Writing Objectives

Writing lesson objectives

Planning a class, unit, or module is the first step to have a successful course. Lesson plans are like maps that let educators follow the correct route during a class. For doing so, it is necessary to write suitable objectives. They describe what teachers expect from students to perform before becoming competent in a field.

With that been said, many educators feel frustrated at the moment of writing objectives because of the misconceptions they may have. But the truth is that lesson objectives are not as complex as they seem. To overcome this, teacher should follow some guideline as they are listed below.

• Be specific. Objectives must be observable and measurable.

• Do not make writing objectives a big deal. Even though they are specific, objectives should be simple and not time-consuming.

• Be sure that the learning process is focused on students performance.

• Identify the type of activities that will be done.

• Specify the criteria for the assessment of the activities.

Finally, and most important, consider the following criteria when writing objective.

ABCDs of Writing Objectives

• A-Audience: To whom teachers are planning.

• 
  

  B-Behavior: The product or result that teachers expect from students. The behavior or 
  
  

  product should be observable. 

• C-Condition: The conditions in which the performance happens. 

• D-Degree: How well the learner must perform in order for 
  considering acceptable.

For further information, you can check the following sources:

- Ferguson, L. M. (1998). Writing learning objectives. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 14(2), 87-94.

- Waller, K. V. (2001). Writing instructional objectives.