BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

1. Objectives - as a learning guide to selection of teaching materials, instructional activities and teaching
strategies. Outcome - a result or effect. Learning – knowledge or skills acquired through experience or
study or by being taught.

2. It is an intent communicatedby a statement of what the learner is to be like when he has successfully
completed a learning experience. -Mager

3. One of the recent developments in the educative process is the formulation of instructional goals in
behavioral terms.

4. Once an instructor decides he will teach his students something several kinds of activity are necessary
on his part if he is to succeed. First, he must decide upon the goals he intends to reach at the end of his
course or program. Second, he must select procedures, content and methods that are relevant to the
objectives. Finally, measure or evaluate the student’s performance according to the objective or goals
originally selected.

5. There are instructional objectives stated interms of what we, as teachers, are going to do.Example:1.
To demonstrate to students how to set uplaboratory.

6. A more fruitful way to state instructionalobjectives is in terms of outcomes we expect from

ourteaching; therefore, after we demonstrate how to uselaboratory equipment, we might expect
students to beable to do the following:1. Identify the laboratory equipment used indemonstration.

7. Note: Behavioral Objective to be meaningful and effective should be:• S - specific• M - measurable• A
- attainable• R - realistic• T – time bound

8. Stating Specific Learning Outcomes How to write objectives that will describe the desired behavior of
the learner.Mager has three suggestions:1. First, identify the terminal behavior by name; you can specify
the kind of behavior that will accept as evidence that the learner has achieved the objective.

9. 2. Second, try to define the desired behavior further by describing the important conditions under
which the behavior will be expected to occur.

10. 3. Third, specify the criteria of acceptable performance by describing how well the learner must
perform to be considered acceptable.

11. 1. To be able to solve quadratic equations.2. To develop an appreciation for music. The first objective
tells what the learner will bedoing when he is demonstrating that he has reachedthe goal: he will be
solving quadratic equations. The second objective, on the other hand, does notmeet the criterion.

12. 1. Terminal Instructional Objectives are use to check progress at the end of a unit, course, school
year, or designated level of instruction.Example: By the end of the year, 90 percent of all students will
write the 100 multiplication with 100 percent accuracy in five minutes.

13. 2. Short-term Instructional Objectives Are derived from terminal instructional objectives and
designed to guide shorten-range instruction.Example: 1. At the end of the lesson, the students will be
able to state at least three reasons why warm-up exercises should precede intensively physical activity.
14. Classification of Behavioral Objectives(Based on Classification or taxonomy of Objectives) Cognitive
Domain Affective Domain Psychomotor Domain

15. Cognitive Domain Which is compose of intellectual abilities.

16. A. Knowledge – The activity of the learner in to recall specifies, methods, and other items.Example:
The students will be able to: 1. Memorize the multiplication table 2. Recite the poem, “The Tree: 3.
Name the cities and municipalities comprising the Metro Manila

17. B. Comprehension – in the second level, the learner can make use of certain idea or material without
necessarily knowing or seeing its fullest implications.Example: The learner will be able to: 1. Summarize
a short story 2. Identify the part of a simple sentence.C. Analysis – Analysis is more than
comprehension.Example: The students will be able to: 1. Distinguish truthful advertisement from
doubtful one. 2. Determine the past solution to a given problem. 3. Recognize the correct and factual
information from the newspaper.

18. D. Synthesis – This is putting together the different elements to create a new one.Example: The
students will be able to: 1. Prepare a balance diet for a nursing mother. 2. Compose a poem showing
love of country.E. Evaluation – This is the highest level of objectives in the cognitive domain.Example:
The student will be able to: 1. Evaluate the progress of a community after several visits to place after
conducting interviews of different families. 2. Write evaluation report on the dialogue between the
management labor forces.

19. Affective domain Which include emotions, interests, appreciation and others that relate to aesthetic
expression.

20. Receiving Phenomena: Awareness, willingness to hear, selected attention.

21. Examples: Listen to others with respect. Listen for and remember the name of newly introduced
people.Key Words: asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds, identifies, locates, names, points to,
selects, sits, erects, replies, uses.

22. Responding to Phenomena: Active participation on the part of the learners. Attends and reacts to a
particular phenomenon. Learning outcomes may emphasize compliance in responding, willingness to
respond, or satisfaction in responding (motivation).

23. Examples: Participates in class discussions. Gives a presentation. Questions new ideals, concepts,
models, etc. in order to fully understand them. Know the safety rules and practices them.Key Words:
answers, assists, aids, complies, conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels, performs, practices, presents,
reads, recites, reports, selects, tells, writes.

24. Valuing: The worth or value a person attaches to a particular object, phenomenon, or behavior. This
ranges from simple acceptance to the more complex state of commitment. Valuing is based on the
internalization of a set of specified values, while clues to these values are expressed in the learners overt
behavior and are often identifiable.

25. Organization: Organizes values into priorities by contrasting different values, resolving conflicts
between them, and creating an unique value system. The emphasis is on comparing, relating, and
synthesizing values.
26. Internalizingvalues (characterization): Has a value system that controls theirbehavior. The behavior is
pervasive,consistent, predictable, and mostimportantly, characteristic of thelearner. Instructional
objectives areconcerned with the students generalpatterns of adjustment (personal, social,emotional).

27. Psychomotor Domain Which embrace muscular or motorabilities, manipulation, writingvocational

and technical abilities.

28. Perception: The ability to use sensory cues to guide motor activity. This ranges from sensory
stimulation, through cue selection, to translation.

29. Examples: Detects non-verbal communication cues. Estimate where a ball will land after it is thrown
and then moving to the correct location to catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to correct temperature
by smell and taste of food. Adjusts the height of the forks on a forklift by comparing where the forks are
in relation to the pallet.Key Words: chooses, describes, detects, differentiates, distinguishes, identifies,
isolates, relates, selects.

