Domains of Learning, Learned Capability Verbs, and the A-B-C-Ds of Writing Performance Objectives Lloyd Rieber Gregory Clinton University of Georgia

Domains of Learning,

Learned Capability Verbs,

and

the A-B-C-Ds of Writing Performance

Objectives

Lloyd RieberGregory Clinton

University of Georgia

Assembling Performance Objectives: A Tried-And-True Recipe

Let’s begin with three of Lloyd’s

“refrigerator slides.” These should be quite

familiar to you now:

(Note: I have added some clarifying details to Lloyd’s version of the Learned Capability Verbs slide.)

Learning Outcomes: Gagne’s Domains of Learning

• Verbal Information– Verbatim learning– Non-verbatim learning– Substance learning

• Intellectual Skills– Problem-solving– Rule-using– Defined concepts– Concrete concepts– Discriminations

• Cognitive strategies

• Affective• Psychomotor

Learning Hierarchy

Clearly identifying learning outcomes(“Learned Capability Verbs”)

• (Cognitive Strategy)

• Problem-solving

• Rule-using

• Concepts (defined)

• Concepts (concrete)

• Discriminations

• Verbal information

• Affective

• Psychomotor

(Originate)

Generate

Demonstrate, predict

Classify, identify

Classify, identify

Discriminate

State, list, recite, summarize

Choose (to)

Execute

A good way to start identifying goals is with: “The learner will be able to (LWBAT) generate/demonstrate/classify/identify…”

IntellectualSkills

(Instructional designis best suited

for these.)

Courses and Units

LEA

RN

ING

HIE

RA

RC

HY

Domains of Learning Standard “Learned Capability Verbs”

Assembling Performance Objectives:A Tried-And-True Recipe

Now, referring back to the last three slides, let’s

break down the meaning of Lloyd’s little jingle,

starting with the “Audience”:


Audience

Someone has to BAT!Just like in baseball …

In the “sport” of writing Performance Objectives,

“TO JUST ‘KNOW’ IS A NO-NO,

TO ‘UNDERSTAND’ IS TOO BLAND,

TO ‘DO’ IS NOTHING NEW,

BUT TO ‘BAT’ IS WHERE IT’S AT!!”

(It’s better to Be Able To do something, now and later, than to just know about it, or just to barely do it once by the time a lesson is finished!)

Who will BeAbleTo…?So …


LWBATSWBAT

(whoever)WBAT

LearnersStudents

Trainees OR Mixing machine operators

Sales managers

Fifth grade students

Middle school math teachers

SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To …)

Audience


Ok, that was the Audience. Now for the

Behavior …


Audience

SWBAT

etc.

Behavior

Remember …

In Instructional Design an objective is a Performance objective.

Even if your instructional goal is about a “topic” rather than a “task,” you still need for learners to perform some observable behavior that shows they learned what you are trying to teach them!

(This can even take the form of a multiple choice quiz, for example, if you don’t have any better alternatives.)


Audience

SWBAT

etc.

Behavior

And …

For the “Behavior” part of the objective, there is a vital piece included with it: the “Learned Capability Verb.”

Dr. Rieber’s rhyme mentions Learned Capability Verb at the end of the rhyme, but the intent is to remind you to include it with the Behavior.


Behavior

And furthermore …

Learned Capability Verbs have agreed-upon meanings in ID.

So, decide which one is right for each objective (according to the Domains of Learning) …

and use them!

Follow each Learned Capability verb with an ACTION and the resulting product or performance created by that action (the OBJECT). Taken together, that’s the BEHAVIOR!

Thus …

Audience

SWBAT

etc.


generate, by taking a certain ACTION, a specific PRODUCT or PERFORMANCE (at the problem-solving level of intellectual skills)

demonstrate, by taking a certain ACTION, a specific PRODUCT or PERFORMANCE (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills)

identify, by taking a certain ACTION (e.g., by pointing), a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills)

etc.

BehaviorAudience

SWBAT

etc.

SWBAT identify, by circling, all the polygons. Example:


Ok, we’ve done the Audience and the

Behavior. Now for the Condition …


Behavior Condition

Under what conditions do you want learners to perform this show-you-that-they’ve-learned-it behavior?

What materials will be available to them as they perform this task?

Usually, the Condition part of the objective goes at the beginning.

generate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the problem-solving level of intellectual skills)

demonstrate, by taking a certain action, a specific product or performance (at the rule-using level of intellectual skills)

identify, by taking a certain action, a specific set of items (at the concepts level of intellectual skills)

etc.

Audience

SWBAT

etc.


Given (the necessary materials),

Audience

SWBAT

etc.

Behavior




etc.

Condition


Condition


Behavior




etc.

Audience

SWBAT

etc.


We’ve now done the Audience, the Behavior,

and the Condition. Finally, the Degree …



Degree

Is there a certain level of performance your learners need to achieve? (To complete at least a certain number of items, or respond with 80% accuracy, etc.)




etc.

Condition BehaviorAudience

SWBAT

etc.



- at a minimum of X completed items

- with 80% accuracy

- etc.




etc.

Condition Behavior Degree (if appropriate)Audience

SWBAT

etc.


Here is the sequence again …



Condition



Condition Audience

SWBAT

etc.






etc.

Condition BehaviorAudience

SWBAT

etc.






etc.


SWBAT

etc.


- with 80% accuracy

- etc.






etc.


SWBAT

etc.

Given pictures of 12 geometric figures, SWBAT identify, by circling, all the polygons.

Example:


- with 80% accuracy

- etc.


The “recipe” one last time:


The End!

A final disclaimer:

This is not the only “correct” way to write performance objectives.

But it’s a MAINSTREAM approach that will serve you well.


Documents

Domains of Learning, Learned Capability Verbs, and the A-B-C-Ds of Writing Performance Objectives Lloyd Rieber Gregory Clinton University of Georgia