Lesson Aims as
Functional Statements
“The moral of this fable is that
if you’re not sure where you’re
going, you’re liable to end up
someplace else.”
Robert F. Mager
Topics
An overview of curriculum planning
Mager objectives
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Bloom’s Taxonomy and its use in lesson aim creation
Concept application
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
An overview of curriculum planning
Before looking at individual
lessons, let’s examine how they
fit into a larger curriculum
The 1950s and 1960s saw
significant changes in how people
believed formal education should
be planned and conducted
An overview of curriculum planning
Curriculum Models
Among others, three curriculum models were put forward
during this period, and these models are still considered
influential today…
The Tyler Model
Developed by Ralph Tyler
Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction (1949)
The Taba Model
Developed by Hilda Taba
Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice (1962)
The Wheeler Model
Developed by Daryl Kenneth (D.K.) Wheeler
Curriculum Process (1967)
An overview of curriculum planning
The Tyler Model
The Tyler Model is a deductive, linear model
consisting of four main steps
Determine goals and objectives
Select content and learning principles
Organize learning experiences
Evaluate the objectives
An overview of curriculum planning
The Taba Model
The Taba Model is an inductive, linear modification
of the Tyler Model and has seven main steps
Diagnose student needs
Formulate objectives
Select content
Organize the content
Select learning activities
Organize the learning activities
Evaluate the objectives
An overview of curriculum planning
The Wheeler Model
The Wheeler Model is a cyclical modification of the
Tyler Model and has five main components
Identify, aims, goals,
and objectives
Evaluate
achievement
Integrate and
organize content
and experiences
Select learning
experiences
Select learning
content
An overview of curriculum planning
Regardless of whether the
model is deductive, inductive,
linear, or cyclical, each of them
contains one similar stage:
The identification or creation
of aims, goals, and objectives
An overview of curriculum planning
This leads us to our next step…
We know we need aims,
goals, and objectives, but
how should they be created?
Mager objectives
In 1962, Robert Mager published Preparing
Instructional Objectives, which was a
republication of Preparing Objectives for
Programmed Instruction (1961)
In his book, Mager identified three
critical components of objectives:
Performance, Conditions, and Criterion
Let’s look at each of these in detail…
Mager objectives
Performance
(Sometimes referred to as “behaviour”)
The performance component of the objective
clearly states what the learner is expected to be
able to do by the end of the lesson or training
Therefore, a verb is required. This verb could
be the target action itself, or it could be a
result of the target action
Mager objectives
Performance
(Sometimes referred to as “behaviour”)
When choosing the verb, we need to be
mindful of the difference between overt
and covert behaviours:
Overt behaviours can be observed, while
covert behaviours can’t
If performance involves covert behaviour, for
example, “understand”, “identify”, or “recall”,
an overt element needs to be added
Mager objectives
Conditions
(Sometimes referred to as “context”)
The conditions component of the objective
describes the situation or context in which
the performance is expected to occur
Conditions include what learners must use/have,
be allowed to use/have, or mustn’t use/have
Conditions also include any specific features of
the situation learners will perform in
Mager objectives
Criterion
(Sometimes referred to as “degree”)
The criterion component of the objective
describes the minimum level of observable
performance required to determine whether
or not a learner has achieved the objective
(Having an overt behaviour as part of our
performance component makes the criterion
component much easier to create)
Curriculum planning and Mager objectives
Where do we stand now?
We know that regardless of the curriculum model we
follow, we need to have aims, goals, and objectives…
We know that good objectives contain performance,
conditions, and criterion components…
However, we’ve only been looking at education in
general, which leads to our next step…
How can we apply all of this
to English language teaching?
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Development of The Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages (CEFR) was formally started in 1991,
and the CEFR was first published in 2001. It describes what
language users are able to do at different levels of proficiency
Following a significant update, the Council of Europe published
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Companion Volume) in 2020
The CEFR descriptors cover reception, production, interaction
and mediation across a range of levels, from pre-A1 (beginner)
to C2 (proficient). Language competencies are also addressed
Let’s look at some examples of these descriptors…
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Reception
Understanding conversation between other people
Reading for information and argument
Source: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Companion Volume)
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Production
Sustained monologue: describing experience
Reports and essays
Source: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Companion Volume)
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Interaction
Informal discussion (with friends)
Online conversation and discussion
Source: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Companion Volume)
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Mediation
Note-taking (lectures, seminars, meetings, etc.)
