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Characteristics of Objective

The document discusses the characteristics of effective objectives and learning objectives. It states that objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Learning objectives in particular should specify who will do what, how well or how much of something, by when. The document also introduces the mnemonic SMART to describe these elements and provides examples of knowledge, affective, and psychomotor learning objectives.

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Irish Mercader
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231 views

Characteristics of Objective

The document discusses the characteristics of effective objectives and learning objectives. It states that objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Learning objectives in particular should specify who will do what, how well or how much of something, by when. The document also introduces the mnemonic SMART to describe these elements and provides examples of knowledge, affective, and psychomotor learning objectives.

Uploaded by

Irish Mercader
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Characteristics of objective

1. Specific
- Objectives should address the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and
why. The objective specifies what needs to be done with a timeline for
completion.
2. Measurable
- Objectives should include numeric or descriptive measures that define
quantity, quality, cost, etc. Their focus should be on observable actions
and outcomes.
3. Achievable
- Objectives should be within the control, influence, and resources of
exercise play and participant actions.
4. Relevant
- Objectives should be instrumental to the mission of the organization and
link to its goals or strategic intent.
5. Time-bound
- A specified and reasonable timeframe should be incorporated into all
objectives.

A learning objective is a description of what the learner must be able to


do upon
completion of an educational activity. A well-written learning objective
outlines the knowledge,
skills and/or attitude the learners will gain from the educational activity
and does so in a
measurable way. An effective learning objective should include the
following 5 elements: who, will
do, how much or how well, of what, by when.
The mnemonic SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
and Time-bound—
can be used to describe the elements of a well-written learning objective.
Specific
- Make sure to use clear and direct language. This makes it easier to
communicate to the learner and let them know what exactly he or she
should learn.
 It must also give them a clear idea about the things he or she should
be
able to do once completed.
 One should not be vague, misleading, or unclear.
Measurable 
- The basic aim is to determine if it is possible for the learners to
meet,
perform, or satisfy it. This is possible only if the objective is measurable.
 It needs to be an action you could observe. Here is where you correct
the
common mistake of using words which signify actions that could not be
observed objectively. Examples are words like “know” and “understand”.
 It must be written in a way so that the objective observer is able to
closely
watch the performance of the learner and come to a consensus about the
fulfilment of the objective.
Attainable 
- The smart learning objective needs to be something that the learners
stand a chance to complete or satisfy.
 Enough pre-existing knowledge, resources, and time are the pre
requisites for all objectives.
 Keep in mind that it should not be too simple or easy too.
Relevant/Results-focused
 The learning objective must be one in which the learner is able to see
the
value in learning.
 It must be relevant and not something they will never need at all.
 It should also be results oriented.
Time-Bound 
- The learning objective needs to be something that the learner will use
in a timely fashion. You must explain if there are time constraints on the
performance of the
learner.
Examples of SMART objectives:
Knowledge: At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to solve
trigonometric problems
by applying the Law of Sines.
Affective: At the end of the communications skills course, learners will
be able
to demonstrate awareness of cultural differences in working with actors
as
simulated patients in three different clinical scenarios.
Psychomotor: At the end of the training session, learners will be able
respond hand-signals
of instructor while learning to operate a forklift.
A commonly used management method recommends defining
SMARTER criteria for
organization’s goals. The most classical management method for setting
objectives proposes to
follow “SMARTER” criteria. Your objectives must be:
Specific. The goal must be explicitly defined and cannot be subjected to
individual
interpretation or ambiguity.
Measurable. The goal must have clear quantitative and/or qualitative
criteria to evaluate its
completion.
Attainable. The goals must be challenging yet achievable (available
means, level of
authority to execute, skills to acquire, resources…)
Relevant. The goal must be tied to your organization priorities, strategy,
team mission, and the employee maturity and potential.
Time-bound. The goal must have a start date and an end date, with
possible intermediate
milestones and related expected outcomes.
Evaluated. The execution progress must be assessed by the manager
through multiple
checkpoints that should include feedback and guidance.
Recognized/Rewarded or Revisited. When reaching the end of the time
frame defined
for the goal execution, the final evaluation performed against the
completion criteria
initially set must be shared by the manager. If the objective is reached,
the staff should
be recognized for his accomplishments and possibly rewarded. On the
other hand, if
the outcomes are below expectation, a detailed review of what went
wrong and how
things could be improved is necessary; situation and objectives need then
to be
revisited. In both cases, lessons learned should also be shared.

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