WRITING INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

Kathy V. Waller, PhD, CLS(NCA) NAACLS Board of Directors

Educators have used instructional, or behavioral, objectives for at least four decades. Robert Mager’s little text, Preparing Instructional Objectives, first printed in 1962, assisted many instructors in formulating and writing objectives. Since then, the use of objectives has become commonplace in education. The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) also affirms the value of objectives. Specifically, Essentials 12 and 13 address the importance of incorporating objectives within the curriculum and specific units of study. The purpose of this unit is to assist the educator in writing objectives using a standard
attitudes and values. It is divided into five major classes arranged in hierarchical order based on level of involvement (from receiving, to characterization by a value).

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Writing Objectives: Key Verbs Psychomotor (Doing or Skills) Domain Absorb Add Adsorb Adjust Aliquot Apply Aspirate Assemble Balance Bind Blend Build Calculate Calibrate Centrifuge Change Choose Classify Clean Collate Collect Combine Connect Construct Control Combine Confirm Connect Construct Control Cool Correct Count Create Crush Cut Decant Demonstrate Describe Design Dialyze Differentiate Dilute Discard Dismantle Dispense Dispose Dissect Dissolve Drain Draw Dry Elute Employ Estimate Evacuate Examine Expel Fasten Fill Filter Fractionate Frame Freeze Grade Grasp Grind Group Guide Handle Heat