30. Set: Readiness to act. It includes mental,physical, and emotional sets. Thesethree sets are
dispositions thatpredetermine a persons response todifferent situations (sometimes calledmindsets).

31. Examples: Knows and acts upon a sequence of steps in a manufacturing process. Recognize ones
abilities and limitations. Shows desire to learn a new process (motivation). NOTE: This subdivision of
Psychomotor is closely related with the “Responding to phenomena” subdivision of the Affective
domain.Key Words: begins, displays, explains, moves, proceeds, reacts, shows, states, volunteers.

32. Guided Response: The early stages in learning a complex skill that includes imitation and trial and
error. Adequacy of performance is achieved by practicing.

33. Examples: Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated. Follows instructions to build a

model. Responds hand-signals of instructor while learning to operate a forklift.Key Words: copies,
traces, follows, react, reproduce, responds

34. Mechanism: This is the intermediate stage in learning a complex skill. Learned responses have
become habitual and the movements can be performed with some confidence and proficiency.

35. Examples: Use a personal computer. Repair a leaking faucet. Drive a car.Key Words: assembles,
calibrates, constructs, dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends,
mixes, organizes, sketches.

36. Complex Overt Response: The skillful performance of motor acts that involve complex movement
patterns. Proficiency is indicated by a quick, accurate, and highly coordinated performance, requiring a
minimum of energy. This category includes performing without hesitation, and automatic performance.
For example, players are often utter sounds of satisfaction or expletives as soon as they hit a tennis ball
or throw a football, because they can tell by the feel of the act what the result will produce.

37. Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight parallel parking spot. Operates a computer quickly and
accurately. Displays competence while playing the piano.Key Words: assembles, builds, calibrates,
constructs, dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends, mixes,
organizes, sketches.
38. Adaptation: Skills are well developed and the individual can modify movement patterns to fit special
requirements.

39. Examples: Responds effectively to unexpected experiences. Modifies instruction to meet the needs
of the learners. Perform a task with a machine that it was not originally intended to do (machine is not
damaged and there is no danger in performing the new task).Key Words: adapts, alters, changes,
rearranges, reorganizes, revises, varies.

40. Origination: Creating new movement patterns to fit a particular situation or specific problem.
Learning outcomes emphasize creativity based upon highly developed skills.

41. Examples: Constructs a new theory. Develops a new and comprehensive training programming.
Creates a new gymnastic routine.Key Words: arranges, builds, combines, composes, constructs, creates,
designs, initiate, makes, originates.

42. Quiz_________1. It is an intent communicated by statement of what the learner is to be like when
he has successfully completed learning experience._________2. A result or effect._________3. The
instructional objective should be stated in terms of what we, as teachers, are going to do. Yes or No?
_________4. What is SMART?_________5. Are derived from terminal instructional objectives and
designed to guide shorter range instruction._________6. Give the 3 domains._________7. Are use to
check progress at the end of a unit course, school year, or designated level of instruction._________8.
Which is composed of intellectual abilities._________9. Embraces muscular or motor
abilities_________10. Give at least 2 levels of Cognitive Domain.

43. Answers1. Instructional Objective2. Outcome3. No4. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
Time-bound5. Short-term instruction6. Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor Domain7. Terminal
Instructional Objectives8. Cognitive Domain9. Psychomotor Domain10. Knowledge, Comprehension,
Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation

44. “What a blind person needs is not a teacher but another self. ” - Helen Keller

Verb List for Writing Behavioral Objectives

Sourced from: [Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives] and [Overbaugh, R. and
Schutz. L. (Ed.) (2009)]

Knowledge/Remembering Comprehension/Understanding Application/Applying

Cite Associate Apply

Count Classify Calculate

Define Compare Complete

Draw Compute Demonstrate

Duplicate Contrast Dramatize

Identify Describe Employ

Indicate Differentiate Examine

List Discuss Illustrate

Name Distinguish Interpolate

Point Explain Locate

Quote Estimate Operate

Read Express Order

Recall Extrapolate Predict

Recite Interpret Practice

Recognize Recommend Provide

Record Report Relate

Relate Restate Respond

Repeat Review Schedule

Select Translate Solve

Separate Sketch Use

State Prepare Utilize

Summarize Prescribe Tabulate

Produce Tell Propose

Trace Specify Write

Analysis/Analyzing Synthesis/Evaluating Evaluation/Creating

Analyze Arrange Appraise

Appraise Assemble Assess

Contrast Collect Choose

Criticize Combine Conclude

Debate Compose Critique

Deconstruct Construct Defend

Detect Create Determine

Diagram Design Dispute

Differentiate Detect Estimate

Distinguish Formulate Evaluate

Experiment Generalize Grade

Infer Generate Judge

Inspect Improve Measure

Inventory Integrate Rank

Question Invent Rate

Manage Recommend Organize

Revise Plan Score

Predict Test Verify

The Curriculum Procedures Handbook is a product of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District.
Any and all changes to the Handbook are monitored and coordinated through the District Curriculum
Office. Please give credit to the Maricopa County Community College District if the Handbook or sections
of the Handbook are duplicated.

Behavioral Objectives and How to Write Them

"Instruction is effective to the degree that it succeeds in changing students in desired directions and not
in undesired directions."

