Targeted education is an important tool for the teaching process. These targets translate your expectations of students. It helps you write lesson plans, exams, quizzes, and practice sheets. There is a specific formula for writing educational targets. Learning these formulas helps you write quality educational goals for you and your students.
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Part 1 of 3: Planning Targets
Step 1. Distinguish between goals and targets
Goals and targets are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually different terms. Make sure you understand the difference before trying to write your target.
- Goals are broad and difficult to measure objectively. Goals concentrate on the big picture of the problem. For example, in a child psychology class, the goal is set: “Students learn to appreciate the importance of clinical training when dealing with young children.” These goals can be used to inspire educational targets, but are not specific enough to be targeted.
- Educational targets are specific. Targets use measurable verbs and criteria that define minimum performance or skills in a particular subject. For example, “By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify three theorists whose work influenced teaching practice in the United States.” This sentence is a specific educational target.
Step 2. Understand Bloom's Taxonomy
In 1956, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom created a framework for categorizing different types of learning and hierarchies representing different levels of learning. Bloom's taxonomy is usually used to write educational targets.
- Bloom identified three learning domains. The cognitive domain is the domain of most concern in college. Cognitive is the domain used as a guide when writing educational targets and concentrating on intellectual and scientific learning. The cognitive domain is divided into six levels:
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The first level is knowledge, namely the ability to memorize, read, and recall the material that has been learned.
- Example: Memorizing the multiplication table.
- Example: Remembering when the Battle of Hastings took place.
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The second level is understanding. At this level, students should be able to understand facts and demonstrate understanding by organizing, translating or comparing the facts.
- Example: Translating sentences from Japanese to German.
- Example: Explaining why nuclear technology influenced President Reagan's political policies.
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The third level is application. At this level, students should be able to apply their knowledge in a variety of situations.
- Example: Using the number pi to solve various math problems.
- Example: Using the word “please” to politely ask for something, not only when talking to your mother, but also with other people.
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The fourth level is analysis. Students at this level are able to use the facts they have learned and re-examine them so that they are able to understand why the facts are true. Students should also be able to find evidence to support a new claim or prove the truth of a particular study's conclusion.
- Example: Understanding the concept of “destiny” as a predetermined path of life.
- Example: A ball thrown on the ground will fall, a stone thrown on the ground will fall…but what happens when the objects are thrown into the water?
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The fifth level is synthesis. At this level, students are able to use information or facts in new ways so that they are able to find new patterns, alternative ideas, solutions, or theories.
- Example: Making a painting.
- Example: Creating a new idea about subatomic particles.
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The sixth level is evaluation. At this level, a person is able to present and defend a theory and make judgments about opinions made by others about a particular subject.
- Example: Making a short film that humanizes immigrants in the community with comments on why they deserve respect.
- Example: Writing an essay about why you believe Hamlet doesn't really love Ophelia.
Step 3. Learn the characteristics that can communicate your desires
When you are writing educational goals, there are three characteristics you need to pay attention to. These characteristics should effectively communicate your desires and teaching style to students.
- The first characteristic is performance. A target should state clearly what the student should be able to do after graduating from a particular lesson.
- The second characteristic is condition. A good educational target should describe the environmental conditions in which students show their performance.
- The criterion, the third characteristic, describes the minimum standard of student performance. This is a specific threshold that students must reach in order to graduate.
- For example, you teach a nursing class. A good educational goal would state “At the end of the lesson, students are expected to be able to draw blood at a standard hospital in 2 to 3 minutes.” This statement provides an outline of performance (blood draw), condition (hospital standard), and criteria (done in 2 to 3 minutes).
Part 2 of 3: Writing Educational Goals
Step 1. Write the main statement
The main statement should outline the expected performance of the student. You should use measured verbs to make the main statement.
