Explaining the Terminal Objectives and Enabling Objectives with an Example

1. Conducting an Instructional
Analysis
Three big tasks…
• Break up the Terminal Objectives (TOs
into small stepping stones called
Enabling Objectives (EOs)
• Sequence and cluster the EOs in some
sort of meaningful way
• Describe the EOs according to type of
learning outcome (facts, concepts,
rules, etc.)
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2. Terminal and Enabling objectives
Terminal Objectives
correspond to the instructional goal
describe what the learner will be able to do at the end of the
instructional programme
at the highest level of learning
Enabling Objectives
correspond to the subordinate skills or knowledge needed to
accomplished the Terminal Objectives (i.e., steps required to
accomplish the performance objective)
usually sequenced in the order they must be accomplished
more specific to the stages involved in the learning process
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3. Purpose of enabling objectives
• Helps trainer analyze the performance objective into
teachable/learnable “bites”
• Provides structure for the lesson
• Helps trainer to ascertain the pre-requisites
skills/knowledge
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4. Taxonomies of learning outcomes
• Classification of levels of skills and knowledge
• Examples include:
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Gagne’s Categories of Learning Outcomes (or
Categories of Learned Human Capabilities)
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5. Instructional Design Flow...
Task and/or
Subject-Matter Analysis Goal Analysis
Clusters of EOs make
Terminal Objective #1 up Our Instructional
Terminal Objective #2
Terminal Objective #3 Activities
...
Enabling
Objectives
Prerequisite
Prepared by Edwin Manuel Objectives 5

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