A clear objective creates an image—a picture in your mind, a sentence of inner speech you say to yourself, or a written statement—of what a student will know or be able to do when the instruction is over. |
Steps to Determining a Clear and Worthwhile Objective
We lay out the steps required for objectives to play a powerful role in student learning. “Improvement is not doing one thing exceedingly well; it’s doing many aligned things well.” (McAdams, 2006, p. 36). This is no simple matter because the objective (think “learning target” if that language has been adopted by your peers) must be appropriate for the students to begin with; certain students may be ready for it and others not. Figure 20.1 outlines the 12 steps. Rate the frequency with which you do (or observe) each of the following practices: Never; Rarely; Always.
The objective serves as the control tower, always in touch with and carefully guiding the pilot and passengers through the take-off, flight path, approach, and landing of a lesson. |
When students clearly know what they are supposed to learn or get better at, they learn more. |
There are two central tasks related to lesson objectives: being clear about what the objective means, and ensuring that students understand it. |