Using these general target areas, teachers create
specific classroom objectives that are based on state/district standards
and benchmarks. Well-written objectives are made up of three building
blocks -- conditions, behavior, and criterion (see below).
Figure 1. Building Blocks for Objectives.
The Conditions define the materials that
will be available (or unavailable) when the objective is assessed.
It generally states what the student will be given or not
given. Example conditions for objectives might include:
- Without the use of a calculator...
- Given a map of Europe...
- Given twelve double-digit numbers...
The Behavior is a verb that describes an observable activity
-- what the student will do. The behavior is generally stated as
an action verb, such as: solve, compare, list, explain, evaluate,
The Criterion (also referred to as Degree) is the standard
that is used to measure whether or not the objective has been achieved.
The criteria might be stated as a percentage (80% correct), a time
limit (within five minutes), or another measure of mastery. For
example, an objective might be "Given a list of twenty states
(condition), the student will identify (behavior) at least fifteen
of the corresponding state capitals (criteria)."
It is easy for teachers to construct appropriate assessments if
they use observable and directly measurable objectives and learning
outcomes. For example, one of the benchmarks for the Florida
Sunshine State Standards (grades 3-5, social studies) is: "Knows
significant people and their contributions in the field of communication
and technology." To target this benchmark, the following
objectives could be developed:
- Given the names of six inventors, students will be able to
correctly match them to a specific contribution in communication
- Students will be able to compare the contributions of Thomas
Edison with those of Bill Gates, listing at least two similarities
and two differences.
After the objectives are written, it is relatively easy to create
a corresponding assessment item. For example, the first objective
could be assessed with a matching exercise; the second with a short
response essay question.