Writing Objectives

Presented by:

Hilary Kissel, B.J. Miller, & Hollie Young

What is Assessment? Assessment is the systematic

basis for making inferences about the learning and development of students.

Assessment is one component of program evaluation

Why Assess Learning & Development in Student Affairs?

Demonstrate importance of Student Affairs to higher education community “We are committed to preparing students to

become educated and enlightened citizens who will lead productive and meaningful lives.” – JMU Mission Statement

Promote student development Developmental goals related to academic goals

Make Assessment Meaningful Think about why you go to work everyday. How do you want your students to be

transformed as a result of your program? Expand your conceptualization of your

program’s goals and objectives beyond the cognitive domains.

Include complex constructs, orientations, values, and attitudes.

Stages of the Assessment ProcessEstablishingObjectives

Selecting/Designing

Instruments

CollectingInformation

Analyzing/MaintainingInformation

UsingInformation

Establishing Objectives This is the hardest step! In order to create a successful assessment

program, clear program goals and objectives must be established and agreed upon.

Objectives drive the assessment process; assessment methods are based on the objectives that are being measured

Workshop Objectives Upon completion of the workshop,

participants will be able to: Write the correct definition of objective. State three reasons why objectives are written

for courses or programs. Name the four parts of a good objective. Rewrite a poorly written objective so that it

conforms to the ABCD method.

Why Does My Program Need Objectives?

Provide focus Provide a means for assessing student

success Allow for self-evaluation

Objectives not tied to the mission?Impossible! Program objectives should always agree

with the program’s mission and philosophy Objectives are the vehicle for measuring

the different components of the mission and philosophy

Since mission statement and philosophy should highlight the most important aspects of a program, they are natural focuses of assessment

Using Objectives to Design Assessments Objectives dictate the type of assessment to

conduct Looking at the action verb in the objective should

indicate the appropriate means of measuring that objective Example: “recognize”: may indicate matching,

multiple choice, etc.– lower-level thinking Example: “demonstrate”: may indicate a

performance assessment, or higher-level demands

Assess ALL Objectives EVERY objective MUST be measured Data must be available to show evidence

that each objective has been measured Data can come from standardized objective

measures, performance assessments, checklists, or other methods

Assessing Objectives All of the objectives need not be assessed

each year Decide which objectives to assess in a

given year based on program needs or decision-making

Some objectives may be assessed more than others

What is an objective? Objectives refer to expected or intended

student outcomes

Specific knowledge, skills, or attitudes that students are expected to achieve through their college experience

CARS Website

Goals vs. Objectives General expectations of

student outcomes

Can be broad and vague

Example: Students will understand the General Education requirements at JMU.

Statement of what students should be able to do, or how they should change developmentally, as a result of instruction or program

More specific; measurable

Example: Upon completion of orientation, students will be able to list the five General Education clusters.

Trice (2000) pp. 21-22

Goals and Objectives Goals can be seen as the broad, general

expectations for the program Objectives can be seen as the means by

which those goals are met

PROBLEM: Some program objectives are written as broad and unmeasurable

Goals and Objectives: Example Goal: Understand the concepts that contribute to

career decision-making. Objective 1: Upon completion of the career and life

planning course, students will be able to match a list of JMU majors to appropriate career choices.

Objective 2: Upon completion of the career and life planning course, students will be able to state their own “work personality” as measured by the Work Abilities, Values, and Interests (WAVI) Inventory.

Write objectives that specify Behavior or activity to be performed by

the student Conditions under which this behavior takes

place Minimum level of acceptable performance

Sax (1989), p.65

Student-Focused Outcomes Objectives should be worded to express what the student

will learn, know, or do as a result of instruction or how the student will change developmentally as a result of program – NOT what the instructor or program will do for the student BAD Objective: Provide students with knowledge

about how the library works. BETTER Objective: After taking the Research

Methods course, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of how the library works by finding ten sources for a research paper in Carrier Library.