Robert F. Mager

Definitions/Characteristics

Alternative Names

History & Controversy

Purpose and Function

3 Domains

Behavioral Objectives in Instructional Design

Quotes/Comments

Examples

Tips on Writing

References/Resources

PowerPoint Slide Show on Writing Objectives [pdf]

Domain Levels with Action Verbs

Bloom's Taxonomy: Cognitive Domain

Bloom's Revised Taxonomy: Cognitive Domain

Article on Revised Bloom's Taxonomy [pdf]

Definitions/Characteristics of Behavioral Objectives

"Intended change brought about in a learner." (Popham, et. al. 1969)

"A statement of what students ought to be able to do as a consequence of instruction." (Goodlad, in

Popham et al., 1969)

"Explicit formulations of ways in which students are expected to be changed by the educative process."
(Bloom, 1956)

"What the students should be able to do at the end of a learning period that they could not do
beforehand." (Mager, 1962)

"An objective is a description of a performance you want learners to be able to exhibit before you
consider them competent. An objective describes an intended result of instruction, rather than the
process of instruction itself." (Mager, 1975)

"Properly constructed education objectives represent relatively specific statements about what students
should be able to do following instruction." (Gallagher and Smith, 1989)

According to Guilbert (1984) in article entitled "How to Devise Educational Objectives" the qualities of
specific learning objectives are:

Relevant

Unequivocal

Feasible

Logical

Observable

Measurable
Characteristics of effective objectives as described by Westberg and Jason (1993) in Collaborative Clinical
Education.

Consistent with overall goals of the school

Clearly stated

Realistic and doable

Appropriate for learners' stages of development

Appropriately comprehensive

Worthy, complex outcomes

Not treated as if they were etched in stone

Not regarded as the only valuable outcomes

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Alternative Names for Behavioral Objectives

Special note: In educational psychology we define learning as a "change in behavior." This is a little
confusing but if a student could not answer a particular question on a pretest, then received instruction,
and then answered the question correctly on a posttest, a change in behavior is illustrated and learning
is considered to have occurred. Objectives specify the learning or expected behavior so hence the term
behavioral objective. Other names used for behavioral objectives include:

Learning Objectives

Outcomes

Enabling Objectives

Terminal Objectives

Educational Objectives

Curriculum Objectives

Performance Objectives

Operational Objectives

Instructional Objectives

Intents
Aims

Competencies

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Purpose and Function of Behavioral Objectives

Guide for the teacher relative to the design of instruction

Guide for the teacher for evaluation/test design (e.g. written tests, OSCEs, etc)

Guide for the learner relative to learning focus

Guide for the learner relative to self assessment

Statements of objectives tell others what we value.

Causes careful thinking about what is to be accomplished through instruction.

Helps relationship between teacher and learner because with explicit objectives the instructor is viewed
less in an adversarial role because students are not forced to guess what is to be learned.

Enhances possibility to create focused independent learning materials.

Makes teaching more directed and organized.

Communicates to colleagues what you are teaching thus enhancing collaboration and teamwork with
colleagues.

Helps facilitate those situations in which we want students to demonstrate competency (The objectives
can be specified in such as way as to specify competency.)

Aids in program evaluation

Forces teacher to think carefully about what is important

Helps avoid unnecessary repetitions in teaching

Helps bridge the gap between vague, but relevant, and important, institutional goals and actual
instruction

Provides visibility and accountability of decisions made by teachers and learners.

Provides models for the creation of objectives by students

Helps students make decisions regarding prioritizing

Provides feedback to learners as objectives are accomplished.

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3 Domains for Behavioral Objectives

Cognitive Domain

Refers to intellectual learning and problem solving

Cognitive levels of learning include: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation

Example objective: The student will construct a treatment plan for a teenager newly diagnosed with
IDDM. The treatment plan must contain the following: ..............

Affective Domain

Refers to the emotions and value system of a person

Affective levels of learning include: receiving, responding, valuing, organizing, and characterizing by a
value

Example objective: The student will demonstrate a commitment to improving case presentation skills by
regularly seeking feedback on presentations.

Psychomotor Domain

Refers to physical movement characteristics and motor skill capabilities that involve behaviors requiring
certain levels of physical dexterity and coordination

These skills are developed through repetitive practice and measured in terms of speed, precision,
distance, procedures, or execution techniques. Psychomotor levels include: perception, set, guided
response, mechanism, complex overt response, adaptation, and origination.

Example objective: The student will calibrate instrument X before performing procedure Y.

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Behavioral Objectives in Instructional Design

Tyler Model

The objectives or statement of the knowledge, attitudes, and skills which students ought to have by the
end of the course

The instructional activities or learning experiences which teaching faculty provide to help students
achieve those objectives

The evaluation or testing activities which attempt to measure knowledge, attitudes, and skills
GNOME Model

G for Goals

N for Need (Needs assessment)

O for Objectives

M for Methods

E for Evaluation

Kemp Model

The Kemp Model is circular as opposed to linear. Many teachers like this instructional design model
because the circular design is closer to the way they actually go about the design of instruction. The
Kemp Model gives them permission to be intuitive but it also has a structure that is systematic. For
example, an instructor might write a set of learning objectives as the first step in the instructional design
process, then develop content based on those objectives but in the process of developing/planning
content he/she would revisit and modify the learning objectives. On the other hand, an instructor might
prefer to work on the content as the first step in the instructional design process and then write the
learning objectives. To develop the optimal instruction, all components of the Kemp Model should
receive attention and ideally, most of the components should be visited more than once before
instruction is delivered.

The Six Step Approach

Step 1: Problem Identification and General Needs Assessment

Step 2: Needs Assessment of Targeted Learners

Step 3: Goals and Objectives

Step 4: Educational Strategies

Step 5: Implementation

Step 6: Evaluation and Feedback

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Quotes/Comments Regarding Objectives

"Identifying learning objectives sharpens the focus of learning for the students as they progress through
their third year and it gives the clerkship directors distinct learning agendas. Further, it allows the
clerkship directors to assess the overall achievement of the learning objectives they have identified as
vital."

Lawrence S, Simpson D, Rehm J

Determination of Third-year Student Exposure to and Participation in Learning Objectives

Academic Medicine 1998 May;73(5):582-3

"Curriculum objectives can be designed to match the way physicians encounter problems and preserve a
generalist's perspective in patient care, yet allow appropriate emphasis of core content."

