This document discusses principles for writing high-quality instructional objectives, including ensuring clarity of learning targets, specifying conditions, and stating criterion levels. Key points covered include: - Objectives should include a clear, measurable statement of the expected skill or outcome. - Complete objectives specify an observable behavior, any conditions, and a performance level. - Conditions describe where, when, or with what resources the objective will take place. - Criterion levels indicate the acceptable standard of performance, such as a percentage correct. - Examples are provided to illustrate complete objectives with conditions and criterion levels stated.

1. Principles of High
Quality Assessment
Marvien M. Barrios – Professor

2. Clarity of Learning Targets
• Instructional objectives are specific, measurable statements of the outcomes of
instruction that indicate whether instructional intents have been achieved
• An instructional objective should be
• clear and concise statement of the skill or skills that your students will be expected to
perform after a unit of instruction.
• should include the level of proficiency to be demonstrated and the special conditions under
which the skill must be demonstrated.
• should be stated in observable, behavioral terms, so that two or more individuals can agree
that a student has or has not displayed the learning outcome in question.

3. A complete instructional objective includes:
• an observable behavior (action verb specifying the learning outcome)
• any special conditions under which the behavior must be displayed
• the performance level considered sufficient to demonstrate mastery.

4. The following are examples of complete instructional
objectives:
• With a ballpoint pen, write your name, address. birthdate, telephone number,
and grade with 100% accuracy.
• Without reference to class notes, correctly describe four out of five alternative
sources of energy discussed in class.
• The student will reply in grammatically correct French to 95% of the French
questions spoken orally during an examination.
• Given a human skeleton, the student will identify at least 40 of the bones
correctly.

5. Lets practice!
Study the following examples of observable and unobservable outcomes, and
work through the exercise

6. EXERCISE: Distinguish observable learning outcomes from unobservable
outcomes by marking 0 next to observables and U next to unobservable.
• 1. Circle the initial sound of words.
• 2. Be familiar with the law.
• 3. Add two-digit numbers on paper.
• 4. Understand the process of osmosis.
• 5. Enjoy speaking French.
• 6. Change the spark plugs on an engine.
• 7. Recite the names of the characters in Tom Sawyer.
• 8. Really understand set theory.
• 9. Appreciate art deco.
• 10. Recite a short poem from memory.

7. Stating Conditions
• An instructional objective describes any special conditions in which the
learning will take place. If the observable learning outcome is to take place at
a particular time, in a particular place, with particular materials, equipment,
tools, or other resources, then the conditions must be stated explicitly in the
objective

8. Examples
• Given a calculator, multiply two-digit numbers correct to the nearest whole
number.
• Given a typed list, correct any typographical errors.
• Given a list of six scrambled words, arrange the words to form a sentence.

9. EXERCISE: Write conditions for the following
learning outcomes:
• 1. Given _____change the oil and oil filter.
• 2. Given _____identify the correct temperature.
• 3. Given _____add three-digit numbers.

10. Stating Criterion Levels
• An instructional objective indicates how well the behavior is to be performed
for any given objective a number of test items will be written. The criterion
level of acceptable performance specifies how many of these items the
student must get correct for him or her to have passed the objective.

11. Examples
• Given 20 two digit addition problems, the student will compute all answers
correctly.
• Given 20 two digit addition problems, the student will compute 90%
correctly.

12. EXERCISE: Write criterion levels of acceptable
performance for the following objectives.
1. Given 10 words, circle those that contain a silent “e” with __ percent
accuracy.
2. The student will swim freestyle for 100 yards in less than __
3. The good student must be able to leap tall buildings __

13. Remember!
• Criterion levels need not always be specified in terms of percentages of items
answered correctly. They may also be stated as:
• number of items correct
• number of consecutive items correct (or consecutive errorless performances).
• essential features included (as in an essay question or paper).
• completion within a prescribed time limit (where speed of performance is important)
• completion with a certain degree of accuracy.

14. Assignment!
• Write three instructional objectives for the lesson “photosynthesis”. The
checklist below will serve as basis in giving points to your output.
1. Are the objectives composed of learning outcomes? Yes ( ) No ( )
2. Are the learning outcomes stated in overt observable terms? Yes ( ) No ( )
3. Now that you have all overt learning outcomes listed, are they the simplest and
most direct ways to measure the learning outcomes? Yes ( ) No ( )