4 instructional objectives

Writing
Instructional
Objectives
Guidelines for Effective
Lesson Planning

Instructional Goals
Before beginning to
write your
instructional
objective(s),
consider the larger
educational goal to
which the objective
leads.

There are certain
expectations from a child
who have completed
particular years of school.
For example:
We expect high school
graduates to be able to
solve problems
And to critically evaluate
issues and make decisions.
Instructional Goals

Students do not
achieve these goals
at one grade level or
in one class.
Instructional Goals
One teacher cannot be
responsible for students
achieving these goals.
(Or)

Begin by identifying the part of the
goal to be achieved in the lesson you
are teaching.
The National standards are a good
place to start.
Standards

What is an instructional
objective?
An objective is a description of a performance you want learners to be able to exhibit before you
considerthemcompetent. An objective describes an intended result of
instruction, ratherthan the process of instruction itself.
(Mager, p. 5)
Instructional Objective

An instructional objective describes
the intended result of the instruction.
It describes what a learnerwill be able
to do afterthe instruction.

Consider this educational goal.
Student will be able to find the area
of a triangle.
Task Analysis
What a student must be able to
do to complete this task?

Goal:
Students will be able to find the area of
the given triangle.
Tasks:
Identify the type of triangle.
Recall the formula to find the area of
the given triangle based on its type.
Apply the given measurements in the
formula.
Calculate the area of the given
triangle.
Task Analysis

Determining the ability of the
student:
After the task analysis is complete, you need
to determine which tasks students have
already mastered and which they continue
to need work. This is often referred to as
formative evaluation or formative
assessment.
Student Ability
Think about what a student
who achieved the objective,
was able to do?
Also think about what the
weakest students in your class
can do?

Now you should
have an idea of the
learning tasks to
establish for your
students.
The sample of
tasks you select
should reflect the
level at which
students are
operating in the
cognitive,
Writing Instructional Objectives

Writing Instructional Objectives
Tasks Level in
Cognitive
Domain
Identify the type of triangle Understanding
Recall the formula to find the area of
the given triangle based on its type.
Remembering
Apply the given measurements in
the formula.
Applying
Calculate the area of the given
triangle.
Applying
Write the area with appropriate
units.
Remembering

(As you write instructional objectives, you should
remember the following )
1.Instructional objectives guide the use of
instructional activities
2.Instructional objectives guide the
selection of instructional resources – Not
Vice Versa
3.Instructional objectives are aimed at
general learning outcomes. They are not
specific to a given set of resources.
Guidelines forInstructional
Objectives (IO):
Cont…
Guidelines for IO

4.Instructional objectives focus on
learning outcomes forstudents, NOT
actions by the teacher
For Example:
Which of these two statements is more
appropriate as an instructional objective?
Students will be shown the steps for solving a
word problem.
Students will identify the steps in solving a
word problem.
The first statement identifies what the teacher
will do, not what the learning outcomes for
students will be.
Therefore, the second statement is the more
appropriate statement of an instructional Cont…
Guidelines for IO

5.Instructional objectives are stated in
terms of observable student outcomes. If
you are going to use a broad
instructional objective such as
“understands,” then provide sub-
objectives that describe what a student
who “understands” looks like.
For Example:
 Understands the method to find the area of the triangle
Identify the type of triangle.
Recall the formula to find the area of the given
triangle based on its type.
Apply the given measurements in the formula.
Sub-
Objectives
Cont…
Guidelines for IO

6.Instructional objectives determine
assessment and evaluation.
For Example:
Your unit examination requires students to
calculate the area of a given triangle. Which
of the following is an appropriate instructional
objective for the unit?
A.Students will be able to create two triangles
having the same area .
B.Students will be able to calculate the area of
a triangle.
B is the appropriate instructional objective for the
examination item identified. Statement A requires a
different level of development and a different form of
evaluation.
Cont…
Guidelines for IO

ABCD’s of Writing Objectives
AA AudienceAudience
DD DegreeDegree
BB BehaviourBehaviour
CC ConditionCondition
Guidelines for IO

Summary:
Start the process of determining instructional
objectives by reviewing the subject area standards
for the grade level you are teaching.
Identify the standard your lesson is focused upon.
If the standard involves learning a complex
concept, generalization, or skill, complete a task
analysis.
Identify the steps in the task the lesson will
address.
The statement of an objective should reflect an
appropriate level in the cognitive, affective, or
psychomotor domain.
The statement identifies learning outcomes for
students and not actions by the teacher

Conclusion
Instructional objectives
guide the remaining steps
in planning a lesson.
No lesson can be effective
without effective
instructional objectives –
A lesson without effective
objectives is like a trip
without a destination,
 You don’t know where you
are going
 You have no means to
determine how to get there

Write objectives based on the selected topic

4 instructional objectives

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