Expressing a personal response to creative texts (including literature)
Source: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (Companion Volume)
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
Looking at this sampling of descriptors, there are
two important things to notice…
All of these descriptors start with something that a
person can do. This makes them fit very well with
the “performance” aspect of objectives
Descriptors, even those in the “communicative
language competencies” section of the CEFR, have
virtually no specific linguistic details on how the
described action is performed
Common European Framework of Reference descriptors
In addition to being a good guide on how to create
the first part of lesson aims, the CEFR descriptors
are an invaluable roadmap for what our students
should be able to do by the time they graduate
from junior high school and high school…
The Ministry of Education has set these targets:
• Over half of junior high school student at an
A1 level or higher when they graduate
• At least 50% of graduating high school
students at an A2 level or higher
Bloom’s Taxonomy and its use in lesson aim creation
Now we have a clear map of what students
need to be able to do. However, it may take a
few steps to help them move from where they
are now to where they need to be
This is where Bloom’s
Taxonomy becomes useful
Bloom’s Taxonomy and its use in lesson aim creation
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom published a six-level
classification system for educational learning
objectives. Here are the levels (revised in 2001)
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Bloom’s Taxonomy and its use in lesson aim creation
For each level, there is a variety of associated
verbs for what students can do…
Remembering
arrange, define, duplicate, label, list,
memorize, name, order, recognize,
relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, state
Understanding
classify, describe, discuss, explain,
express, identify, indicate, locate,
recognize, report, restate, review,
select, translate
Applying
apply, choose, demonstrate,
dramatize, employ, illustrate,
interpret, operate, practice,
schedule, sketch, solve, use, write
Source: McKenzie County Public School Foundation
Analyzing
analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize,
compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate,
discriminate, distinguish, examine,
experiment, question, test
Evaluating
appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose,
compare, defend, estimate, judge, predict,
rate, score, select, support, value, evaluate
Creating
arrange, assemble, collect, compose,
construct, create, design, develop,
formulate, manage, organize, plan,
prepare, propose, set up, write
Bloom’s Taxonomy and its use in lesson aim creation
Using the CEFR descriptors as end-point goals
and Bloom’s Taxonomy as steps to reach those
goals, we can now create rational and effective
performance components for lesson aims
All that’s left is to add conditions
and criterion components
The conditions and criterion components of lesson aims
The conditions component
As we saw earlier, the conditions component describes what
students must, are allowed to, and can’t use or have
This is where we place any target language or skills that we intend
to cover. It’s important to note that the same performance can
have different conditions
Example performance
Describe how to use a device that requires multiple steps to operate…
Conditions 1
…using the words/phrases “so”, “because”, “in order to”, and “so that” to indicate reasons
for why certain actions are performed
Conditions 2
…using adverbs of sequence (“first”, “then”, “next”, “finally”) and the phrases “Now you’re
ready to” and “Once you’ve done that” to identify new steps
Conditions 3
…using the phrases “Do you know what I mean?”, “Are you with me so far?”, “Do you
understand?”, and “Have you got that?” to check listener understanding
The conditions and criterion components of lesson aims
The conditions component
In addition, we can set other parameters that may change how
students need to handle the target performance. These parameters
may relate to the emotional state or needs of the people involved
or they may relate to the environment the people involved are in
Example performance
Give a short presentation on a familiar topic or personal interest
Conditions 1
…where the audience members know very little about the topic or interest
Conditions 2
…where the audience is familiar and can ask questions at any time
Conditions 3
…where visual aids can’t be used (no projector, screen, location for a poster, etc.)
The conditions and criterion components of lesson aims
The criterion component
In order to determine whether our students have achieved the goal
set for them, we need to have an objective and observable marker
of success. This criterion can be either direct or indirect depending
on the performance component of our goal
Example performance and conditions 1
Describe personal travel experiences using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives
Criterion
Describe a vacation using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives such that a listener
can correctly complete a timeline of the vacation and indicate/draw the things being compared
Example performance and conditions 2
Identify and understand specific details in a presentation on a familiar topic
Criterion
Take keyword notes (in any language) of a presentation about a well-known location.
Compare these notes to a fact sheet and write down what details from the notes are the
same, what details are different, and what can’t be compared
The conditions and criterion components of lesson aims
The criterion component
One crucial thing to notice is the difference between the performance
and criterion components of objectives. The criterion is based on an
application of the performance. It is not the performance.
Example
Write a 500-word, block-style compare and contrast essay on
two well-known individuals
This cannot be used as a lesson aim since it’s simply a one-time
instance of more general performance. Therefore, it’s only a criterion
The associated performance could be “compose a logically-organized
compare and contrast essay about two people, places, or things”
Lesson aim construction
Lesson aim construction
The last thing we need to examine is the order that we build our lesson
aims in. We know that the criterion component comes last because it’s
based on the other two components, but what about them?
