Educational Objectives/Learning Targets

The term learning targets refers to any statement of what students are to know and be able to do
as a result of instruction. These statements of intended learning take many forms, such as content
standards, Common Core State Standards, benchmarks, or objectives.

Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective and

Psychomotor Domains

Affective Domain

The affective domain focuses on the attitudes, values, interests, and appreciation of learners. The
hierarchy associated with this domain begins with receiving and listening to information, and
extends to characterization or internalizing values and acting upon them. It helps learners
understand their own values and how they have developed.

Affective Hierarchy

1. Receiving
o Sample Learning Outcome: Listen respectfully.
o Sample Assessment/Activity: Summarize a peer’s presentation.
o Rationale: Learners develop effective listening skills and remember key details
for writing the summary.
2. Responding
o SLO: Speak and respond effectively.
o SA/A: Present and answer questions
o R: Learners gain confidence in public speaking and responding to discussions.
3. Valuing
o SLO: Articulate personal values.
o SA/A: Write an opinion piece
o R: Learners explore and articulate their values, having a deeper understanding of
their value system.
4. Organization
o SLO: Compare value systems
o SAA: Analyze cultural values.
o R: Learners analyze how value systems are structured and supported by evidence.
5. Characterization
o SLO: Collaborate effectively.
o SAA: Complete a group project.
o R: Learners practice balancing personal and team values, prioritizing tasks, and
teamwork.
Psychomotor Domain

Encompasses physical skills and movements, ranging from reflex actions to purposeful,
expressive activities.

1. Reflex
o Outcome: React instinctively.
o Activity: Play dodgeball.
2. Basic Fundamental Movements
o Outcome: Perform simple actions.
o Activity: Run and throw in dodgeball.
3. Perceptual Abilities
o Outcome: Integrate sensory perceptions.
o Activity: Play catch or soccer.
4. Physical Abilities
o Outcome: Sustain physical activity.
o Activity: Run for 25 minutes.
5. Skilled Movements
o Outcome: Adapt movements to goals.
o Activity: Play strategic games (soccer, hockey).
6. Non-Discursive Communication
o Outcome: Express through movement.
o Activity: Play team strategy games.

Description of Learning Targets

Learning targets are written from the students’ point of view and represent what both the teacher
and students aim to achieve during a lesson. They include a performance of understanding or
learning experience that provides evidence to answer the question: “What do students
understand, and what are they able to do?”

According to Moss and Brookhart, while a learning target focuses on a daily lesson, achieving
complex understandings often requires scaffolding student learning across a series of interrelated
lessons. In other words, each learning target contributes to a longer, sequential plan that
encompasses both short- and long-term goals.

Alternative Method of Assessment for Learning Targets

Unlike traditional assessments, alternative assessments typically require learners to reflect on
their overall learning to determine what information and skills they need to use to solve a given
problem. These assessments involve real-world tasks that are complex and multifaceted.
 Traditional Assessments Alternative Assessments
Topics and questions are relevant to the discipline and
Topics and questions are not tied to real-world contexts
have real-world applications
Integrate skills and knowledge to solve a problem and
Focus on a single skill and favours facts over
favours reflection and justification. There is more than
reflection. There is usually one correct answer.
one possible answer.
Questions and assessment criteria are not shared with Questions and assessment criteria are shared with the
the students in advance learner in advance; expectations are clearly established
Learner has one opportunity to demonstrate their Involves recurrent tasks. Learner has more than one
knowledge opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge

Types of Performance-Based and Product-Based

Assessments

Performance-Based Assessment

Performance-oriented learning competencies focus on the practical, real-world application of

knowledge. Process-oriented performance-based assessments emphasize the actual task
performance rather than the output or product.

Types of Performance-Based Assessment

1. Project-Based
o Students complete a project by creating a model, conducting research, or
producing an innovative work.
2. Portfolio-Based
o Students participate in multiple projects centered around a specific theme, with a
set deadline.
3. Simulation
o Students engage in activities like role-playing to simulate real-world scenarios,
fostering immersive learning.
4. Real-World
o Students assume professional roles related to the concept being studied,
developing skills needed for future careers.

