LEARNING OBJECTIVES

INTRODUCTION

L
The learning objective refers to the measurable steps students must take to meet any given competency.

Objectives are observable and measurable, unambiguous and precise, results oriented, as well as being
clearly written. When you start writing your objectives follow the ABCDs.

1. A for audience: Describes the intended learner or the end user of the instruction. In other
words, it is the ‘The who’: “The student will be able to…”

2. B for behavior: What the learner is expected to be able to do or the product or result of the
doing. The behavior or product should be observable and measurable. “The student will be able
to distinguish…” Here is where you use Bloom’s Taxonomy (see chart 1) to include a
demonstration of knowledge or skills in any of the domains of learning (cognitive, psychomotor,
affective, interpersonal) as well as a particular learning dimension. There must only be
one action per objective.
3. C for condition: The important conditions under which the performance is to occur, this is
where you establish the type of activity / material you will use including the skill and area of the
language students need to use for the completion of the behavior. “The student will be able to
distinguish in writing on a worksheet the vocabulary of farm animals (bird, cat,
cow, dog, duck, frog, horse, puppies, rabbit)
4. D for degree: Sets the standard for an acceptable performance. How well the learner must
perform in order for the performance to be considered acceptable. “The student will be able to
distinguish in writing on a worksheet the farm animals (bird, cat, cow, dog, duck, frog, horse,
puppies, rabbit) including its name and the number of them within the image” In
this step you include how far you want them to be able to carry out the task in order for you to be
able to evaluate it.
Let’s analyze the previous a little bit more:

Condition
How… you must
always include
what skill you will
emphasize.
 Behavior
Audience The action… choose a verb
The who… You must from Bloom’s Taxonomy
ALWAYS begin your according to the Dimension
objectives with this of Learning you want to work
phrase. with as a result of this action.

“ The student will be able to distinguish in writing on

a worksheet the vocabulary of farm animals (bird, cat,
cow, duck, frog, horse, rabbit, and pig) including its name

Condition
and the number of them within the image”
Through what… here
Condition
you must mention
The what… here you must
the MATERIAL or
mention the area of the
ACTIVITY needed.
language and the specific
content of your program Degree
related to it. How far… here you must make
reference to what the students should
achieve as a result of your material /
activity to be able consider the objective
fulfilled.
Special Notes about Objectives:

1. When writing objectives you must never use the words: understand, learn, know,
appreciate, believe, enjoy, have faith, grasp significance, realize as they
are very difficult to measure.
2. In order to check if your objective is well-written you must be able to identify the
answers to the following questions from your objective:
• Who is to exhibit the performance? (The who…)
• What observable performance is the learner to exhibit? ( The verb from Bloom’s
Taxonomy matching the desired Dimension of Learning)
• What conditions are provided for the learner at the time of evaluation? (1. the skill, 2. the
material / activity, 3. the area of the language - including the contents of the program)
• What constitutes a minimum acceptable response? (How far to consider the objective
achieved)
3. If you cannot see that the content being delivered meets the objective then you must decide the
following:
• Rewrite the objectives to meet the content.
• Modify, enhance or remove the content to meet the objective as stated.

(Adapted from: www.mdfaconline.org/presentations/ABCDmodel.doc )

Chart 1: Dimensions of Learning and Bloom’s Taxonomy

Dimensions
Dimension I: Positive
attitudes and perceptions
about learning
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Receiving / Attending (awareness): Ask, Describe, Give, Select, Use, Choose,
Follow, Retain, Replicate, Point out
Responding (react): Answer, Accomplish, Discuss, Act, Inform, Help, Conform, Read,
Research
Valuing (understand and act): Explain, Invite, Justify, Initiate, Propose, Share,
Defend
Organizing (personal value system): Adhere, Defend, Elaborate, Rank, Integrate,
Combine, Order, Relate

Dimension II: Acquiring and
integrating knowledge
Dimension III: Extending
and refining knowledge
Dimension IV: Using
knowledge meaningfully
Dimension V: Productive
habits of mind
Read the following objectives and place the correct name of the aspect it refers to. Use the word
bank to help you.
Objective 1
Objective 2:
Characterizing (adopt behavior): Act, Assume, Identify oneself, Commit, Question,
Propose
Knowledge / Remembering / Doing: Count, Point, Relate, Define, Provide, Repeat,
Distinguish, Review, Draw, Read, Indicate, Recall, List, Recite, Trace, Name,
Recognize, Underline, Observe, Record, Write
Comprehension / Understanding / Connecting: Associate, Distinguish, Locate,
Classify, Edit, Predict, Compare, Estimate, Rephrase, Compute, Conclude, Rewrite,
Give in own terms, Contrast, Infer, Summarize, Describe, Interpret, Differentiate
Application / Applying: Apply, Illustrate, Calculate, Purchase,
Choose, Increase, Relate, Complete, Conduct, Show
Order, Solve, Practice, Transfer, Employ, Prepare, Utilize
Application / Applying: Produce, Implement, Modify, Repair, Demonstrate, Discover,
Install
Analysis / Analyzing / Conceptualizing: Analyze, Distinguish, Investigate, Classify,
Divide, Outline, Compare, Point out, Construct, Reduce, Group, Identify, Separate,
Diagram,
Illustrate, Differentiate, Transform
Synthesis / Evaluating: Arrange Assemble Build, Combine, Organize
Analysis / Analyzing / Conceptualizing: Examine, Explain, Deduce, Detect
Synthesis / Evaluating: Develop, Plan, Formulate, Prepare, Generalize, Prescribe,
Integrate, Produce, Originate, Put together, Create, Synthesize
Evaluation / Creating: Appraise, Determine, Rate, Argue, Estimate, Recommend,
Assess, Evaluate, Regulate, Compare, Grade, Select, Contrast, Judge, Test
• Audience (the who)
• Behavior (the action)
• Condition (how)
• Condition (through what)
• Condition (the what)
• Degree (how far)
Objective 3:

Objective 4:
Go back to the four objectives from the previous activity; and complete the following based on
what you have previously read.
Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4
Dimension of
Learning
Skill
Area of the
language

Material needed
for achieving the
objective

Notice that one of the objectives is not actually correct. ¿Can you tell which one or why?

If you have identified objective 3, you are correct. The reason being that you should not use the word
realize in an objective because it is VERY difficult to measure how much a student has realized
something.