Goals are global; objectives are observable in behavioral terms, measureable.

Which are goals? Which are objectives?

• A feeling for the complexity of reference possibilities
• List alternative sources for information on population
• Write a well-defined question with which to begin a search
• Understand the function of an OPAC
• Evaluate several periodicals in terms of their quality as primary sources
• Use the library as a model for organizing info in a field
• Think like a librarian
• Describe the major decision points one must pass in locating a particular volume in a library
• Understand the major categories of reference tools
• Describe the potential uses of the card catalog as a research tool
• Use one of the citation indexes to develop a list of current works on Piagetian developmental theory
• Know the location of all the major components of the library.

Can you change a goal statement to an objective?

Three types of goals:

Cognitive (informational or intellectual skills),
Affective (inspirational or attitudinal),
Psychomotor (physical skills).

What are some examples in Information Literacy Instruction for each?

• Basic objectives (from Bloom's Taxonomy): knowledge or comprehension of facts or concepts. An example:
  • Students can describe the purpose of using NCLive and BIOSIS

    .

• Intermediate objectives: Application of facts or concepts to new situations. An example:
  • Students can locate a topic in BIOSIS.

• Advanced objectives: analysis of situations, synthesis of new models, evaluation of facts of ideas. An example:

  • Students can decide whether or not to use BIOSIS for a particular assignment.

• Basic: Simple awareness of the issue. An example:

  • Students can describe the proper use of references in a paper and why they are appropriate.

• Intermediate: willingness to comply with a request. An example:

  • Students will correctly cite references in their written work, based on stated rules.

• Advanced: analysis and establishment of a personal value system with regard to the issue. An example:

  • Students will describe and defend their own evaluations of a given use of references.

Physical relationship to environment or manipulation of objectives. Examples:

• Students can insert microfiche into a reader correctly.
• After a tour of the library, students can walk to the locations of various services and materials using a map.

Full semester courses have five or six goals whereas one shot presentation usually can only manage one or two.

Convert a goal to an objective by asking 2 questions:

What does a student have to do to demonstrate he or she has reached a goal? (This will result in a main objective for instruction)

What does a student need to know how to do before he or she can do #1? (This question pinpoints prerequisite skills and alerts instructor to subcomponents which may require instruction themselves.)

When writing objectives, concentrate first on specifying the student behavior. May need to add the conditions under which the behavior will be displayed. Helps to refine the behavior. For further clarity, add the criteria for correctness, or the degree to which, to put it in behavioral objective ABCD format where

• A= Audience (the students),
• B= Behavior (what will be observed or measured),
• C= Conditions (the "givens" of the situation) and
• D= the Degree to which (the criterion level sought).

Examples:

Student will add 1 + 2 (a simple objective specifying only the audience and the behavior)
vs.
Student (audience) will add 1 + 2 (behavior) using only pencil and paper (conditions) and reach 100% accuracy (degree to which).

Practice in groups of three for a typical goal and the derived objectives.

Goal: Main objectives: Prerequisite KSA.

Objective Type/Level:

Remember Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation.

Levels 1 and 2 (Knowledge and Comprehension) are low cognitive,
level 3 (Application) is mid and
levels 4-6 (Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation) are upper cognitive.

More examples:

• Cognitive: Low.
  • Student will describe the services offered by the branch libraries.
    Student will list the indexes available in his/her particular field of study.
    Student will list steps to follow in searching for a reference.

• Cognitive. Mid.
  • Student will write name on a map of the library where each item on a list of sources would be found.
    
  • Student will use OPAC to determine if a given book is owned by the library.
    
  • Student will create a specific paper topic, given a general topic, by using a topic narrowing procedure.

• Cognitive. Upper
  • Student will describe a potential search strategy to answer a specific question.
    
  • Student will evaluate the appropriateness of a set of reference sources for a given paper topic.
    
  • Student will create a set of cross-referenced index cards for a set of references pertaining to a dissertation topic.

• Affective. Basic
  • Student can describe why rules for care of archival/library material exist.
    
  • Student can describe how a search strategy makes topic-searching more efficient
    
  • Student identifies the librarian as a possible source of assistance for information-related questions.

• Affective. Intermediate
  • Student abides by archival rules on care of material.
  • Student uses an efficient search strategy whenever researching a topic.
  • Student approaches librarians for assistance when problems arise.

• Affective. Advanced.
  • Student develops several alternative strategies for making use of library's resources.
  • Student keeps informed of new reference tools as they become available.

• Psychomotor.
  • Student can operate various pieces of equipment in the library, such as ...
  • Student walks to librarian when he/she has a problem and asks for assistance.