Originating Source (http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/plan/behobj.html)

Alternate Source (http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/curric/behavior.htm)
Alternate Source (http://hs.riverdale.k12.or.us/~dthompso/exhibition/blooms.htm)

Link to Verbs

Behavioral Objective Defined

• An objective is a clear and unambiguous description of your educational expectations for students. When written in behavioral terms, an objective will include three components: student behavior, conditions of performance, and performance criteria.

Three Parts of a Behavioral Objective

1. Student Behavior -- skill or knowledge to be gained (e.g., two digit numbers, vocabulary words) and the action or skill the student is able TO DO (e.g., define, count, label, categorize, analyze, design, evaluate, add, multiply, etc.)
   • Examples: Students will add two-digit numbers; Students will define the vocabulary words identified in bold print in the first story.
2. Conditions of Performance -- under what circumstances or context will the behavior be performed
   • Examples: In an oral presentation; Without the use of notes
3. Performance Criteria -- how well is the behavior is to done; compared to what standard
   • Examples: 80 out of 100; containing all components discussed in class.

Example of a well-written behavioral objective:

• In an oral presentation, the student will paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther Kings's I Have a Dream address, mentioning at least 3 of the 5 major points discussed in class.

Behavioral objectives can be written for any of the domains of instruction (i.e., cognitive, affective, or psychomotor.)

Excellent resources:

• Kizlik, B. (2002). How to write behavioral objectives. Boca Raton, FL: Adprima. Retrieved: September 2002. [http://www.adprima.com/objectives.htm]

Bloom et al.'s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain

Citation: Huitt, W. (2004). Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html.

Return to | Overview of the Cognitive System | EdPsyc Interactive: Courses |

Beginning in 1948, a group of educators undertook the task of classifying education goals and objectives. The intent was to develop a classification system for three domains: the cognitive, the affective, and the psychomotor. Work on the cognitive domain was completed in 1956 and is commonly referred to as Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain (Bloom et al., 1956). Others have developed taxonomies for the affective and psychomotor domains.

The major idea of the taxonomy is that what educators want students to know (encompassed in statements of educational objectives) can be arranged in a hierarchy from less to more complex. The taxonomy is presented below with sample verbs and a sample behavior statement for each level.

In general, research over the last 40 years has confirmed the taxonomy as a hierarchy with the exception of the last two levels. It is uncertain at this time whether synthesis and evaluation should be reversed (i.e., evaluation is less difficult to accomplish than synthesis) or whether synthesis and evaluation are at the same level of difficulty but use different cognitive processes. Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) revised Bloom's taxonomy and placed evaluating prior to creating. In my opinion, it is more likely that synthesis/creating and evaluation/evaluating are at the same level. Both depend on analysis as a foundational process. However, synthesis or creating requires rearranging the parts in a new, original way whereas evaluation or evaluating requires a comparison to a standard with a judgment as to good, better or best. This is similar to the distinction between creative thinking and critical thinking. Both are valuable while neither is superior. In fact, when either is omitted during the problem solving process, effectiveness declines (Huitt, 1992).

In any case it is clear that students can "know" about a topic or subject at different levels. While most teacher-made tests still test at the lower levels of the taxonomy, research has shown that students remember more when they have learned to handle the topic at the higher levels of the taxonomy. This is because more elaboration is required, a principle of learning based on finding from the information processing approach to learning.

References

• Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl (Eds.). (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman.
• Bloom, B., Englehart, M. Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York, Toronto: Longmans, Green.
• Huitt, W. (1992). Problem solving and decision making: Consideration of individual differences using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Psychological Type, 24, 33-44. Retrieved June 2004, from http://chrion.valdosta.edu/whuitt//papers/prbsmbti.html.

| Internet Resources | Electronic Files | Additional articles | Additional books |

Krathwol et al.'s Taxonomy of the Affective Domain

Citation: Huitt, W. (2001, April). Krathwol et al.'s taxonomy of the affective domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/affdom.html.

Return to: The Affective System | Educational Psyc: Courses | Home |

The following is adapted from: Krathwohl, D., Bloom, B., & Masia, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay.

The taxonomy was developed to organize levels of commitment. As such it could just as properly be discussed as a regulatory system issue in the model being presented here.

THE PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN

Developed by: W. Huitt
Last modified: April, 2003

Citation: Huitt, W. (2003). The psychomotor domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date], from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/behsys/psymtr.html.

Return to | Behavioral Approach | EdPsycInteractive: Courses |

There are three primary taxonomies of the psychomotor domain:

• Simpson, E. (1972). The classification of educational objectives in the psychomotor domain: The psychomotor domain. Vol. 3. Washington, DC: Gryphon House.

Level	Definition	Possible Verbs
1. Perception	The ability to use sensory cues to guide physical activity	Distinguish, identify, select
2. Set	The readiness to act; requires the learner to demonstrate an awareness or knowledge of the behaviors needed to carry out the skill	Assume a position, demonstrate, show
3. Guided response	The early stage of learning a complex skill; includes imitation;can complete the steps involved in the skill as directed	Attempt, imitate, try
4. Mechanism	The ability to perform a complex motor skill; the intermediate stage of learning a complex skill
5. Complex overt response	The ability to perform the complete psychomotor skill correctly	Carry out, operate, perform
6. Adaptation	Can modify motor skills to fit a new situation	Adapt, change, modify, revise
7. Origination	The ability to develop an original skill that replaces the skill as initially learned	Create, design, originate.

Modification of Simpson by the University of Mississippi School of Education

 

• Harrow, A. (1972). A taxonomy of the psychomotor domain. A guide for developing behavioral objectives. New York: McKay.
   

  Level	Definition	Possible Verbs
  1. Reflex movement	Segmental, intersegmental, and suprasegmental reflexes	Respond
  2. Basic-fundamental movements	Locomotor movements, nonlocomotor movements, manipulative movements
  3. Perceptual abilities	Kinesthetic, visual, auditory and tactile discrimination and coordinated abilities
  4. Physical abilities	Endurance, strength, flexibility, and agility
  5. Skilled movements	Simple, compound, and complex adaptive skills	Assemble, calibrate, construct, dissect
  6. Nondiscursive communication	Expressive and interpretive movement	Arrange, compose, create, originate, design

• Dave, R. (1967). Psychomotor domain. Berlin: International Conference of Educational Testing.

Level	Definition	Possible Verbs
1. Imitate	Observe a skill and attempt to repeat it, or see a finished product and attempt to replicate it while attending to an exemplar.	Attempt, copy, duplicate, imitate, mimic
2. Manipulate	Perform the skill or produce the product in a recognizable fashion by following general instructions rather than observation.	Complete, follow, play, perform, produce
3. Precision	Independently perform the skill or produce the product, with accuracy, proportion, and exactness; at an expert level.	Achieve automatically, excel expertly, perform masterfully
4. Articulation	Modify the skill or product the product to fit new situations; combine more than one skill in sequence with harmony and consistency.	Adapt, alter, customize, originate
5. Naturalization	Completion of one or more skills with ease and making the skill automatic with limited physical or mental exertion.	Naturally, perfectly