The document discusses writing effective lesson objectives using the ABCD method. The ABCD method involves specifying the Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree for each objective. The Audience refers to who the learners are. The Behavior should use concrete action verbs to specify what the learners will be able to do. The Condition provides any parameters or constraints. The Degree indicates how well the learners must perform the behavior. The document provides examples and guidance for writing objectives that meet the ABCD criteria.

1. Writing Objectives
Teach what you mean to teach
Presented by: Heather Dowd
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

2. Your Lesson
1.Think of a lesson you teach.
2.Write 2 – 5 things you want
students to be able to do when
they leave this one lesson.
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

3. Today’s Objective
Using their own lesson plans,
instructors will write 2-5 objectives
that include all four parts of the
ABCD method of writing objectives.
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

4. Why is writing good objectives
important?
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

5. What an objective is NOT
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

6. Qualities of Useful Objectives
Audience
Behavior
Condition
Degree
- Unknown
Performance
Conditions
Criterion
- Robert Mager
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

7. Audience
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Who are your learners?

8. Behavior - Performance
Fuzzy Words
to know
to understand
to really understand
to appreciate
to fully appreciate
to grasp the significance of
to enjoy
to believe
to have faith in
to internalize
Better Words
to write
to recite
to identify
to sort
to solve
to construct
to build
to compare
to contrast
to smile
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

9. Behavior - Performance
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Be able to write a news article.
Be able to develop an appreciation of
music.

10. Behavior - Performance
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Be able to understand mathematics.
Be able to sew a seam.

11. Behavior - Performance
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Know how to do calculus.
Calculate the slope of a function at a
certain point by differentiating.

12. Given a problem of the following type…
Given a list of…
Given any reference of the learner’s choice…
Without the aid of references…
Without the aid of a calculator…
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Condition

13. Objective without condition:
Be able to solve problems in algebra.
With condition:
Given a linear algebraic equation with one
unknown, be able to solve (write the
solution) for the unknown without the aid
of references, tables, or calculating devices.
Condition
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

14. Questions to ask yourself
Condition
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

15. How well?
(Does the learner get the credit or not?)
Example:
Given a compass, ruler, and paper, be able to
construct and bisect any given angle larger
than five degrees. Bisections must be
accurate to one degree.
Degree
Audience Behavior Condition Degree

16. Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Given a list of factors leading to
significant historical events, be able
to identify (underline) at least five
factors contributing to the Crash of
1929.
Identify ABCD

17. Using their own lesson plan,
instructors will write 2-5 objectives
that include all four parts of the
ABCD method of writing objectives.
Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Identify ABCD

18. Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Reference
Mager, R. F. (1997).
Preparing instructional
objectives: A critical tool in
the development of
effective instruction (3rd
ed.). Atlanta, GA: The
Center for Effective
Performance, Inc.

19. Audience Behavior Condition Degree
Re-write your lesson’s objectives
using all four parts of the ABCD
method of writing objectives.
Pay special attention to using
concrete words for the behavior.
Your Turn