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The main statement begins by mentioning the class or subject. For example, “After this lesson, students will be able to…” or “After completing this lesson, students are expected to be able to do…”
- Example: After completing this lesson, students are expected to be able to write paragraphs using topic sentences.
- Example: After completing this lesson, students are expected to be able to identify three types of farm animals.
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The main statement should also outline the duration for mastering a particular skill. If you are writing educational goals for a particular subject, write them down specifically. Instead of writing "At the end of this lesson…", write "At the end of today's lesson…"
- Example: In the middle of the semester, all students should be able to count to 20.
- Example: At the end of the workshop, students should be able to make a haiku.
Step 2. Choose the right verb
The verbs you use depend on the level of learning you are aiming for in Bloom's Taxonomy. You should write several educational targets that represent different levels in Bloom's Taxonomy.
- For knowledge level, use words like mention, memorize, and define.
- For the level of understanding, use words such as, explain, describe, paraphrase, and restate.
- For the application level, use the words count, predict, explain, and apply.
- For the analysis level, use the terms categorize, analyze, chart, and explain.
- For the synthesis level, use words like design, formulate, build, discover, and create.
- For the evaluation level, use the words select, relate, differentiate, provide arguments, and support.
Step 3. Determine the output
Output is something that is literally produced or done by students to prove performance under certain conditions using predetermined criteria. You describe what you expect students to do at the end of the lesson or class.
- What kind of performance do you expect? Do students simply make a list or mention something? Are they supposed to understand how to perform certain tasks?
- Where and when should they show performance? Is it in the classroom or in a real environment?
- What criteria do you use to evaluate students? What is the minimum value that must be achieved?
Step 4. Merge them all together
Once you've made the main statement, selected the verbs, and identified the outputs, put them all together to create an educational goal.
- Say you teach high school English and you are about to enter the topic of Symbolism. A good educational goal would be to state, “By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze symbolism in literature and interpret it using their own words.”
- The main statement identifies that the target must be achieved at the end of the lesson.
- The verb used refers to the level of understanding which is the second level in Bloom's Learning Hierarchy.
- The expected performance is literature analysis. The expected condition is that students read the literature alone. The expected output is that students are able to read, analyze, and explain what they read using their own words.
Part 3 of 3: Rereading Educational Targets
Step 1. Make sure your target is SMART
You can verify this using the criteria in the SMART acronym.
- S stands for specific or "specific". Do education targets provide a measurable big picture of skills? If the target is too broad, change it to be more specific.
- M stands for measurable or "measurable". Your educational goals should be measurable in the classroom through exams or performance observations.
- A stands for action-oriented or “focus on action”. All educational targets should use verbs that indicate what tasks the students have to do.
- R stands for reasonable or "reasonable". Make sure your target is realistically achieved within the conditions and duration you have set. For example, you can't expect students to master CPR after just one week of class.
- T stands for time-bound or “timeout”. All educational targets must state a clear time limit.
Step 2. Evaluate target achievement
Solid educational goals can help you complete your assignment as a teacher. Check your lessons regularly to make sure students are achieving the set targets.
- Tests, essays, exams, and quizzes during the semester are effective tools to measure the achievement of educational targets. If a student seems difficult to achieve the target, it is likely that the issue is individual. However, if all students are struggling to reach the target, you may not be conveying information effectively.
- Provide questionnaires and surveys that ask students how they feel about their knowledge of a particular subject. Ask them to tell you honestly what the strengths and weaknesses of your teaching process are.
Step 3. Change the target if needed
Targeted education is an important thing. Many teachers reread it during the semester if the students can't reach the target. If you have difficulty with the teaching process, look back at your goals. Consider how to change those goals so you can become a better teacher.
Tips
- Other co-teachers can help you set goals. Every teacher in the world of education must write educational targets. If you're having trouble, enlist the help of a colleague to check your goals and provide feedback.
- See examples of educational targets. This kind of target is generally written in the syllabus. This example will give you an idea of a solid, well-written target.
