Characteristics of a GOOD objective

1. Performance: What the learner is expected to be able to DO.
2. Condition: Important conditions under which the performance is expected to occur.
3. Criterion: The quality or level of performance that will be considered acceptable.

 Visible (overt) Performance:

* Develops a critical understanding of the importance of effective argumentative writing.

* Given a table of information about Medical utilizations of Genetic engineering, be able to write a well-organized argumentative essay of around 700 words. The essay must describe and define the adopted side using not less than four supporting examples.

 What’s the performance stated in the objective? 

 You can see someone drawing but you cannot see him appreciating or understanding art.

 See if you can tell the difference between performances (doing words) and abstractions (being words).

 stating             writing                 valuing         drawing   

appreciating      internalizing         smiling         listing

Covert (invisible) performance:

How can we call these performances when nobody can see them? Although some performances are not visible to the naked eye such as solving, discriminating, and identifying. We as teachers have to use such instructionally indispensable abstract performances in our objectives, what shall we do? Add an indictor behavior to reveal how the covert performance can be directly detected.  

An indicator behavior is one that will tell us directly whether a covert performance is happening to our satisfaction. It’s simple, direct, and easily manageable.

Be able to discriminate uncountable nouns.

Be able to discriminate (sort) uncountable nouns.

Task:

Place a check mark beside those expressions that describe performances that you can see or hear directly (overt). Then for those expressions describing covert performances, write the simplest, most direct indictor behavior you can think of that would tell whether the covert performance existed.

1. Drive a bulldozer.                                                              ____P_____
2. Identify transistors on a wiring diagram.                             ___circle___
3. Recognize tactless statements.                                           __point to___
4. Discriminate between normal and abnormal X-rays.            ___sort_____
5. Paint a trombone                                                               ____P______
6. Dissect a politician.                                                            _____P_____

 (in the annual awards in Whyners Club). Imagine that you are the master of the ceremony and you call me up from the audience and bet me a carload of broccoli that I can’t lift 500-pound barbells sitting on the stage. I agree to the bet and then quickly get two burly types from the audience to help me, and we lift the barbells with ease.

“Where’s my broccoli?” I ask. “Wait a minute” you reply. “You were supposed to lift those barbells by yourself.” “Oh? You didn’t say that there were any conditions attached to this performance,” I reply.. “Why didn’t you say so?” “You should have known that I meant for you to do it by yourself.” “Sorry. My crystal ball hasn’t come back from the cleaners. You’ll just have to keep your broccoli,” I say, snickering all the way back to my seat.  

“Be able to hammer a nail …” is different from one that says, “given a brick, be able to hammer a nail …” Miscommunications can be avoided by adding relevant conditions to your objective. How? Simply by describing the conditions that have a significant impact on the performance.

Given a standard set of tools and the TS manual …
Using your service revolver …
In the presence of an irate customer …
Without the aid of references …
With only a screwdriver …
On an obese patient, be able to …
On a fully functioning wrist computer …

Your description of the performance’s conditions should be detailed enough to describe each one of them as to allow the performance to happen.

Examples:

1. Given a list of factors leading to significant historical events, be able to identify (underline) at least five factors.
2. Without the aid of a dictionary, be able to spell all the five new vocabulary items presented in the lesson.
3. Given a list of three language tenses, be able to write two sentences for each one. 
4. Given a malfunctioning radio motor, a kit of tools, and references, be able to repair the motor.
5.  

To increase the communication power of your objective: Add a criterion of acceptable performance. This will tell students how well they will have to perform to be considered competent. Using criteria in your objectives, you will gain some advantage:

1. Standard to test success of instruction
2. Students can tell when they have met or exceeded the performance expectations.
3. Prove that students can do what you set out to teach them.

Instructor:   You Flunk!
Student:      But I ran the hundred-yard dash, like you said.
Instructor:   True. But you were too slow
Student:      But you didn’t say how fast we had to run.
Instructor:   Would I ask you to run if I didn’t want you to run fast? You should have known
                   that speed was important.

Conditions:                 Dry, level track.
Performance:             Run the hundred-yard dash.
Criterion:                    Within fourteen seconds.  

Examples: