Performance Objectives

Most people who have degrees in education know about objectives (learning objectives, performance objectives, behavioral objectives) on some level. You may have even learned how to write reasonably good ones already. The difference in ISD is that there is a clear chain indicating where the objectives for a specific lesson came from and why they are important to learn.

Frequently that is what is lacking in most educators' and trainers' use of objectives. It is relatively easy to write a single well-formed objective for teaching. It is more difficult to write a set of objectives that meet a real learning need, that are coherent and integrated, and that include just those skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to reach the goal.

In this step of the process you should write a set of objectives that flows directly from your understanding of the goal, the subordinate parts of the goal, the learners, and the setting. This is where the entire analysis phase comes together.