Introduction
Like goals, objectives help us know where we're going. If you think of the goal as a statement of where your trip is heading -- "We're going to Los Angeles," for instance -- then the learning objectives are like the road map that help you get there. The degree of specificity will vary, but you'll have clearer directions if you set intermediate goals or learning objectives.
Helping learners to know what is expected of them, what they'll be tested on, and how their attainment of objectives will be measured is crucial to alleviating some learners' anxiety about their ability to attain an objective. Motivation theory tells us that confidence is one of the primary determinants of future expected learning. Confidence can be improved dramatically if clear learning objectives are shared with the learner directly.
Objectives
At the conclusion of this module, you will be able to:
- Identify objectives that are written in correct three-component form;
- Describe how objectives may be used;
- Write objectives for various types of instructional goals;
- Write several learning objectives that align and support your instructional goal.