Writing Strong, Clear, and Measurable Learning Objectives

 In order to write strong, clear, and measurable objectives, one should: 

1. Determine the overarching goal (e.g., understanding the difference between a parrot and other species of birds). 

2. Pair the goal with a definitive or measurable action verb (e.g., “identify parrot species from a selection of birds”. 

3. Insert “Students will be able to” before the action verb. 

4. Insert a condition to achieving the objective before SWBAT (e.g., “Given a selection of various bird species…”). 

5. Assign criteria to the goal that will set the standard for determining whether an objective has been achieved or not (e.g., “with at least 80% accuracy). 

Final product: 

“Given a selection of various bird species, students will be able to identify parrot species with at least 80% accuracy.” 

These details are critical to the design process as they clearly outline the expectations for student performance and leave as little room as possible for uncertainty or varying interpretation. When constructed this way, objectives are straightforward and describe exactly what students are intended to learn and be able to do after engaging with the learning content. This clarity helps designers create relevant activities and assignments that will more accurately assess student learning than objectives that lack measurability or a standard format. 

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