Targeting LearningLearning Objectives:A Tool in the Formative

Assessment Process

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Targeting Learning & Direct Interactive Instruction (DII)

Standards and Measurable ObjectivesWhen teachers ground their lessons in explicit standards and measurable objectives that define what students will know and be able to do at the end of—the lesson, the chapter, the course, the semester—clarity of focus is assured for students. When the teacher is focused on what “the end” looks like and what students will demonstrate to “show they know,” much more effective and targeted instruction is possible.

1. Standards and Measurable Objectives2. Lesson Structure and Sequence3. Student Engagement, Feedback, and Correctives4. Proactive Classroom Management.

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Targeting Learning

Terminal Learning Objective:Given two primary types of learning objectives and their components, I will demonstrate mastery of writing both types of learning objectives by constructing appropriately specific objectives and implementing the practice in my classroom starting tomorrow.

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Targeting LearningEnabling Learning Objective 1:Given a theoretical framework for targeted learning, I will challenge my preconceived knowledge related to learning objectives (cognitive dissonance) by examining the elements of writing evidence-based learning objectives through discussion and reflection.

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Cognitive Dissonance A psychological phenomenon which refers to the discomfort felt at a discrepancy between what you already know or believe, and new information or interpretation. It therefore occurs when there is a need to accommodate new ideas, and it may be necessary for it to develop so that we become "open" to them. Drive an intellectual wedge between learners' current beliefs and "reality“.

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Targeting LearningEnabling Learning Objective 2:Given the components of evidence-based learning objectives, I will evaluate my understanding of each component by categorizing a series of examples as either effective or not effective.

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Targeting LearningEnabling Learning Objective 3:Given the theoretical framework, the learning objective components, and practice identifying the elements of a evidence-based learning objective, I will demonstrate mastery by writing an effective learning objective.

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Thus, the two primary types of learning objectives are terminal and enabling.

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Condition

Content/Knowledge

Level of Cognition

Proving Behavior

COMPONENTS OF THE OBJECTIVES

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Level of CognitionACTION VERB

Conditions of Learning Environment

Proving Behavior & Measureable Criteria

THE CONTENT OR THE “WHAT” IS

EXPECTED OF THE LEARNER

UNDERSTAND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Constructivism is a philosophical view on how we come to understand or know. It is, in our mind, attuned to pragmatism (If everything that can be known must be first learned, and if knowledge aims at truth, then the method of learning should aim at the truth).

John Dewey, The American Pragmatist

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UNDERSTAND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Understanding is in our interactions with the environment. This is the core concept of constructivism. We cannot talk about what is learned separately from how it is learned, as if a variety of experiences all lead to the same understanding. Rather, what we understand is a function of the content, the context, the activity of the learner, and, perhaps most importantly, the goals of the learner.

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UNDERSTAND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Cognitive conflict or puzzlement is the stimulus for learning and determines the organization and nature of what is learned. When we are in a learning environment, there is some stimulus or goal for learning -- the learner has a purpose for being there. That goal is not only the stimulus for learning, but it is a primary factor in determining what the learner attends to, what prior experience the learner brings to bear in constructing an understanding, and, basically, what understanding is eventually constructed.

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UNDERSTAND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Cognitive conflict or puzzlement is the stimulus for learning and determines the organization and nature of what is learned. In Dewey's terms it is the "problematic" that leads to and is the organizer for learning. In Piaget’s terms it is the need for accommodation when current experience cannot be assimilated in existing schema. The important point, however, is that it is the goal of the learner that is central in considering what is learned.

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UNDERSTAND THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Knowledge evolves through social negotiation and through the evaluation of the viability of individual understandings. Learners test their own understanding and examine the understanding of others as a mechanism for enriching, interweaving, and expanding our understanding of particular issues or phenomena. Collaborating with other people who challenge our current views create the cognitive dissonance critical to the learning process (this is also true for teachers who collaborate with each other to analyze the impact of their teaching practices).

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HANDOUT 1

Targeting the Target – Finding Appropriate Specificity

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Given 9 examples of a learning objective, I will test my prior knowledge of writing appropriately specific learning objectives by categorizing each example as either too general, too specific, or appropriately specific and completing the chart above.

