is describing the assessment, not the outcome of the students’ learning. Revised: Students will be able to describe three outcomes of World War I. |
|
4. Given flags with capital cities, students will attach the flag to their proper state. |
“Attaching” is an instructional activity , not a learning outcome. That activity might be part of a lesson building skills toward achieving the learning objective. Revised: Students will identify the capital city of each state. |
|
5. Students will learn how to eat a balanced meal. |
“Learn” is not an observable verb. The following is observable: Revised: Students will plan one week of meals that follow given nutritional guidelines. |
|
6. Given a list of produce items, display them in a collage showing their levels of vitamin C. |
“Display them in a collage” is an instructional activity, not a learning outcome . That activity might be part of a lesson building skills toward achieving the learning objective. Revised: Given a list of produce items, determine their levels of vitamin C. |
|
7. Students will identify three consumer products that are manufactured using water and determine the amount of water used to make each product. |
This learning objective contains two objectives . Generally, objectives that include two verbs with “and” between them should be written as two separate objectives, unless the tasks are commonly associated (e.g., “compare and contrast,” there is a great deal of overlap between the tasks (like #7 in the table above), or both are needed to complete the performance (e.g., speak and listen effectively in small group collaborative discussions on Grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas, and expressing their own clearly.) In non-example, identifying the products is really an activity that leads to the outcome. Revised: Students will determine the amount of water used to make consumer products that are manufactured using water. |
PRO TIP: Because learning objectives describe learning results, it can be helpful to ask, “Is this objective written as a performance that students should be able to do in the real-world (outside of my classroom) once they have mastered it?”
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
When designing instruction, it can be helpful to see examples of performances that ask for different levels of critical thinking. Bloom’s taxonomy was first created in 1956 for this purpose. The taxonomy was updated in 2001, which is the version referred to below [footnoteRef:1]. These verbs can help with writing objectives as well as planning instructional activities. [1: Anderson, L., Krathwohl, D., & Bloom, B. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing : a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives(Complete ed.). New York: Longman.]
|
Learning Level Definitions (Listed from most basic to most complex) |
Sample Action Verbs (Not an inclusive list) |
|
I. Remembering / Knowledge The learner is able to recall information, such as dates, events, places, ideas, definitions, formulas, theories, etc. |
Arrange, Define, Describe, Draw, Duplicate, Identify, Indicate, Label, List, Locate, Match, Name, Outline, Pick, Point, Pronounce, Quote, Recall, Recite, Recognize, Record, Relate, Repeat, Reproduce, Retrieve, Say, Select, State, Tell, Underline |
|
II. Understanding The learner is able to grasp the meaning of the information, express it in his or her own words, and/or cite examples. |
Articulate, Characterize, Compute, Communicate, Confirm, Contrast, Convert, Defend, Differentiate, Equate, Estimate, Explain, Express, Extend, Extrapolate, Generalize, Give Examples, Group, Instantiate, Liken, Map, Order, Paraphrase, Predict, Reorder, Rephrase, Represent, Restate, Retell, Rewrite, Sort, Substitute, Tell, Trace, Translate |
|
III. Applying The learner is able to use or apply knowledge or skills to new situations. The learner is able to use knowledge to solve a problem, answer a question, or perform another task. |
Adapt, Add, Allocate, Alter, Apply, Calculate, Change, Choose, Complete, Compute, Conduct, Coordinate, Delineate, Demonstrate, Determine, Develop, Direct, Discover, Divide, Dramatize, Draw, Employ, Examine, Exhibit, Formulate, Gather, Graph, Make, Manipulate, Model, Multiply, Operate, Perform, Practice, Present, Provide, Recount, Report, Respond, Schedule, Show, Sketch, Subtract, Use |
|
IV. Analyzing The learner is able to break down knowledge into parts, and explain the relationships among the parts. |
Analyze, Appraise, Associate, Break Down, Catalog, Chart, Classify, Compare, Correlate, Criticize, Discern, Deduce, Designate, Diagram, Discriminate, Dissect, Distinguish, Edit, Elect, Establish, Experiment, Explain, Expound, Illustrate, Inspect, Inventory, Isolate, Parse, Profile, Question, Refute, Segment, Separate, Subdivide, Summarize, Survey, Test, Utilize |
|
V. Evaluating The learner is able to judge or assess the value of material and methods for a given purpose. |
Argue, Appraise, Assess, Attack, Champion, Compare and Contrast, Conclude, Critique, Debate, Decide, Deduce, Diagnose, Dispute, Evaluate, Forecast, Improve, Influence, Interpret, Judge, Justify, Measure, Prioritize, Prove, Rank, Rate, Recommend, Resolve, Revise, Score, Select, Solve, Support, Value, Verify, Weigh |
|
VI. Creating / Synthesis The learner is able to pull together parts of knowledge to form a new whole and build relationships for new situations. |
Assemble, Assimilate, Build, Categorize, Collect, Combine, Compile, Compose, Condense, Construct, Create, Design, Derive, Detail, Devise, Elaborate, Execute, Expand, Generate, Glean, Guide, Form, Frame, Hypothesize, Incorporate, Integrate, Invent, Manage, Modify, Originate, Organize, Plan, Portray, Prepare, Prescribe, Produce, Propose, Publish, Reconstruct, Refine, Reorganize, Simplify, Synthesize, Theorize, Transform, Write |
Page 1 of 6
© 2020 Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.
Page 2 of 6
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteEdu. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
Do you need help with this question?
Get assignment help from WriteEdu.com Paper Writing Website and forget about your problems.
WriteEdu provides custom & cheap essay writing 100% original, plagiarism free essays, assignments & dissertations.
With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.