Ainsworth, M

Establishment of Internal Medicine Clerkship Objectives to Train the Generalist Physician

Academic Medicine 1994 May, 69(5):424-5

"Medical teachers agree that the process of writing objectives leads to clarification of intuitively held
teaching goals and thus leads to better teaching and testing decisions. To achieve this benefit, an
instructor must invest considerable time, effort and creativity in the process. The path of least resistance
in writing objectives often leads to goals which serve no useful function and may be harmful to the
teaching-learning process.

The respondents agreed that the major potential problem is that the use of objectives can led one to
focus teaching and evaluation activity on outcomes of a trivial nature. This can be the result if one does
not put sufficient time and effort into the process of writing the objectives.

Changes in strategy with experience generally focus on using fewer, more inclusive objectives, less
slavish adherence to the rules according to Mager (1962) and use of varying formats for clear objectives
dealing with higher level thought processes.

Teachers in the basic sciences have incorporated a three level taxonomy of objectives into their work. In
this taxonomy, first order objectives concern the ability to reproduce material in essentially the same
form as it was learned. Second order objectives reflect understanding of an organized body of concepts
and principles. This level of understanding is documented by determining whether students can
recognize previously unseen examples of a concept or principle and whether they can describe other
system changes which will result from a specified change in the system. Third order objectives require
students to apply theories, concepts and principles to solve previously unencountered problems.
Teachers agree that objectives in traditional form as defined by Mager (1962) are generally not sufficient
to provide the desired level of guidance when focusing on higher level thought processes. One individual
noted that as objectives are pushed up the taxonomy, they tend to become so abstract that they lose
their value for guiding student learning. Several people reported that they now provide concrete written
examples of what is expected as a means of dealing with this problem. One group member stated that
he writes test questions for objectives as a means of testing their clarity. If a quality test question cannot
be prepared, the objective needs to be changed."

Williams RG and Osborne CE

Medical Teachers' Perspectives on Development and Use of Objectives

Medical Education 1982 16: 68-71

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Examples of Behavioral Objectives

General

The learner will be able to: orally present a new patient's case

Specific

The learner will be able to: orally present a new patient's case in a logical manner, chronologically
developing the present illness, summarizing the pertinent positive and negative findings as well as the
differential diagnosis and plans for further testing and treatment.

General

The learner will be able to: prepare appropriate new patient workups

Specific

The learner will be able to: prepare legible, comprehensive, and focused new patient workups that
include the following features:

Present illness organized chronologically, without repetition, omission, or extraneous information.

A comprehensive physical examination with detail pertinent to the patient's problem.

A succinct and, where appropriate, unified list of all problems identified in the history and physical
examination.

A differential diagnosis for each problem (appropriate to level of training)

A diagnosis/treatment plan for each problem (appropriate to level of training)

General

The learner will be able to: retrieve medical information using the computer.

Specific

The learner will be able to: Retrieve information, demonstrating the ability to

Perform database searches using logical (Boolean) operators, in a manner that reflects understanding of
medical language, terminology, and the relationship among medical terms and concepts;

Refine search strategies to improve relevance and completeness of retrieved items;

Use of standard bibliographic application to download citations from a search and organize them into a
personal database; and

Identify and acquire full-text electronic documents available from the www.

General

The learner will be able to: properly examine a stool specimen for the presence of ova and parasites.

Specific

The learner will be able to: take stool specimens infected with 1 of 10 possible ova and parasites and
correctly identify them.

Even More Specific

The student will be able to: take stool specimens infected with 1 of 10 possible parasites, process it
according to standard procedures, and identify under a microscope examples of ova and of parasites
(Parasites must be identified by scientific name.)

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Tips on Writing
Most books that provide instruction on the writing of behavioral objectives state that an objective needs
to have three components as follows:

A measurable verb (also known as performance)

The important conditions (if any) under which the performance is to occur and

The criterion of acceptable performance

It is important to say that many objectives are written in a manner in which the important conditions
and criterion are implicit. If they really are implicit the argument can be made that they may not be
necessary. For example, an objective might be stated as follows.

The student will be able to name the five stages of mitosis.

There would be no point in stating the objective as follows just to meet the requirements of it having a
criterion.

The student will correctly (criterion) name the five stages of mitosis within 30 seconds (criterion).

On the other hand, there may be objectives that need to have the conditions and/or criterion specified.
For example, a teacher might begin the process of writing an objective with a general statement such as:

The learner will be able to prepare appropriate new patient workups.

He/she then might decide that this objective is too vague or general to be instructional to the student
and to also let others who teach the student know what is expected. Therefore, in an effort to improve
the objective the teacher might add criteria as exemplified below.

The learner will be able to prepare legible, comprehensive, and focused new patient workups that
include the following features:

Present illness organized chronologically, without repetition, omission, or extraneous information.

A comprehensive physical examination with detail pertinent to the patient's problem.

A succinct and, where appropriate, unified list of all problems identified in the history and physical
examination.

A differential diagnosis for each problem (appropriate to level of training)

A diagnosis/treatment plan for each problem (appropriate to level of training)

One could argue that the teacher could add some time frame criterion such as - 1 hour - but such a time
frame might be meaningless and not necessary. Please note that in this objective the condition is not
stated and may be unnecessary.

Please note that if you think of the purpose of the objective as a statement that serves the purpose of
guiding planning, guiding teaching, guiding learning, and guiding evaluation the need to state or not to
state the condition and the criterion will probably be clear to you.

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References/Resources

URLs

Link to the Nutrition Curriculum Guide for Training Physicians prepared by the Curriculum Committee of
the Nutrition Academic Award Program. Shows good examples of learning objectives written in the
categories of attitudes, skills, and knowledge (ASK). The objectives are also specific to be for medical
students or for residents. view at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/naa/curr_gde/index.htm

Books and Articles

Ainsworth, M

Establishment of Internal Medicine Clerkship Objectives to Train the Generalist Physician

Academic Medicine 1994 May, 69(5):424-5

Bloom BS (ed)

Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, handbook 1: Cognitive

Domain

New York: McKay, 1956

Education medical Students: Assessing Change in Medical Education - The Road to Implementation
(ACME-TRI report).