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Abstract Activate Acquire Adjust Analyze Appraise Arrange Articulate Assemble Assess Assist Associate

Breakdown Build

Calculate Carry out Catalog Categorize Change Check Cite Classify Collect Combine Compare Compute Contrast Complete Compose Compute Conduct Construct Convert Coordinate Count Criticize Critique

Debate Decrease Define Demonstrate Describe Design Detect Develop Differentiate Direct Discuss Discover Distinguish Draw Dramatize

Employ Establish Estimate Evaluate Examine Explain Explore Express Extrapolate

Formulate

Generalize

Identify Illustrate Implement Improve Increase Infer Integrate Interpret Introduce Investigate

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Judge

Limit List Locate

Maintain Manage Modify

Name

ObserveOperate Order Organize

Perform Plan Point Predict Prepare Prescribe Produce Propose

Question

Rank Rate Read Recall Recommend Recognize Reconstruct Record Recruit Reduce Reflect Relate Remove Reorganize Repair Repeat Replace Report Reproduce Research Restate Restructure Revise Rewrite

Schedule Score Select Separate Sequence Sing Sketch Simplify Skim Solve Specify State Structure Summarize Supervise Survey Systematize

Tabulate Test Theorize Trace Track Train Transfer Translate

Update Use Utilize

Verbalize Verify Visualize

Write

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Too General Too Specific Appropriately Specific

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Too General Too Specific Appropriately Specific

Understand the fundamental concepts of growth and development.

Describe the function of the respiratory system in three sentences.

Identify basic human body systems and their functions.

Use movement concepts and principles in the development of motor skills.

Explain how the principle of overload applies to training for a basketball competition, including at least five details in your explanation.

Apply the physiological principles that govern, maintain, and improve motor skills.

Use the process of science inquiry.

Describe three observations about how bean plants grow, using four pictures and at least four numbers.

Record and describe observations with pictures, numbers, or words.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND THE CCSS While the CCSS focus on what is most essential, they do not describe all that can or should be taught. A great deal is left to the discretion of teachers and curriculum developers. The aim of the CCSS is to articulate the fundamentals, not to set out an exhaustive list or a set of restrictions that limits what can be taught beyond what is specified herein. Therefore, unpacking the standards has never been more important than now.

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Graph exponential and logarithmic functions, showing intercepts and end behavior, and trigonometric functions, showing period, midline, and amplitude.

Fit a linear function for a scatter plot that suggests a linear association.

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their).

Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

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Graph exponential and logarithmic functions, showing intercepts and end behavior, and trigonometric functions, showing period, midline, and amplitude.

Fit a linear function for a scatter plot that suggests a linear association.

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their).

Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

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What type of learning objective is this CCSS?

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their).

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What type of learning objective is this CCSS?

Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their).

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TERMINAL

What do I want students to be able to do? Correctly use frequently confused words

(e.g., to/too/two; there/their, etc…).

Given 10 frequently confused words

By constructing sentences using the correct form of the word and present my answers to the class.

I will DEMONSTRATE correct word usage

when using frequently confused words in my

writing

Given 10 frequently confused words, I will

demonstrate correct word usage by

constructing sentences using the correct form

of the word and present my answers to the

class.

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STANDARD: Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their, etc…).

Writing an Enabling Objective

OVERARCHING OR TERMINAL OBJECTIVE

Correctly use frequently confused words

(e.g., to/too/two; there/their, etc…).

What do I want students to be able to do?

Correctly identify frequently confused words

(e.g., to/too/two; there/their, etc…).

What are the learning conditions?

Groups of students will be given a list of sentences which contain examples of correct and incorrect

word usage.

What is the expected level of cognition?

Students will IDENTIFY sentences that use the words correctly and those that use the words

incorrectly

What will the proving behavior be?

Present their answers to the class.

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Condition

Content/Knowledge

Level of Cognition

Proving Behavior

Given a series of sentences containing

frequently confused words, students will

identify the examples of correct or incorrect

usage and present their answers to the class.

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STANDARD: Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their, etc…).

HANDOUT 2

Writing Learning Objectives Using CCSS