Reasonable Objectives Objectives should be reasonable; that is, they

should reflect learning or development that the student can accomplish in the course or program. BAD Objective: Students will demonstrate open-

mindedness for all cultures by strongly agreeing with all of the items on the Open-Mindedness Inventory (OMI).

BETTER Objective: Upon completion of the Study Abroad program, participants will show an increase in open-mindedness through a 10-point increase on the OMI.

Observable, Measurable Objectives Student learning and development should be

assessed with an observable, measurable objective. Objectives such as “know” and “understand” are not observable. BAD Objective: Students will know about JMU’s

alternative spring break program. BETTER Objective: Students will be able to

describe JMU’s ASB program. OR: Students will be able to evaluate the impact of

the ASB program.

Specific Objectives Objectives should specify the criterion of

acceptable student performance. BAD Objective: The student will learn how

to take better notes. BETTER Objective: Students from the study

skills course will demonstrate mastery of note-taking techniques by correctly using at least three different note-taking methods for classroom lectures.

Subject Matter vs. Developmental Objectives Subject Matter:

Discipline-related subject matter that students are expected to learn such as vocabulary, principles, and theories

Erwin (1991), pp. 37-39

Developmental: Cognitive developmental

objectives – higher-order thinking skills

Affective developmental objectives – attitudinal, personal and social dimensions nurtured through the college experience

Developmental Objectives Can be difficult to assess

Measured only indirectly – through behavior that represents the attitude or value

Usually takes longer than one semester for people to change developmentally

Terms or constructs may be vague

Erwin (1991), p. 43

Bloom’s TaxonomyLevel Description

1. Knowledge Recognize facts, terms, and principles

2. Comprehension Explain or summarize in one’s own words

3. Application Relate previously learned material to new situations

4. Analysis Understand organizational structure of material; draw comparisons and relationships between elements

5. Synthesis Combine elements to form a new original entity

6. Evaluation Make judgments about the extent to which material satisfies criteria

Less complex

More complex

Bloomin’ VerbsBloom’s Level Verbs

1. Knowledge match, recognize, select, compute, define, label, name, describe

2. Comprehension restate, elaborate, identify, explain, paraphrase, summarize

3. Application give examples, apply, solve problems using, predict, demonstrate

4. Analysis outline, draw a diagram, illustrate, discriminate, subdivide

5. Synthesis compare, contrast, organize, generate, design, formulate

6. Evaluation support, interpret, criticize, judge, critique, appraise

Trice( 2000) p. 81; Grendler (1999), p. 69

Verbs for Developmental Objectives

acclaims agrees argues attempts avoids challenges

cooperates defends disagrees disputes engages in helps

joins participates in praises resists shares volunteers

Example: Upon completion of service learning orientation, freshmen will volunteer for community service at least 10 hours per semester.

From “Mager’s Tips on Instructional Objectives”

Another Example It may take more than one objective to get

at “a sense of social responsibility”.

Example: Upon completion of service learning orientation, freshmen will show a ten-point increase on the Social Responsibility Index (SRI).

The ABCD Method A = Audience

What population are you assessing? B = Behavior

What is expected of the participant? C = Conditions

Under what circumstances is the behavior to be performed?

D = Degree How well must the behavior be performed? To what

level?From “How to Write Clear Objectives”

The ABCD Method: Example

Objective: Given the opportunity to work in groups, students will develop a positive attitude towards working in groups, as measured by a two-point increase on an attitudinal survey given at the beginning and end of the course.

Audience Students

Behavior Develop a positive attitude

Condition Given the opportunity to work in groups

Degree 2-point increase on survey

Adapted from “How to Write Clear Objectives”

Common Mistakes Vague behavior

Example: Have a thorough understanding of particle physics.

Gibberish Example: Have a deep awareness and thorough

humanizing grasp on… Instructor behavior

Example: Train students on how and where to find information.

From “Mager’s Tips on Instructional Objectives”

Summary Ask yourself: What is the intended result

of the program in terms of the participant?

Objectives will answer: What should the participant be able to do? Under what conditions? How well?

Summary Write student-oriented learning and

development objectives Use action verbs that are measurable ALL objectives MUST be assessed Be realistic Be specific