Academic Medicine 1993. 68(6 supplement)

Gallagher, RE and Smith, DU

Formulation of Teaching/Learning Objectives Useful for the Development and Assessment of Lessons,
Courses, and Programs

Journal of Cancer Education 1989, 4(4):231-234

Gronlund, N

Stating Objectives for Classroom Instruction

New York: Macmillan, 1978

Gronlund, N

Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching

New York: Macmillan, 1985

Guilbert JJ

How to Devise Educational Objectives

Medical Education, 1984 May, 18(3):134-41

Harrow AJ

A Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain: A Guide for Developing Behavioral Objectives

New York: McKay, 1972

Kern DE, Thomas PA, Howard DM and Bass EB

Curriculum Development for Medical Education: A Six Step Approach

Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998

Krathwohl DR , Bloom BS and Masia BB

Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook 2: Affective

Domain

New York: McKay, 1964

Lawrence S, Simpson D, and Rehm J

Determination of third-year student exposure to and participation in learning objectives

Academic Medicine 1998 May;73(5):582-3

Liaison committee on Medical Education

Functions and Structure of a Medical School: Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Programs
Leading to the MD Degree

Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL: The Association of American Medical Colleges and the American
Medical Association, 1994

Mast TA, Evans GP, Williams RG, and Silber DL

Medical Student Use of Objectives in Basic Science and Clinical Instruction

Journal of Medical Education 1980 Sep;55(9):765-72

Mager, R

Preparing Instructional Objectives

Palo Alto, CA: Fearon Publishers, 1962

Mager, R

Preparing Instructional Objectives: Second Edition

Belmont, CA: Fearon-Pitman Publishers, Inc., 1975

Mast, TA

Curricular Objectives1980

Southern Illinois School of Medicine, 1980

Medical School Writing Objectives Group

Learning Objectives for Medical Student Education - Guidelines for Medical Schools: Report I of the
Medical School Objectives Project

Academic Medicine 1999 Jan;74(1):13-18

McGuire C

A process approach to the construction and analysis of medical examinations

Journal of Medical Education 1963 38:556-563

Miller GE

Teaching and Learning in Medical School

Medical Education 1978, 12:120

Muller S (chairman)

Physicians for the Twenty-First Century: Report of the Project Panel on the General Professional
Education of the Physician and College Preparation for Medicine

Journal of Medical Education 1984, Nov;59(11Pt.2)

Popham, J and Baker, E

Systematic Instruction

Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1970

Popham WJ

Probing the Validity of Arguments Against Behavioral Goals

Cited in Kibler RJ, Barker LL, and Miles DT

Behavioral Objectives and Instruction

Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1970, pp 115-124

Rappleye WC (director)

Medical Education: Final Report of the Commission on Medical Education

New York: Association of American Medical Colleges, 1932

Westberg J and Jason H

Collaborative Clinical Education

New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1993

Behavioral objectives

In order to accomplish the overall goals of training, time and special attention must be given to planning
each session. Clear and concise objectives must be stated at the start of training. These objectives will
help staff understand what steps are needed to reach the final goals and will help in the planning.
Providing trainees with objectives will help them understand what he/she will accomplish by the end of
training and will provide them with measurable signs of their progression.

Writing behavioral objectives is a fairly easy task once the basics are understood. Before actually writing
the objectives you should do some background research into the volunteer assignment and existing
training designs and previous objectives. Once you know what will be required of the volunteers, you
can begin to write up the training objectives.

The following section outlines what behavioral objectives are, how to write them, and gives you a
sample training session plan.

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

WHAT IS A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE?

A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE is a way of describing the objectives of a training course in terms of what the
trainees should be able to do at the end of that training.

A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE must be stated clearly and precisely so that everyone who reads it will know
exactly the desired outcome of the training program. By ensuring this precision, at the end of the
training program everyone can easily agree whether or not the objectives of the program were
achieved.

WHY USE BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES?

The main advantage of BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES is their exactness in giving direction to a training
program. By knowing exactly where you want to go, it is easier to determine how to get there. Clearness
of goals also mke it easier for trainers to communicate among themselves and cooperate on a training
program. Thus each trainer can support the achievement of another trainer's objective, even while
teaching his/her own.

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES are action oriented and thus ideal for Peace Corps training, in-service job
training and informal counterpart training.

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES are people-oriented since they focus the trainer on constantly trying to
improve the course as it goes along and to improve the training inputs from one session to the next.

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES are responsibility-oriented, since they encourage both the trainer and the
trainee to take the responsibility for achieving the objectives of the training.

HOW SHOULD BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES BE WRITTEN?

A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE should be a statement of what the trainee will be able to do at the end of the
training program. In order to ensure that every objective is written in these terms, there are three basic
rules which must be followed. Any training objective which violates any one of these rules is NOT a
behavioral objective.

A statement of a training goal is a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE if it meets the following conditions:

a) BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES must state what behavior is desired as the outcome of the training. They
must specify what the trainee will be able to do at the end of the training that he/she was not able to do
before the training.
b) A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE must state the desired outcome of the training in terms of observable
measurable actions. Only actions (behavior) can be observed and measured and only by observing and
measuring actions can the trainer determine whether or not the instructions were successful.

c) The TRAINEE must be the subject of the sentence. That is, BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES are written in
terms of the trainee's action. The objectives should not specify what the trainer must do but only what
the trainee will be able to do at the end of the training.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

A. A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE MUST FOCUS ON THE GOAL OF THE TRAINING.

This means that BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES are concerned with what the trainee will be able to do at the
end of training. BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES only describe the results desired from a given training
program. They do not describe how to go about achieving these results. Different trainers may have
different ways of achieving the same results, but the objective is concerned only with stating what the
results will be.

