Communicating the Learning Objective

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Writing Objectives and Learning Goals

Standard: Refers to state content and specialized professional association (SPA) standards, which help teachers determine the learning goals.

Learning Goal (broad and general): Each unit plan will begin with a learning goal that determines the unit’s purpose, aim, and rationale. The learning goals that teacher candidates write must align to the state and/or SPA curriculum standards. In order to develop solid learning goals, consider the following questions:

· What are the goals for the unit?

· What is expected of the student by the end of the unit?

Learning Objectives: (defined measurable outcomes): A statement of a specific desired outcome that is clear and measureable. Learning objectives must contain details about how students will demonstrate their understanding. Focus is solely on student outcomes or what the student should be able to demonstrate by the end of the lesson.

C:\Users\kimberly.stoffers\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\0HMXICTY\eed480-07 04-alignment.png
Figure 7.2 Alignment of Learning Goals

Table 7.3 Bloom’s Taxonomy

Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

Define

Classify

Apply

Compare

Argue

Construct

Identify

Indicate

Examine

Contrast

Critique

Design

List

Match

Generalize

Differentiate

Defend

Formulate

State

Select

Illustrate

Discriminate

Evaluate

Hypothesize

Reproduce

Summarize

Record

Examine

Judge

Plan

When writing a learning objective, it is important to utilize the correct verbs for the different categories.

Table 7.5 Verbs and Categories

Category

Common Verbs

Verbal Information

State, recite, tell, declare, name, list, define

Intellectual Skills: Concrete Concepts

Identify, label

Intellectual Skills: Defined Concepts

Classify instances, sort, categorize

Intellectual Skills: Rules

Solve, show, demonstrate, generate, develop, create, determine, calculate, predict

Intellectual Skills: Higher order Rules (Problem Solving)

Solve, show, demonstrate, generate, develop, create, determine, calculate, predict, defend, support

Motor Skills

Execute, perform, swim, walk, run, climb, drill, saw, assemble, build

Attitudes

Choose, decide, participate

Learning objectives should utilize verbs to describe how students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the skills and content outlined in the standards. Below are some guiding questions to help write learning objectives:

· What knowledge and skills are students learning during this lesson?

· What performances will students complete to demonstrate their new knowledge and skills?

· How will students be assessed to determine if they have mastered the objectives?

TSWBAT (The Student Will Be Able To) Learning Objective

TSWBAT identifies the noun, verb, and adjective of the sentence and defines each part of speech.

Examples:

· When completing a lab experiment, students will be able to describe, analyze, and explain their experiment and the results on the Lab Template using correct grammar and topic-relevant vocabulary.

· Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.

· Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim.

Grand Canyon University. (Ed.). (2016). Teaching with a Purpose: Learning, Leading, Serving (2nd ed.).

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