Understanding and Writing Educational Objectives
Well-Written, Measurable Objectives are the Fundamental Building Blocks of EvaluationKeeping Objectives Realistic
Writing Clear Objectives
Well-Written, Measurable Objectives are the Fundamental Building Blocks of Evaluation
"Clearly stated objectives are key tools in designing an evaluation plan and in measuring a project's outcomes." -M. Keehn and W. Kniep "So You Want to Evaluate?"
"Well-written objectives leave no room for doubting what will constitute evidence of their achievement." -L. Forest, C. McKenna, J. Donovan
When considering goals and objectives in Extension education, it is essential to think of them in relation to the audience-the people involved or going to be involved in the program. Review the "what is" against the "what should be" related to the situation/problem statement. The gap between what needs to be learned and practiced to change the situation, and the present level of knowledge and practices among the targeted clientele becomes the basis for determining program objectives. Once goals and objectives are determined, they exert a definite influence on the activities and behavior of the people participating, as well as the Extension educator involved. Time spent by Extension agents helping people define their goals and objectives can do much to help gain needed direction and purpose for the program.
Goals and objectives indicate what people are trying to accomplish; they identify the target toward which the program action is oriented. They can be long-term or immediate; they can be broad or specific. In any consideration of objectives it is essential to distinguish between broad and specific objectives. The latter are more apt to be achievable, dynamic and capable of doing much to help promote action and participation. The former are achieved with greater difficulty, largely because progress is not so apparent because of the time span, and because agreement on direction is not so universal.
People, both individually and in groups, respond best to specific objectives they believe are achievable. If educational programs are intended to stimulate people to participate or exhibit some action or change in behavior, then dynamic and achievable objectives are requisites. Such objectives also serve as the basis for identifying evidence of accomplishment for evaluation.
In stating a goal for a program or to address a problem area, we often think about an ideal or hoped for state-a broad statement of what we are trying to accomplish. Goals are usually general and more abstract.
Objectivesare more specific than goals. A project's objectives are the actions taken to obtain a certain goal. They are specific, achievable, and measurable statements about what is going to be accomplished within a certain time frame. Objectives state the intended changes in individuals, client groups, or communities as a result of Extension programs. They are not lists of activities, methods, events, media work, number of participants or enrollments, or Extension in-house preparation. All these are ways to achieve objectives.
A common practice among Extension agents is to state objectives as activities or things to be done that the agent plans to do for people. An example might be "to conduct six nutrition education workshops for low income families" or "to present a demonstration on surge irrigation." These have the cart before the horse. They are not objectives. They are the means, the tactics, the game plan selected to reach some objective. Such statements indicate what the person presenting the program plans to do, but they do not say who is to be involved or what is to be accomplished by those involved. Statements in terms of activities to be carried out fail to indicate the kind of change or accomplishment that is expected. Beware of these words when stating objectives: conduct, carry out, establish, provide, educate, inform produce, develop, create, design, train. They are useful words, but not for defining objectives. Save them to describe your methods and activities. Activities are not objectives, they are merely the means to accomplish objectives. Clear and specific objectives:
- Are derived directly from the problems and gaps documented in the situation statement (the problem to be addressed);
- Communicate, and thus build cooperation and teamwork;
- Guide selection of methods and experiences to resolve problems;
- Indicate what can be measured to determine program results or outcomes;
- Are consistent with estimated results/impacts identified in a program plan (focused on a clientele challenge, problem, concern, opportunity or emerging issue).
There are two categories of objectives: process objectives and outcome objectives. A process objective focuses on steps to be taken toward accomplishing a desired end but does not indicate the impact of those steps on the client. For instance, a process objective focused on a service delivery is not concerned with what effect the service had on clients, but how and to whom the services are delivered. An outcome objective specifies a target group and focuses on what happens to them as a result of the intervention; it specifies the measurable results of the intervention.
Before objectives are set, review the what is against the what should be related to the situation/problem statement. The gap between what needs to be learned and practiced to change the situation, and the present level of knowledge and practices among the targeted clientele becomes the basis for determining program objectives.
Quite likely, the written situation statement gives a "big picture" of the problem. Moving from this broad, general statement to specifics about what changes the program is expected to achieve in the four years of the program cycle is the next step in developing the program. At this point, Extension professionals make key decisions about what can and ought to be done to address the problem. Objectives-statements which convey these intentions-translate the many possibilities implicit in the situation into specifics that will guide action plans to "make things happen." They also become a guide for planning which program results to measure.
Keeping Objectives Realistic
What can be accomplished in one four-year program cycle to solve the problem being addressed by the program? Focusing on selected aspects of the problem, or identifying particular clientele groups for intensive effort, can greatly increase the potential for the program to have visible results.
At this point, it may help to make a list of possible program objectives to:
- Determine which are most central to solving the clientele problem,
- Determine which ones need attention first, and
- Eliminate low priority objectives.
If some objectives identified in the first and second categories cannot all be accomplished in four years, consider dividing the program into phases to be worked out sequentially over several four-year program cycles.
Major program objectives are statements of specific intended outcomes that can be measured. They also specify the target clientele. Unmodified generic terms should be used only when an entire group is the target (e.g., farmers, the public, youth, families). Use a few objectives as needed to specifically and concisely state what the program expects to accomplish by the end of the four-year cycle (or designated time-frame). These words are more helpful in describing objectives: increase, strengthen, expand, reduce, decrease, improve. They imply both change and comparison and when used, the evaluative aspect of the objective becomes clearer. Outcomes are usually stated in terms of knowledge to be learned, practices to be adopted, or end results to be achieved after the many sequential learning experiences Extension provides during the "life" of the program. Because objectives need to be realistic, they do not necessarily represent the ultimate results possible or desired with reference to the problem being addressed. Program results estimates contained in the objectives guide measurements of actual program accomplishments. This is a legitimate expectation for an organization using public funds. Well-written objectives leave no room for doubting what will constitute evidence of their achievement. Note that:
- Visible, quantifiable clientele accomplishments may not necessarily be attained every year of the program cycle, but may accrue over time as objectives are met.
- Objectives may be quantitative and/or qualitative. It is desirable to quantify qualitative objectives whenever possible.
Writing Clear Objectives
Objectives are the specific and verifiable aims of your program; because they are precise and can be measured, they provide the fundamental building blocks of your evaluation. Evaluating your program can be seen as documenting how well you meet each of your objectives-did you meet them and to what extent? "To improve student health in Oakville" is not an objective. It could be a program goal, however. "To provide hot lunches containing a minimum of 20% protein to at least 80 percent of the Oakville junior high students every school day from September 22 through June 10, 1998" is an objective. What characteristics make it so?
- It names the result area. What exactly is the target population
of your objective?
Example: "the junior high school students of Oakville." - It includes measurement indicators. What methods and units will best allow you to measure performance in your result area?
Example: Percentage of protein in hot lunches provided; percentage of junior high students in Oakville reached by program; number of school days on which lunches are provided. - It indicates performance standards. How much of the measurement
indicator will constitute success in meeting the objective?
Example: 20% protein in lunches; at least 80% of the student body are to receive lunches; lunches will be provided on 100% of school days. - It indicates the time frame during which the program will be
measured to see if it meets the objective.
Example: "From September 22 through June 10, 1998."
A mnemonic for remembering the characteristics of clear objectives is to be "smart"-
Specific
Measurable
Appropriate
Realistic
Timebound
Updated Monday, August 29, 2011