A statement which describes the action to take place during a training session is not a BEHAVIORAL
OBJECTIVE. It is merely a description of the learning activities by which the trainer intends to achieve
that objective.

(Example of a NON-BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

Trainee will be given the opportunity to have actual practice in doing field work related to theories
taught in class.

Practice is not an objective: it is a learning activity, a way to achieve an objective. Thus the above
statement is unsuitable as a behavioral objective.

(Example of a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

Trainee will be able to do community development field work, using extension education techniques as
described in the manual on extension education.

This is only one possible way of converting the first example given above into a Behavioral Objective.
Since non-behavioral objectives tend to be very vague, there are a number of different ways of
interpreting them. However, notice that in this example, the END result of training is emphasized
"trainee will be able to do ..." at the end of the training program.

B. A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE MUST HAVE AN ACTION VERB.

This means that the trainee must do something that one can see and measure. If one cannot observe
what the trainee does, then how can one evaluate whether or not he/she is doing it correctly?

Following are some EXAMPLES of forms in which Behavioral Objectives are usually written:

Trainee will be able to __________________________________

When presented with ,_____________________ trainee will ____________________

Under the following conditions, the trainee will ___________________________

At the end of training, the trainee will ____________________________________

In the blank space there should a verb indicating an observable measurable action. It must be a verb
that describes exactly what the trainer wants the trainee to be able to do.

Following are two lists of verbs. One list contains verbs which are observable, measurable action and
therefore appropriate for use in BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES. The other list describes things which we
cannot see or measure and therefore unsuitable for behavioral objectives.

ACTION VERBS
VAGUE VERBS

Do

Know

Tell

Understand

Write

Appreciate

Describe

Have

List

Comprehend

Demonstrate

Be Aware

Conduct

Feel
Organize

Believe

Explain

Sometimes, an objective seems to be written in the proper for.,, but it is not really a behavioral
objective, because the verb used is not an ACTION verb and therefore not observable and measurable.
Following is an example.

(Example of NON-BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

Trainee will be able to understand the cause of the pollution problem.

This is not non-behavioral objective because the word "understand" can not be measured.

Yet it is possible to re-state this objective in ways trainees' understanding might be observed and
measured. Trainees might be required to list, explain, describe or in some other way demonstrate that
learning has taken place.

Following is an example of one possibility.

(Example of a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

Trainee will be able to list the major causes of pollution problem in country as described in the training
program.

C. IN A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE, THE TRAINEE MUST BE THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE

A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE is concerned with what the trainee will be able to do, not with what the
trainer will do. Therefore, a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE must have a subject for the sentence, as well as an
action verb. If an objective has no subject, then one cannot be sure who is expected to do the action.

(Example of NON-BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

To discuss the pollution problem and list its implications.

Who is going to discuss the pollution problem? The trainer? The trainees? A guest speaker? The radio?
From this objective it is not clear, because no subject is stated. Therefore, it cannot be called a
Behavioral Objective.

(Example of a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE)

Trainee will be able to explain the pollution problem and list implications to a group of secondary school
students.

This is only one possible way of interpreting the previous example in order to make it a behavioral
objective. Trainee has become the subject of the sentence.

The following BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE fulfills the three requirements for a properly written objective.

The trainee will be able to prepare a lesson plan which incorporates all of the five teaching learning
principles.

- It describes what the trainee should be able to do at the end of the training: The trainee will be able to
prepare a lesson plan...

- It contains an action verb describing an observable , measurable behavior: The trainee will be able to
prepare a lesson plan..."
- The trainee is the stated subject of the sentence: The trainee will be able to prepare a lesson plan...

MAIN POINTS ABOUT BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

A statement or a training goal is a Behavioral Objective if it meets

ALL to the following conditions.

- A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE describes what the trainee should be able to DO at the end of the training.

- A BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE contains an action verb describing OBSERVABLE, MEASURABLE behavior.

- In a BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE, the TRAINEE is the subject of the sentence.

objective [ob-jek´tiv]

1. perceptible by the external senses.

2. a clear, concise declarative statement that directs action toward a specific goal.

3. the lens or system of lenses of a microscope nearest the object that is being examined.

achromatic objective one in which the chromatic aberration is corrected for two colors and the spherical
aberration for one color.

affective objective a statement of expectations regarding changes in attitude or feelings.

apochromatic objective one in which chromatic aberration is corrected for three colors and the spherical
aberration for two colors.

behavioral objective a written statement identifying an action or pattern of actions to be expected after
an intervention.

cognitive objective a statement of expectations regarding knowledge.

flat field objective a microscopic objective that provides an image in which all parts of the field are
simultaneously in focus.

immersion objective one designed to have its tip and the coverglass over the specimen connected by a
liquid instead of air.
psychomotor objective a statement of expectations regarding the acquisition of skills.

A behavioral objective is a learning outcome stated in measurable terms, which gives direction to the
learner's experience and becomes the basis for student evaluation. Objectives may vary in several
respects. ... Cognitive objectives emphasize intellectual outcomes, such as knowledge, understanding,
and thinking skills.

Writing Behavioral Objectives

Begin each behavioral objective with a verb. The critical aspect of any behavioral objective is the verb
selected to indicate expected behavior from learning activities.

State each objective in terms of learner performance. ...

State each objective so that it includes only one general learning outcome.

The Mager model recommended that objectives be specific and measurable, and specified three parts to
an objective as follows: It should have a measurable verb (an action verb) It should include a
specification of what is given the learner. It should contain a specification of criteria for success or
competency.

Objectives will include 4 distinct components: Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree. Objectives
must be both observable and measurable to be effective.