Scenario 1
If our coursebook is very “language heavy” with grammar points, vocabulary lists, etc.,
we should start with the conditions component of our lesson aim and then create a
performance component based on what people generally do with that language
Example
Restrictive relative clauses using “that” and “who” (conditions)
→ Identify people and objects and describe their current actions or states (performance)
Scenario 2
If our coursebook is very “situation heavy” or “story heavy”, we should start with the
performance component of our lesson aim to generalize the situation and then create a
conditions component containing language resources associated with that performance
Example
A story about Martin Luther King’s life (situation)
→ Ask about/describe significant life events and their results (performance)
→ Indirect questions (Could you tell me…, Would you mind sharing…, etc.) (conditions)
Concept application
Task
In your group, choose coursebook materials
from two lessons
For each lesson, create two lesson aims by
adjusting either the performance or conditions
component
Each group member should have all of the
lesson aims on their copy of the worksheet
Be ready to share your lesson aims and the
rationale for their construction
Concept application
Analyzing your lesson aims
After building your lesson aim, it’s a good idea to check it
for any problems. Here are some common issues that arise
in lesson aim construction
The performance component has no observable action
The performance component is a specific, one-time application of
something more general
The performance component is linguistic as opposed to a behavioural
application of that language
The lesson aim contains information about what the teacher will do
or the lesson materials to be used
The criterion component doesn’t appropriately or adequately measure
how well students have met the lesson’s aim
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
We’ve seen that coming up with well-constructed
lesson aims can take a lot of time, effort, and
creativity. However, this investment pays off
when planning the various stages of our lessons
Let’s look at how our aims can help us
plan effective PPP (Presentation, Practice,
and Production) style lessons
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
The Production Stage
If we follow the principle of backwards planning, the first
part of the lesson we’ll plan is the production stage, where
students use language more freely
If we have a well constructed lesson aim, the criterion
component is our guide to what will happen here
Let’s look at an example…
Performance
Describe personal travel experiences…
Conditions
…using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives
Criterion
Describe a vacation using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives such that a
listener can correctly complete a timeline of the vacation and indicate/draw the things
being compared
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
The Production Stage
If we add specific details to the criterion, we now have a
task that the students can perform in the production stage
Criterion
Describe a vacation using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives
such that a listener can correctly complete a timeline of the vacation and
indicate/draw the things being compared
Production stage
Describe your summer vacation in five minutes. You must use when/while
clauses and comparative adjectives. Your partner will listen to your story
and complete a timeline of your vacation and indicate/draw the things
being compared. When you have finished, check your partner’s timeline
and comparisons to see how closely they match your vacation description
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
The Practice Stage
With the production stage ready, we can now move back to
the practice stage, where students use the lesson’s target
language in a controlled or semi-controlled way with a focus
on linguistic accuracy
For the practice stage, the conditions component of our
lesson aim is our primary guide
Conditions
…using when/while clauses and comparative adjectives
Practice stage
Transformation practice for comparative adjectives (word level)
Transforma on prac ce for compara ve adjec ve (2 sentence → 1 sentence)
Substitution practice for when/while clauses
Transforma on prac ce for when while clauses (2 clauses → 1 sentence)
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
The Presentation Stage
The last stage of our planning is the first stage of our lesson,
the presentation stage where we introduce the context of
the lesson and provide the students with necessary input
Here, the performance component of our aim helps us ensure
that, in addition to our target language, we’re introducing or
referencing any other language the students will need later
Performance
Describe personal travel experiences…
Presentation stage
1) A model description of a person’s vacation using the target language and
vocabulary common to vacation locations (hotel, amusement park, etc.),
transportation, and activities (relax, take pictures, etc.)
2) A brainstorming activity for places people go on vacation and the activities
they like to do at those places
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
The Final Check
Once our lesson plan is ready, we should do a
final check. In this check, each part of each stage
should be examined in relation to the lesson aim
If the stage or sub-stage is directly related to the
lesson aim and its achievement, then everything
is okay
If the stage or sub-stage lacks a connection to the
lesson aim or doesn’t contribute to its achievement,
the stage/sub-stage should be adjusted or removed
Using aims as a guide to planning PPP-style lessons
Task
In your group, choose one of your lesson
aims from the previous task
For that aim, create a PPP-style lesson plan
using the backwards planning technique
The plan should have enough detail that a
teacher not from your group could teach the
lesson using the lesson plan alone
Be ready to share your lesson plan and the
rationale for your lesson stage choices
Conclusion
Key Messages
Curriculums, and by extension lessons, need clearly
defined aims, goals, and objectives
Lesson aims should be functional (i.e., what someone
should be able to do) and contain performance, conditions,
and criterion components
The CEFR descriptors and Bloom’s Taxonomy are useful
sources of information when creating lesson aims
Aims should be checked carefully to make sure everything is
included, objective, and based on what the students do
Aims are valuable when planning lessons and ensuring that
our all of our lesson stages are necessary and relevant