There are four components to a learning objective. These components include audience, behavior, condition, and degree, known as the ABCD model. Audience and behavior are components of every objective, but condition and degree are not always included.
- Audience. Who will achieve the outcome? Examples: students, learners, and participants.
- Behavior. What will learners be able to do? This typically includes the action verb and what immediately follows it.
- Condition. What are the conditions of the objective? Are reference materials allowed? Can learners use a calculator?
- Degree. What are the minimum criteria for acceptable performance? Examples: speed, accuracy.
Each behavioral objective should contain an action verb (see embedded image). Action verbs should not be chosen at random. They depend on the desired learning level (see page 17, Bloom's Taxonomy) and must align with assessment activities. Remember, learning objectives need to be measurable and observable to evaluate whether or not they are being met.
