Many of us think “writing learning objectives seems like a lot of work.” To be fair, writing good learning objectives can be time consuming. However, the ABCD model can help you write effective learning objectives faster.
ABCD Model
The ABCD Model breaks down a well written learning objective into 4 parts: Audience, Behavior, Condition and Degree.
Keep in mind that objectives are not always written in order of Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree. Often, learning objectives are written in order of Condition, Audience, Behavior, Degree (CABD). In addition, the degree to which students need to master objectives is often listed via the grading scale in the syllabus and is consistent across all objectives in the course. For instance, students are expected to make 70% or better to pass the assignment.
Examples
Here are some examples of objectives that include Audience (A), Behaviors (B), and Condition (C).
- After reading Chapter 2 and reviewing the Chapter 2 mini-lecture (Condition), you (Audience) will be able to describe the key characteristics of the different classes of planets (Behavior).
- After completing the resources and activities listed in this module (Condition), you (Audience) will be able to explain economic institutions such as the Federal Reserve and stock markets (Behavior).
- Given successful completion of the Solving Environmental Problems Project (Condition), you (Audience) will be able to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team to solve an environmental problem (Behavior).
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