Writing Clear Syllabus Objectives
Eastern Visayas State University
College of Education
Faculty Enrichment Workshop
“Syllabus Enrichment”
August 26, 2011
Forming objectives & activities
There are multiple ways to correctly write
these:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Students
Students
Students
Students
resistors
will
will
will
will
interpret color coded resistors
be able to interpret color coded resistors
be interpreting color coded resistors
demonstrate interpretation of color coded
Verbs, Nouns, Progressives, Infinitives
Verb
Noun
Progressive
Infinitive
Create
Creation
Creating
To create
Evaluate
Evaluation
Evaluating
To evaluate
Analyze
Analysis
Analyzing
To analyze
Apply
Application
Applying
To apply
Understand
Comprehension
Understanding
To understand
Remember
Memorization
Remembering
To remember
Some Verbs Cannot Be Nominalized
Verb
Nominalization
Better choice
Share
Shareation?!
Collaboration
Contrast
Contrastion?!
Differentiation
List
Listization?!
Enumeration
Paraphrase
Paraphraxis
Summarization
Link
Linkization?!
Connection
Match
Matchism?!
Combination
The progressive (“ing”) form is more
versatile
Verb
Progressive
Share
Sharing
Contrast
Contrasting
List
Listing
Paraphrase
Paraphrasing
Link
Linking
Match
Matching
Objectives and Activites Should Not Be
Redundant
Excerpt from Syllabus:
A. Specific objectives
1. State the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
3. List three important characteristics of electric currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
5. Calculate electrical quantities using ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating the importance and function of electricity
2. Understanding electron theory
3. Listing three important characteristics of electric current
4. Differentiating the types of electric circuits
5. Calculating electrical quantities using ohm’s law
For objectives, use ‘skill’ verbs
For activities, use ‘action’ verbs
Objectives
Activities
Memorize, Remember,
Recognize, Recall
Reciting, Defining, Listing,
Enumerating, Stating
Understand, Explain,
Express, Generalize,
Paraphrase
Reporting, Graphing,
Outlining, Diagramming,
Calculating
Analyze, Interpret,
Compare, Examine,
Differentiate
Debating, Researching,
Experimenting,
Conducting A Survey,
Arguing
Improving a Syllabus
Which are objectives? Which are activities?
A. Specific objectives
ACTIVITY 1. State the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
ACTIVITY 3. List three important characteristics of electric currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
ACTIVITY 5. Calculate electrical quantities using ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating the importance and function of electricity
OBJECTIVE 2. Understanding electron theory
3. Listing three important characteristics of electric current
OBJECTIVE 4. Differentiating the types of electric circuits
5. Calculating electrical quantities using ohm’s law
OBJECTIVE-ACTIVITY MATE!
IMPROVED SYLLABUS
Before:
After:
A. Specific objectives
1. State the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
3. List 3 important characteristics of electric currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
5. Calculate electrical quantities using Ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating the importance and function of electricity
2. Understanding electron theory
3. Listing three important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Differentiating the types of electric circuits
5. Calculating electrical quantities using Ohm’s law
A. Specific objectives
1. Recall the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
3. Memorize 3 important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
5. Interpret electrical quantities using Ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating the importance and function of electricity
2. Diagramming electron theory
3. Listing three important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Creating a chart of the types of electric circuits
5. Calculating electrical quantities using Ohm’s law
EVEN BETTER SYLLABUS
(Specific activities, less redundant)
A. Specific objectives
1. Recall the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
3. Memorize 3 important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
5. Interpret electrical quantities using ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating the importance and function of electricity
2. Diagramming electron theory
3. Listing three important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Creating a chart of the types of electric circuits
5. Calculating electrical quantities using Ohm’s law
A. Specific objectives
1. Recall the importance and function of electricity
2. Understand electron theory
3. Memorize 3 important characteristics of electric
currents
4. Differentiate the types of electric circuits
5. Interpret electrical quantities using ohm’s law
C. Indicators and suggested activities
1. Stating three applications of electricity and their
sources
2. Diagramming electron theory and stating its
relevance
3. Listing 3 important characteristics of electric current
4. Connecting bulbs in series, parallel, and seriesparallel connections
5. Calculating the amount of voltage, current,
resistance and power of an electric current
Reminder: Use Parallel Structure
Using the progressive form:
Mary likes hiking, swimming and bicycling
Using the infinitive form:
Mary likes to hike, to swim and to ride a bicycle
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle
Game: Which is Parallel?
A. Students will be able to read about heavy metals,
to list ten elements, and the periodic table will be
familiarized
B. Students will be able to read about heavy
metals,list ten elements, and be familiar with the
periodic table
C. Students will demonstrate reading about heavy
metals, to list ten elements, and to familiarize
themselves with the periodic table
Which is Parallel?
A. Students will complete the chart, be
providing labels, and need to provide
examples
B. Students will complete the chart, will be
providing labels, and will be providing
examples
C. Students will complete the chart, provide
labels, and provide examples
Which is Parallel?
At the end of the unit, students
A. will demonstrate an understanding of
resistor color codes, give an explanation of the
significance of power ratings, and value the
observation of safety
B. understand resistor color codes, explain
resistor power ratings, and observe safety
Answer: both are parallel, but “B” may be clearer
Nominalized verbs
Comprehend  Comprehension
Apply  Application
“Nominalized sentences may be grammatically and
factually correct, but vague. Most humans learn best
when they can form specific, vivid mental images — and
verbs are more vivid than nouns.”
– Dennis Jerz, Professor of English
Which is clearest?
At the end of the unit, students will…
A. be knowing cellular reproduction, working at
the project, and compiling a list of resources
B. study the steps of cellular reproduction,
complete the project, and have a list of
resources
C. enumerate the steps of cellular reproduction,
design a diagram project, and locate five
resources
Which is clearest?
At the end of the unit, students will…
A. be able to identify different Filipino folk
dances found in the MAPEH textbook
B. demonstrate identification of different Filipino
folk dances found in the MAPEH textbook
C. identify different Filipino folk dances found in
the MAPEH textbook
Which is clearest?
At the end of the unit, students will…
A. be able to identify different Filipino folk
dances found in the MAPEH textbook
B. demonstrate identification of different Filipino
folk dances found in the MAPEH textbook
C. identify different Filipino folk dances found in
the MAPEH textbook
Four ways to enrich your syllabus
1. USE “SKILL” WORDS FOR OBJECTIVES
2. USE “ACTION” WORDS FOR ACTIVITIES
3. USE A DIFFERENT WORD CONSTRUCTION
TO HELP DISTINGUISH OBJECTIVES FROM
ACTIVITIES
4. BE CONSISTENT (USE PARALLEL
STRUCTURE)