Product-Based Assessment

Product-oriented learning competencies focus on the final outcome or product created by

students as evidence of their learning. This method emphasizes the achievement and tangible
results rather than the process.

Features of Product-Based Assessment

  Focuses on the product or outcome, not the process.
 Evaluates the application of knowledge and skills in creating tangible results.

These products could be in various forms, such as essays, presentations, artworks, prototypes, or
research papers, depending on the subject and learning objectives.

Types of Rubrics

Analytic Rubrics
Analytic rubrics use a grid format where criteria are listed in one column and performance levels
across the top. Each criterion is scored individually, and the cells may include descriptions for
each performance level.

Advantage: Provide useful feedback on areas of strength and weakness.

Disadvantage: Takes more time to create and use than a holistic rubric.

Developmental Rubrics
A subset of analytic rubrics, developmental rubrics assess the progress of skills or abilities rather
than final performance. They are often based on developmental theories and measure how well
students develop specific competencies over time.

A: Ideal for evaluating skill development over time rather than final products.
D: More challenging to design conceptually.

Holistic Rubrics
Holistic rubrics use a single scale to evaluate all criteria collectively. The evaluator assigns one
overall score, typically on a 1–4 or 1–6 scale, based on the overall quality of the work.

A: Focuses on what the learner can demonstrate, rather than what they cannot.
D: Lacks specific feedback for improvement.

Checklists
Checklists are binary rubrics with only two performance levels (e.g., yes/no, pass/fail). Each
criterion is treated as a separate item, making checklists longer but effective for simple
evaluations.

A: Simple and fast to grade, focusing on discrete decisions for each criterion.
D: Creating comprehensive checklists can be time-consuming and difficult.

Taxonomy of Affective Domain in Learning

 Affective learning is shown through behaviors reflecting awareness, interest, attention, concern,
responsibility, and the ability to listen, respond, and demonstrate appropriate values in
interactions and relevant situations.
Level and Definition Illustrative Verbs
Receiving involves the student's awareness of
stimuli (e.g., classroom activities, music) and asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds,
ranges from simple awareness to selective identifies, locates, names, points to, selects, sits
attention. It represents the lowest level of learning erect, replies, uses
in the affective domain.
Responding refers to active participation, where
answers, assists, complies, conforms, discusses,
students not only attend to stimuli but also react.
greets, helps, labels, performs, practices, presents,
This includes behaviors like reading beyond
reads, recites
assignments or enjoying the material.
Valuing focuses on the importance a student places completes, describes, differentiates, explains,
on a phenomenon, from accepting a value to follows, forms, initiates, invites, joins, justifies,
committing to it. It involves the internalization of proposes, reads, reports, selects, shares, studies,
values expressed through behavior. works
Organization is about synthesizing different values adheres, arranges, combines, compares,
and resolving conflicts to build a consistent value completes, defends, explains, generalizes,
system. It includes conceptualizing and organizing identifies, integrates, modifies, organizes,
values, such as balancing personal and prepares, relates,
professional goals. synthesizes
Characterization by a value occurs when a value
acts, discriminates, displays, influences, listens,
system consistently shapes behavior over time.
modifies, performs, practices, proposes, qualifies,
This stage involves stable, predictable actions that
questions, revises,
reflect a student's overall life patterns and
serves, solves, uses, verifies
adjustment.

Assessment Tools Used to Measure Affective Learning

1. Self-Report Questionnaires

 Respondents answer questions about themselves, behaviors, emotions, or views.

 Used for diagnosing mental states or assessing changes in attitudes or motivation (e.g.,
pre-test, post-test).
 Includes:
a. Likert Scale – A series of items measuring agreement or disagreement.
b. Semantic Differential – Rating concepts using contrasting adjectives.
c. Checklist – Indicates whether certain behaviors or qualities are demonstrated.

2. Interview

 Oral assessment through spoken conversation.

3. Student Journals

 Tools for assessing student thinking and attitudes through guided writing.

4. Observation

 Teacher observes student behaviors in a natural setting to assess learning.