This document outlines the ABCD method for writing instructional objectives. The ABCD method specifies that objectives should include: A) Audience - who the learners are, B) Behavior - what the learners will be able to do, C) Condition - the context/circumstances of the learning, and D) Degree - how well or to what level the learning must be achieved. Terminal objectives describe what learners can do after instruction, while enabling objectives describe prerequisites. Verbs should be used to specify behaviors involving facts, concepts, rules, or principles. Conditions provide circumstances and degrees specify standards for performance.

1. ABCD METHOD OF WRITING INSTRUCTIONAL
OBJECTIVES
Dr. M. Balasubramaniam

2. INTRODUCTION
Some educators consider interest in
objectives to be only a recent phenomenon.
Objectives were used in the eight- year study
conducted in the 1930s.The objectives for
the instructional programs were written in
behavioral terms so that modification of the
student behaviors could be measured and
used in programs evaluation.

3. OBJECTIVES
What is an objective?
An objective answers the question what should the participant
be able to do.
Who needs Objectives?
An objective is for instructors and students; the former to
focus instruction and guide selection of methodologies and the
latter to know the end purpose of any learning activity.
Why do we want to write clear objectives?
An objective brings the content and participant together and
creates a road map for learning.
How do Objectives function?
An objective guides the evaluation tool that will measure the
successful completion of an educational activity

4. OBJECTIVE CATEGORIES
COGNITIVE DOMAIN
AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN

5. COGNITIVE DOMAIN
A cognitive objective addresses
comprehension, application, or problem-
solving; thinking and expressing one's
thoughts.

6. AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
An affective objective addresses internal
feelings, attitudes, and values.

7. PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN
A psychomotor objective addresses the
performance of a physical skill like learning
to swim the back stroke or learning how to
balance a bicycle.

8. INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
Instructional objectives may also be called
performance objectives, behavioral
objectives, or simply objectives. All of these
terms are used interchangeably. Objectives
are specific, outcome based, measurable,
and describe the learner's behavior after
instruction. So what does that mean? Let's
take a closer look.

9. SPECIFIC
. . . specific
Objectives are very specific. This
means that they should describe precisely
what the learner is expected to do.

10. OUTCOME BASED
. . .outcome based
Objectives are outcome based.
This means that the objective is going to
state what the learner should be able to do
after the instruction is complete. The process
of how the instruction happens is not
considered in an objective.

11. MEASURABLE
. . .measurable
Objectives are measurable. This
means that objectives should describe
learning outcomes that can be measured;
objectives should be seen or heard.

12. THE ABCD METHOD
In the early 1970s the United states office of
education supported the instructional
development Institute
Which promoted the ABCD approach to
writing behavioural objectives.

13. ABCD METHOD
A IS FOR ----- AUDIENCE
B IS FOR ------ BEHAVIOUR
C IS FOR ------- CONDITION
D IS FOR ------- DEGREE

14. ABCD METHOD
 Audience – Who? Who are your learners?
 Behavior – What? What do you expect them to
be able to do? This should be an overt,
observable behavior, even if the actual behavior
is covert or mental in nature. If you can't see it,
hear it, touch it, taste it, or smell it, you can't be
sure your audience really learned it.

15. ABCD METHOD
Condition - how? In what context or under
what circumstances will this learning occur?
Will the audience be expected to know
pieces of information to accomplish learning?
Degree - how much will be accomplished?
How well or to what level does this learning
need to be perfected? speed? 80% of the
time? other?

16. TWO BROAD TYPES
Terminal OBJECTIVES:
What the user can do at the end
Enabling OBJECTIVES:
What the user must be able to do in
order to achieve the terminal objective

17. TERMINAL OBJECTIVE BAESD ON ABCD METHOD
“The student in Art 103 will be able to form,
without assistance, a pot six inches high by
the tenth week of class. The pot will hold
water and its attractiveness will be judged by
the teacher”.

18. AUDIENCE :
The student enrolled in art 103 will be
able to
BEHAVIOUR:
Design, form and fire a clay pot six
inches high.
CONDITION:
By the tenth week of class without
assistance
DEGREE:
The pot should be able to hold water
and be attractive as judged by the teacher

19. ENABLING OBJECTIVES
AUDIENCE:
The student enrolled in Art 103 will be
able to…
BEHAVIOUR:
Mix potter’s clay…
CONDITION:
In less than five minutes…
DEGREE:
To consistency suitable for thyowing on a
potter’s wheel.

20. AFTER TERMINAL OBJECTIVE-ABCD
After the terminal objective is written, it is
unnecessary to continually state the
audience statement.
The audience of the statement, may be
written as a part of the heading and the rest
of the objectives follows.

21. To ensure that the objectives is the
behaviorally measurable and classifiable,
the following verbs should be used
whenever possible.
The desired behavior involves a Fact(
Low – order cognitive domain)
Recall,lable, state
Recognize, respond

22. The desired behavior involves
Concepts(Cognitive domain)
Classify, discriminate, evaluate
remember, read, detect
If the behavior involves a Rule(Cognitive
domain)
Sequence,analyze,distinguish,identify,compare
Use,apply,relocate

23. If the behavior involves a Principle(High-
order cognitive domain)
Explain,interpret,predict
if the behavior involves an
Attitude(Affective domain)
Choose,offer,select
Acceptable

24. CONDITIONS
After the behaviors have been identified, it is
necessary to specify the Conditions and
Degree for each objectives.
Conditions are the “Givens”.
They describe the circumstances under
which the task is performed conditions, but
are not limited.

25. Environmental factors( sensory
conditions)
People factors( Alone, part of a team)
Equipment factors( Aids, tools)
Information factors
(Textbooks,notes,formulas)
Time ( Task duration, pacing)

26. DEGREE:
The degree statement should be able to what
standards the student should be able to
perform.
How completely, how accurate, the rate, the
time limit, to what degree of quality and with in
what safety consideration.

27. REMEMBER’S
A behavioral statement should can seen and
measured.
Non behavioral objectives don’t provide the
communication necessary to effectively
design, develop or evaluate instruction.
More behavioral objectives easier it is to
communicate its meaning to students,
teacher, parents and another ins.designer.

28. COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
 SHOULD BE
observable
Clear
Unambiguous
Description of a learning outcome

29. CONCLUSION
The objectives of education is to prepare the
young to educate themselves throughout
their lives.
Today we continue to see interest in
objectives at all levels of education.
The ABCD is not only an alphabetic letter
but always better for writing instructional
objectives.