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.
Instructional Goals

There are certain
expectations that
people have for
individuals who have
completed twelve
years of school.
Instructional Goals

We expect high
school graduates to
be able to solve
problems
Instructional Goals

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.
Instructional Goals

A team of teachers is
required.
Instructional Goals

Begin by identifying
the part of the goal to
be achieved in the
lesson you are
teaching.
Standards

The state standards
are a good place to
start.
Task Analysis

Writing instructional
objectives for a
complex goal such as
problem-solving or
critical thinking
requires completion of
a task analysis.
Task Analysis

Consider this
educational goal.

Students will be able
to write a complete
sentence .
Task Analysis
 What
must a student be able to do to
complete this task?
Task Analysis
 Students
will be able to write a complete
sentence.



Students are able to distinguish parts of
speech.
Students are able to distinguish subject and
predicate.
Students are able to distinguish a complete
thought.
Task Analysis
 Students
will be able to write a complete
sentence.



Students are able to distinguish a clause.
Students are able to distinguish a subordinate
clause.
Students are able to distinguish a phrase from
a clause.
Task Analysis:
Determining Student Abilities

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.
Writing Instructional Objectives

Think about what a
student who achieved
the objective would
look like.
Writing Instructional Objectives

A student who can
write a complete
sentence can …




Distinguish a complete
thought
Distinguish a
subordinate clause
Distinguish a phrase
from a clause
Express a complete
thought in a sentence
that includes a
subordinate clause
Writing Instructional Objectives

Now think about what
the weakest students
in your class can do.
Writing Instructional Objectives

Now you should have
an idea of the
learning tasks to
establish for your
students.
Writing Instructional Objectives

The sample of tasks
you select should
reflect the level at
which students are
operating in the
cognitive,
psychomotor, and/or
affective domains.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
 Knowledge


Recalls the names of the parts of speech
States the definition of ‘noun’ and ‘verb’
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
 Comprehension


Identifies subordinate clauses in a sentence
States the difference between a clause and a
phrase in his/her own words
Cognitive Domain: Application
 Application

Writes a sentence with a subordinate clause
Cognitive Domain: Analysis
 Analysis

Identifies errors in a set of sentences and
corrects those errors.
Cognitive Domain: Synthesis
 Synthesis

States reasons for requiring a subordinate
clause to be included within a complete
sentence
Cognitive Domain: Evaluation
 Evaluation

Critiques a set of communications for their
ability to communicate clearly.
Writing Instructional Objectives
 As
you write instructional objectives, you
should remember the following :
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Instructional
objectives guide the
use of instructional
activities
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Instructional
objectives guide the
selection of
instructional
resources –
 Not Vice Versa
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Instructional
objectives focus on
learning outcomes
for students,
 NOT actions by the
teacher
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Instructional
objectives are aimed
at general learning
outcomes.

General learning
outcome:

Students are able to
use grid lines on a
map to find locations.
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives
They are not specific
to a given set of
resources
Learning outcome
specific to a set of
resources:
Students are able to use
the grid lines on a map
of Wisconsin to find
Birchwood.
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Instructional
 “Students will
objectives are stated
understand the law of
in terms of observable
supply and demand.”
student outcomes.
is not a statement of
an observable
outcome.
 “
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives
 Students
will use the law of supply and
demand to explain the pricing of consumer
products.”
 is a statement of an observable outcome –
 Students can be asked to provide an
explanation of the pricing of a consumer
product.
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives
 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.
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives

Example:
 Understands the requirements for a complete
sentence




States the rule for writing a complete sentence
Identifies examples of complete and incomplete
sentences
Identifies statements that express a complete thought
Writes complete sentences
Guidelines for Instructional
Objectives
 Instructional
objectives determine
assessment and evaluation.
Choosing Appropriate Instructional
Objectives

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.
Choosing Appropriate Instructional
Objectives
 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 objective.
Choosing Appropriate Instructional
Objectives
 Your
unit examination requires students to
pick out groups of words that express a
complete thought.

Which of the following is an appropriate
instructional objective for the unit?
Choosing Appropriate Instructional
Objectives

A) Students will be
able to write a
complete sentence.

B) Students will be
able to identify
statements that
express a complete
thought.
Choosing Appropriate Instructional
Objectives
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.
Instructional Objectives 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.
Writing Instructional Objectives
Summary
 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.
Writing Instructional Objectives
Summary
 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
Writing Instructional Objectives
Summary
 The
statement guides the selection of
instructional resources and activities.
 The statement determines the assessment
or evaluation that will be used.
Writing Instructional Objectives
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,
Writing Instructional Objectives
Conclusion
You don’t know where
you are going
 You have no means
to determine how to
get there
 And, you don’t know
when you have
arrived
