Writing Student Performance Objectives

Start this exercise by carefully reading the following two documents:

Write and classify thirty-five (35) original student performance-based objectives that span a wide range of intellectual ability - with a minimum of three (3) from each of the six cognitive domains of Bloom's Taxonomy. Follow the above guidelines and examples. Additionally, as you write your student performance objectives, make certain that they come from a given area within a unit of study (e.g., the test is a "unit test" as opposed to a comprehensive midterm or final exam). Subject matter areas could be such things as kinematics, dynamics, circular motion, projectile motion, optics, heat, light, relativity, electricity, magnetism, and so on. It probably would be best to "adopt" a textbook that can serve as the basis for generating student performance objectives and limiting the subject matter of the objectives. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives for the cognitive domain can serve as a useful guide when you run out of ideas.

The cognitive domain includes objectives that deal with knowledge and intellectual skills. This includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities and skills. There are six categories of objectives. These are given below starting with the simplest behavior to progression to the more complex. The latter categories can be thought of as higher-level intellectual reasoning skills. That is, the first ones must be mastered to some degree before the next one can take place.

Knowledge: Recall of data. Examples: Recites a rule. States important quantities. Knows the safety rules.

Key Words: define, describe, identify, know, label, list, match, name, outline, recall, recognize, reproduce, select, state.
Comprehension: Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's own words. Examples: Rewrites the principles of problem solving. Explain in one’s own words the steps for performing a complex task. Translates an equation into a computer spreadsheet.

Key Words: comprehend, convert, defend, distinguish, estimate, explain, extend, generalize, give example, infer, interpret, paraphrase, predict, rewrite, summarize, translate.
Application: Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the workplace. Examples: Uses data to perform a calculation. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a conclusion.

Key Words: apply, change, compute, construct, demonstrate, discover, manipulate, modify, operate, predict, prepare, produce, relate, show, solve, use.
Analysis: Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences.  Examples: Troubleshoots an electronic circuit using logical deduction. Recognizes logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers information from a problem statement and selects the required information for solution of the problem.

Keywords: analyze, break down, compare, contrast, diagram, deconstruct, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, identify, illustrate, infer, outline, relate, select, separate.
Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure. Examples: Writes an operations or process manual. Designs a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome.

Keywords: categorize, combine, compile, compose, create, devise, design, explain, generate, modify, organize, plan, rearrange, reconstruct, relate, reorganize, revise, rewrite, summarize, tell, write.
Evaluation: Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials. Examples: Selects the most effective solution. Explains and justifies a particular information-based decision.

Keywords: appraise, compare, conclude, contrast, criticize, critique, defend, describe, discriminate, evaluate, explain, interpret, justify, relates, summarize, support.