ABC's of Behavioral Objectives--Putting Them to Work for Evaluation

Abstract

With shrinking budgets, evaluation and accountability become increasing important in the justification
and impact of Extension programs and faculty. The key to solving the accountability issue is to develop
clear, concise behavioral objectives as a part of each educational activity. This article discusses how to
write measurable behavioral objectives that should be used for both planning and evaluation of
Extension programs. Examples of well written behavioral objectives that can be used to measure impact
are included.

Harry N. Boone, Jr.

Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Education

hnboone@wvu.edu

Deborah A. Boone

Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Education

Debby.Boone@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

In today's world of shrinking budgets, evaluation and accountability are necessary to justify the
existence of Extension programs and faculty. The key to solving the accountability issue is to develop
clear, concise behavioral objectives as a part of each educational activity. Behavioral objectives are a
vital part of the planning process of all educational activities. Clearly defined objectives provide a sound
basis for the selection or design of instructional materials, content, and/or teaching methods.

In addition, stating objectives sharply helps determine if the objective has, in fact, been accomplished
and an impact has occurred. Having clear behavioral objectives that state specifically what you want the
leaner to be able to do after attending your program is vital to the program as well as the evaluation of
its impact. Extension educators struggle to develop evaluation instruments for their programs. Clearly
stated objectives are vital to evaluating the outcome(s) of instruction.

Clearly stated objectives have four characteristics. First, the instructional objective must state the
audience for the educational activity. Second, the observable behavior(s) expected of the audience must
be identified. Third, the conditions under which the behavior is to be accomplished must be included.
Finally, the degree to which the behavior is to be completed must be specified. Together these four
components make up a measurable behavioral objective that will provide the cornerstone to your
planning, delivery, and evaluation efforts.

A--Audience

Who is the audience for your educational activity? While it may appear the audience is obvious for most
instructional activities, a common error may distort or prevent the evaluation of your program. First,
one must consider the difference between the target and accessible population/audience. Your target
may be all youth between 14 and 16 years of age in Typical County; however, your accessible population
may be all 14-16 year old 4-H members who attended the County 4-H Camp. If you write your objective
in broad terms and follow proper evaluation procedures, you will be held accountable for the behaviors
of youth you never served. Your behavioral objective should identify the specific audience you plan to
target.
A second mistake made by many inexperienced educators is to include teacher/trainer activities as a
part of the behavioral objective. Consider the following example: "The trainer will demonstrate the
proper steps of delivering a prepared speech." In this example, the activities are focused on what the
trainer plans to do and not what the target audience will be able to master. Although it has the
appearance of being one, the statement is not a behavioral objective because the audience and its
performance are not identified. This statement could be made into a behavioral objective by rewording
the statement to the following: "Upon completion of the lesson, 100% of the participants will be able to
list the steps in delivering a prepared speech." The audience is the workshop participants.

B--Behavior

Each objective must identify the behavior or the performance the learner is expected to do. A behavioral
objective should never include the instructional process or procedure as the behavior. It should always
describe the intended results rather than the means of achieving those results.

The performance must be overt or directly observable. Performances that cannot be directly observed
or performances that are mental, invisible, cognitive, or internal are considered covert and should never
be used as a behavior unless they are included with another indicator (directly observable) behavior. See
Figure 1 for specific examples on ways to correctly write behaviors.

Behaviors can be written for one of three "domains of learning." The cognitive domain deals with the
acquisition of facts, knowledge, information, or concepts. Psychomotor behaviors use the mind in
combination with motor skills (physical activities). Affective behaviors have to do with changes in
attitudes, values, aesthetics, and appreciation.

Behavioral objectives written in the "cognitive" domain can be further divided into six levels of Bloom's
Taxonomy. Bloom's Taxonomy (Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956) includes:

Knowledge: remembering of previously learned material; recall (facts or whole theories); bringing to
mind.

Comprehension: grasping the meaning of material; interpreting (explaining or summarizing); predicting

outcome and effects (estimating future trends).

Application: ability to use learned material in a new situation; apply rules, laws, methods, theories
Analysis: breaking down into parts; understanding organization, clarifying, concluding

Synthesis: ability to put parts together to form a new whole; unique communication; set of abstract
relations

Evaluation: ability to judge value for purpose; base on criteria; support judgment with reason. (No
guessing).

Figure 1.

Examples, Good and Bad, of Including Behaviors in Objectives

Including Observable Behaviors in Objectives

The participants will understand the difference between IRAs and Roth IRAs. Understand is a covert
activity. How will you know the participants understand? Rewrite with an observable behavior. For
example: Each participant will be able to list in writing the major differences between an IRA and a Roth
IRA.

Each participant in the program will develop a written conservation plan for his farm.

The behavior is directly observable. You will be able examine each conservation plan.

The youth will develop an appreciation for parliamentary law.

Develop an appreciation is a covert activity. How will you know they appreciate parliamentary law?
Rewrite with an observable behavior. For example: Participants will demonstrate an appreciation of
parliamentary law by correctly using the principles in each business meeting.

The instructor will demonstrate the steps in completing a 1040.

This is not a behavioral objective. It is a statement of what the instructor will do. You can make it a
behavioral objective by rewriting in the following manner: Upon completion of the training, participants
will correctly list the steps in completing a 1040 income tax form.
C--Condition

Each behavioral objective must describe the conditions (if any) under which the performance is to occur.
Conditions may include what the learner will be allowed to use, what the learner will be denied, under
what conditions the learner is expected to perform the behavior, or specific skills that should be
excluded (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Examples of Adding Conditions to an Objective

Adding Conditions to an Objective

What can the learner use:

Given a maximum of six references, each participant will prepare a four to six minute extemporaneous
speech.

What is the learner denied:

Without the use of any reference materials, the president will conduct the meeting using Roberts Rules
of Order.

Under what conditions is the learner expected to perform:

Given a small engine with one problem, a set of diagnostic equipment, and a repair manual, the youth
will diagnose and repair the small engine in less than 60 minutes.

