A Comprehensive Approach to Designing Online Courses

Developing Objectives Christina Sax

ACADEMIC ■ IMPRESSIONS

• Recognize the multiple roles and importance of learning objectives

• Understand the relationship between learning goals, objectives, and outcomes

• Explore the various factors that influence the formulation of learning objectives

• Review the basic principles of writing learning objectives

Session Goals

• What are they?

• How are they different from learning goals?

• Why are they important?

Learning Objectives

• Faculty member• Instructional designer• Support staff• Academic administrator• Students• External governing bodies

All are valid and have merit

A Matter of Perspective

• Work in teams

• Use Activity Sheet 1

• Identify the perspectives in your group

• Arrive at group answers to questions on Activity Sheet

• Group reports (designate your spokesperson)

Activity 1 - The Role of Learning Objectives

• State the perspectives in your group

• State your group’s answers:– What are LOs?– How are LOs different from learning goals?– Why are LOs important?

Activity 1 – Group Reports

• How easy/difficult was it to agree upon group answers? Why?

Activity 1 – Debriefing

• Common understanding between students and faculty

• Framework for designing aligned instruction, materials, and activities

• Vehicle to construct valid assessments• Focus student attention & time• Sequencing courses & content• Internal/external assurance of course & program

integrity & quality• Reaccredidation

Importance of Learning Objectives

• Goal– What we strive to achieve– “Why we do what we do”

• Objective– Specific & measurable knowledge, skills, attributes that

students are expected to achieve and demonstrate– What students should be able to do

• Outcome– Students’ demonstration of the actual level of attainment of the

knowledge, skills, and attributes

Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes

Handout 1

Layering Goals and Objectives

Program Goals

Course Goals

Course Objectives

Module Objectives

Weekly Objectives

Broad

Specific

Scaffolding Goals & Objectives

Course Goal 1

Course Objective 1

Course Objective 2

Course Objective 3

Course Goal 2

Course Objective 4

Course Objective 5

Course Objective 6

1. Who are the students?2. What is the course?3. What is important?4. How do students process the content?5. Who writes and approves the learning

objectives?6. Are there any guiding standards?7. Others ????

Steps to Formulating Learning Objectives

Handout 2

Handout 2B

• What are the learning objectives?

• Can you determine whether students have achieved the learning objectives?

• Using taxonomies to write the objectives:– Bloom’s– Marzano’s

Writing the Learning Objectives

Bloom’s Taxonomy - 1956

Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

Higher Order

Lower OrderHandout 3

Use Appropriate Verbs!

Two Matrixed Domains:

• Types of knowledge used in cognition

• Cognitive processes by which thinkers encounter and work with knowledge

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised - 2001

• Factual knowledge

• Conceptual knowledge

• Procedural knowledge

• Meta-cognitive knowledge

Types of Knowledge Used in Cognition

Cognitive Processing of Knowledge

Create

Evaluate

Analyze

Apply

Understand

Remember

Higher Order

Lower Order

Using Bloom’s 2001

Encyclopedia of Educational Technology

• Three Systems When faced with option of new task …

– Self - continue current or engage in new?

– Meta-cognitive - sets goals & tracks progress to goals

– Cognitive - processes necessary information

• Knowledge Domain - provides the content

– Information– Mental Procedures– Physical Procedures

Marzano’s Taxonomy - 2000

• Work in teams • Use Activity Sheet 2• Read the course description for NURS 246• Select a course goal (from morning work)• Write 2 learning objectives

– Faculty Knowledge / Remember– Procedural Knowledge / Create

• Consider the challenges & solutions• Group reports (designate your spokesperson)

Activity 2 – Writing Learning Objectives

• State your two learning objectives.

• What challenges did you experience?

• How can you overcome these challenges?

Activity 2 – Group Reports

Do students …

• understand the role of LOs for course, faculty, students?

• understand the meaning/wording of each LO?

• know how to use LOs?

How can we facilitate each?

The Students’ Perspective

Activity Sheet 3

• Creating assessments• Sequencing content• Selecting & designing instructional strategies• Designing the framework• Developing instructional materials• Guiding faculty-student engagement• Evaluation & revision

Learning Objectives as the Foundation