3 Basic Ingredients of a Learning Objective

Like a great recipe in a treasured cookbook, every dish depends on the best ingredients. Lesson plans are the same way.

Putting a great lesson plan together requires solid objectives, which many faculty find difficult to write. Let's take a look at the three key ingredients to any learning objective and see if we can't come up with a terrific learning dish.

#1 Place one stem in large bowl

First, describe the conditions under which the objective will be met. That's your stem.

You can use a blanket condition, such as:

• After completing this lesson, the student will…
• After this unit, the student will…
• By the end of this session, the student will…

You can also use specific conditions that describe the circumstances, commands, materials, or directions you'll give the student to help them meet the objective. Examples include the following:

• Given readings in the textbook and online research, the student will…
• Given a lab partner and pertinent materials, the student will…
• On request, student will…

#2 Sprinkle in one or more active verbs

This is the part I love. Add an active verb. (See the big list at the bottom of this post.)

Use a verb that fits the task and also the level of learning desired, such as knowing, understanding, analyzing, and so forth.

#3 Add 1 heaping tablespoon of product, process, or outcome

Here's the meat of the recipe, the actual task. Plunk here what you want the student to do.

Keep it simple and direct, so it can be measured.

#4 Whip it all together

Here are some examples of complete objectives.

• Given readings in the textbook and online research, the student will be able to trace the flow of blood through the heart.
• After this unit, the student will be able to take an accurate blood pressure.
• By the end of this session, the student will be able to list three common side effects of anticoagulants.

Okay, let's eat!

Active verbs

Keep a list like this handy when writing objectives.

Click to enlarge.

Additional resources

• http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/cme/pdf/CME%20Tools/Action%20Verbs%20for%20Objectives.pdf
• http://www.rupert.id.au/TD700-1/action-verbs.html
• http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/ems/instructor/Appendix%20I%20-%20Action%20Verbs%20Useful%20for%20Writing%20Objectives.pdf
• http://www.enmu.edu/academics/assessment/faculty/manual/verb_list.shtm

5 Tips for Writing Better Multiple-Choice Questions

How often do you make your own multiple-choice quizzes and tests? Probably quite a bit.

Here are five tips to keep in mind to help you create more pedagogically effective multiple-choice test items.

Let’s take a look first at terms pertinent to multiple-choice test items.

• Stem—main text of the item; sets up the scenario to be solved
• Options—choices provided after the stem from which the test taker must choose
• Answer—correct option
• Distracter—incorrect options

Tips

Keep the following tips in mind when writing test items.

1. Use a “Which of the following" construct. For instance, “Which of the following symptoms generally appears first in a patient with appendicitis?” Keep this construct consistent, and you're on your way.
2. Use complete stems. Remember that the good student should be able to answer the question directly from the stem without ever seeing the responses.
3. Write clear stems. When using a “which of the following” approach, make sure to insert a category that relates to the responses. For instance, rather than writing “Which of the following generally appear first?” write “Which of the following symptoms appear first?”
4. Make sure each stem is a complete sentence in question form and without a blank. So rather than, "The first symptom to appear is_________," write "Which of the following is the first symptom to appear?"
5. Write purposeful options. Don't just write a bunch of options and then letter them. Use a specific structure for that particular question. For instance, when all responses consist of numerals, list them numerically in either increasing or decreasing order. Don’t mix them up.
   
   If one response is short, one is long, and the others are in-between, list them according to overall length, from shorter to longer or vice versa.
   
   If each response consists of just one or two words, list them alphabetically.
   
   Focusing on the structure of the responses instead of using a let’s-see, which-letter-haven’t-I-used-lately-for-the-correct-response kind of approach helps keeps the test taker honest. The savvy test taker but poor student won’t be able to figure out the correct response from the structure alone.