Instructional Strategies based on Learning Objectives

When it comes to skill components of learning goals, lessons should be centered on actions, practice, and activities. For example, a learner cannot learn how to use technology to make a pie chart simply by watching you do it. A better activity would be to provide the learner with data and instructions and allow her to do it herself. She should be given the opportunity to practice multiple times and experiment with different data or different charts. You can’t say you have mastered the art of shooting a basketball the first time that you sink a single free throw.

Finally, in order to decide how to assess the learning objective you need to analyze the verb in the learning goal, in this case: “incorporate”. This is an action verb which requires the learners to actually DO something. The verb indicates that in order for learners to master this task they will need practice in creating presentations. Each of those presentations must make use of visual aids.

The following graphic from The Eberly Center at Carnegie Mellon University categorizes learning objectives by their verbs and then provides examples of instructional strategies and assessment methods that are aligned to each category.