Specific skills that should be excluded:

Without restarting the computer, each participant will successfully change the display setting of their
computer.
D--Degree

Finally, each objective must describe the degree to which the behavior must be performed to constitute
an acceptable performance. It is not always necessary or practical to include the degree in an objective;
however, the more information included in an objective the better it will communicate the desired
outcome. The degree can include criterion such as speed, accuracy, and quality.

References

Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational
objectives book 1: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company, Inc.

Mager, R. F. (1984). Preparing instructional objectives. Belmont, California: David S. Lake Publishers.

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How To Write Measurable Learning Objectives

Objectives, unlike goal statements, are detailed descriptions of what students will be able to do by the
end of a learning activity.

They are related to intended outcomes, rather than the process for achieving those outcomes.

They are specific and measurable, rather than broad and intangible.

They are concerned with students, not teachers.

Writing Objectives

A learning objective contains three major components:

1. The skill or behavior to be performed.

This component of the objective should contain an action verb relevant to the domain of the activity
(cognitive, psycho-motor or effective). It’s important to stay away from generic verbs such as
“understand” or “know” in your objectives. These aren’t measurable, no one can really create an
assessment tool that measures “understanding” or “knowing,” but an assessment tool can measure
whether a student can "explain, list, define, outline, paraphrase, differentiate," etc.

An example:

Course Goal: "Students will develop and demonstrate proficiency in writing and verbal skills."

Course Objective: "Write and produce a historical analysis video."

2. The conditions under which the student will perform the skill/demonstrate knowledge.

In addition to including an action verb, you must indicate the conditions under which the student will
need to demonstrate their knowledge or skills.

Course Objective: "At the completion of the Battle of Gettysburg module, students will write and
produce a 3-minute historical analysis video."

3. The Criteria used to Measure Performance

We still need to add information to our objective because we haven't yet told the student how we are
going to measure success.

Course Objective: "At the completion of the Battle of Gettysburg module, students will write and
produce a 3-minute historical analysis video with a rubric rating of 80 out of 100."

Objectives for learning can be grouped into three major domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective.
Benjamin S. Bloom and his associates developed a six-level taxonomy for cognitive domain from the
lowest level knowledge to more complex intellectual levels comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. A newer version of Bloom's Taxonomy puts creating as the most complex
learning activity that can be performed to show one's learning mastery.
blooms_new.png

Cognitive domain:

The domain that receives the most attention in instructional programs is the cognitive domain. It
includes the objectives related to knowledge or information, naming, solving, predicting, and other
intellectual aspects of learning.

Sample Verbs For Learning Objectives

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Cite

Describe

Apply

Analyze
Arrange

Appraise

Define

Discuss

Assign

Appraise

Assemble

Assess

Give

Explain

Demonstrate

Calculate

Collect

Check

Label
Express

Dramatize

Categorize

Combine

Choose

List

Identify

Employ

Compare

Compose

Compare

Match

Locate

Illustrate
Contract

Conclude

Critique

Name

Recognize

Interpret

Criticize

Construct

Decide On/To

Recall

Report

Operate

Debate

Create

Discriminate
Record

Restate

Practice

Diagram

Design

Estimate

Relate

Review

Schedule

Differentiate

Determine

Evaluate

Select

Tell
Shop

Distinguish

Diagnose

Grade

State

Translate

Sketch

Examine

Differentiate

Inspect

Tell

Use

Experiment

Dissect
Judge

Underline

Inspect

Examine

Measure

Write

Inventory

Formulate

Monitor
Question

Manage

Rank/Rate

Relate

Organize

Research

Solve
Plan

Review

Test

Prepare

Revise

Propose

Score
Refute

Select

Set Up

Value

Psychomotor domain:
The second category for grouping instructional objectives is psychomotor domain. It encompasses the
skills that require the use and coordination of skeletal muscles. Psychomotor behaviors are easier to
observe, describe, and measure than cognitive or affective behaviors.

Skills Verbs

Assemble

Diagram

Implement

Package

Refill

Sketch

Attach

Dictate

Inspect

Perform

Regulate

Sort
Balance

Direct

Instruct

Plant

Renovate

Splice

Build

Dismantle

Interview

Portion

Repair

Stratify

Bundle

Document
Lift

Position

Replace

Sterilize

Calibrate

Draw

Line

Prepare

Reproduce

Tape

Care For

Duplicate

Load/Reload

Press

Retrieve
Terminate

Clean

Edit

Locate

Process

Route

Transfer

Code

Execute

Log

Program

Save

Transplant

Collate
Fix

Make

Proofread

Search

Treat

Collect

Format

Manage

Propagate

Secure

Trim

Conduct

Gather

Measure

Prove
Select

Troubleshoot

Conserve

Grade

Mix

Provide

Separate

Verify

Construct

Grid

Mount

Prune

Sharpen

Wash
Control

Harvest

Operate

Raise

Simplify

Write

Design

Highlight

Organize

Recheck

Simulate

Affective domain:

The third category of affective domain encompasses attitudes, appreciations, values, and emotions –
although highly important in education, the hardest to assess the student. The levels of affective domain
form a continuum from simple awareness and acceptance to internalization, as attires become part of
an individual’s practicing value system.

Attitudinal Verbs

Receiving

Responding

Valuing

Organizing

Characterizing

Listen To

Reply

Attain

Organize

Believe

Perceive

Answer
Assume

Select

Practice

Be Alert To

Follow Along

Support

Judge

Continue To

Show Tolerance Of

Approve

Participate

Decide

Carry Out

Obey

Continue
Identify With

MORE INFO:

Bloom’s Taxonomy for a list of action verbs (Links to an external site.)

Action Verbs by Skill Categories

Developed by Arizona State University: Objective Builder Tutorial (Links to an external site.) on how to
create course learning objectives.