Transcript Student Outcome Objectives

Overview

Write objectives using specific language
and action-oriented verbs

Identify goals and objectives that need
revision

Formulate standards and criteria that link
goals and objectives to assessment
practices
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Goals

State what the unit desires
to have (inputs),
to be (processes), and
to produce (outcomes)

Frame broad intentions

Are used, primarily, in program planning and
policy making

Lack language that expresses specific
quantity or criteria
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Examples

Department A will seek students who can benefit
from its programs and who are serious about
developing their ability to serve their community.
(input)

Department A will maintain an open academic
community with active participation in campus
governance by all interested parties. (process)

Department A will graduate students committed to
serving humanity by becoming active members of
their communities. (outcome)
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Objectives

Are clear statements that describe intended
outcomes of instruction

Amplify goals and translate them into action

Focus attention on the specific types of
performances that students are expected to
demonstrate following educational sequences

Express quantity wherever possible and
appropriate
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Example 1
Our students will have a series of
“hands-on” design experiences
throughout the curriculum so that they
will be able to effectively apply design
principles in a variety of project
situations.
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Example 2
Given a policy paper by an unidentified
author, students will identify from
internal evidence the position taken and
the argument being put forth, and
develop a counter argument.
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Example 3
By participation in Problem-Based
Learning (PBL), the student will
develop an effective clinical
reasoning process including the
skills of problem synthesis,
hypothesis generation, critical
appraisal of available information,
data analysis, and decision
making.
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Goals and Objectives

Similarities
– articulate values and aims
– identify intended outcomes of instruction
and program participation
– support decision-making

Differences
– vary in level of specificity
– shape method of assessment
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Program-Level Objectives

State what students should know and be able
to do

Grow out of department-wide discussions

Provide a document of what your faculty agrees
is the curriculum

Are informative to audiences beyond faculty
(e.g., students, colleagues, employers)
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Objectives and Outcomes

Objectives
– convey intended results
– describe what should be assessed

Outcomes
– are achieved results
– describe qualities of student behaviors or
products
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“One must know
what is to be
assessed before
one knows how to
assess it.”
Erwin, 1991
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Basic Objective Structure
Objective
= (Verb)
Active
Behaviors
+
(Object)
Products
Skills/Performances
Content/Knowledge
Attitudes/Dispositions
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Students will:

write + research reports

evaluate + political institutions

analyze + historical documents

identify + major classical figures

abstract + professional publications

translate + graphs into verbal descriptions
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Example 4
Students will
be familiar
with the major
theories of the
discipline.

Does this objective
convey any information?
• Would a student know what
was expected of his/her
work?
• Would a colleague know the
focus of your department’s
teaching?
• Would an employer know
what your students could
do?
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Students will
be familiar
with the major
theories of the
discipline.

Objective = (be familiar
with) + (theories)

Start with the object aspect
of the objective

Five major approaches to
conflict resolution are:
withdrawal, smoothing,
forcing, compromising, and
problem solving.
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Students will
be familiar with
withdrawal,
smoothing,
forcing,
compromising,
and problem
solving.

Specifying what the
department views as
the major approaches
is an improvement.

Sharpening the verb
will also make it better.

What does be familiar
with imply about a
student’s knowledge or
skills?
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Students will be
familiar with
withdrawal,
smoothing,
forcing,
compromising,
and problem
solving.

Objective = (be familiar
with) + (withdrawal...)

Avoid vague phrases:
appreciate,
understanding, and have
awareness of

Use action verbs:
generalize, produce, or
evaluate

Action oriented verbs
make objectives more
concrete
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Students will
be familiar with
withdrawal,
smoothing,
forcing,
compromising,
and problem
solving.

This objective might
be revised into two
objectives.

Students will
summarize…

Students will choose
and defend…
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Students will be
familiar with
withdrawal,
smoothing,
forcing,
compromising,
and problem
solving.
1.
Students will
summarize the five
major approaches to
conflict resolution:
withdrawal, smoothing,
forcing, compromising,
and problem solving.
2.
Students will choose
and defend a conflict
resolution approach
appropriate for a given
situation.
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Comment on Assessment

Notice that the types of assessments
needed become clearer for the revised
objectives.

Assessment was not considered in the
writing of the objectives. Instead, as the
expectations for students were made
clearer, possibilities for assessment
were revealed.
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Quick Summary

Use action verbs

Use simple language when possible

Describe student rather than instructor
behavior

Describe intended outcome rather than
subject matter coverage
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Other Objective Components

Features of objectives that help improve
the link between objectives and
assessment are:
– Target group
– Conditions/Context
– Performance Criteria/Stability
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Example 5
After analyzing and interpreting
information from public opinion polls,
the graduating journalism major will
communicate the results to at least
three different groups in written, oral,
and graphic forms.
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Verb: Use active verbs that describe
behavior
After analyzing and interpreting information
from public opinion polls, the graduating
journalism major will communicate the
results to at least three different groups in
written, oral, and graphic forms.
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Object: Identify the focus of learningcontent, concepts, skills,
attitudes
After analyzing and interpreting information
from public opinion polls, the graduating
journalism major will communicate the results
to at least three different groups in written,
oral, and graphic forms.
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Target group: Specify subgroups when
objective applies differentially
After analyzing and interpreting information
from public opinion polls, the graduating
journalism major will communicate the
results to at least three different groups in
written, oral, and graphic forms.
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Conditions: Describes context when
students will demonstrate
behavior—how, when, where
After analyzing and interpreting
information from public opinion polls, the
graduating journalism major will communicate
the results to at least three different groups in
written, oral, and graphic forms.
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Performance Criteria: Identifies levels of
acceptable
performance
After analyzing and interpreting information
from public opinion polls, the graduating
journalism major will communicate the results
to at least three different groups in written,
oral, and graphic forms.
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Performance Stability: Identifies how often the
behavior must be
observed to be a stable
indicator
After analyzing and interpreting information
from public opinion polls, the graduating
journalism major will communicate the results
to at least three different groups in written,
oral, and graphic forms.
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Some Typical Problems

Ambiguity

Not logically related to objective

Unrealistically high

Too specific, becoming trivial
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Objectives Are Not Fixed

Objectives evolve during curriculum review
– Faculty experiences may lead to
refinements

Objectives may change due to assessments
– Objectives may be refined when faculty
begin thinking about operationalizing them
for assessments
– Assessment results may indicate needed
changes in emphasis
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Potential Concerns

Objectives limit faculty autonomy
– Some consensus is needed at programlevel
– Objectives are defined and altered as the
faculty see fit

Goals and objectives force you to teach only
an “assessable” curriculum
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A Successful Assessment Program
1.
Involves many but relies heavily on faculty
2.
Has articulated goals and objectives
3.
Involves a wide range of constituent groups
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A Successful Assessment Program
(continued)
4.
Is careful and deliberate about how data are
collected
5.
Analyze and reflect on these data rather than
simply tally them
6.
Designs a system for distributing and
implementing assessment results
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Getting Started

See Handout
– Chapter II, Shaping Department Goals and
Objectives for Assessment
http://www.bsu.edu/IRAA/AA/WB/chapter2.
htm, p. 2-3.
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Checklist for Evaluating
Written Objectives

See Handout
– Chapter II, Shaping Department Goals and
Objectives for Assessment
http://www.bsu.edu/IRAA/AA/WB/chapter2.
htm, p. 5.
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Thank you for attending.

Deborah Moore, Assessment Specialist

101B Alumni Gym
Office of Planning & Institutional
Effectiveness

[email protected]

257-7086

http://www.uky.edu/LexCampus/;
http://www.uky.edu/OPIE/
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