Use BEHAVIORAL VERBS TO COME OUT WITH BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES.
Behavioral objectives describe what the student / participant will be able to do after having attended your learning activity, something that is observable and measurable. Each objective should begin with a verb that describes an observable behavior, such as “describe, summarize, demonstrate, compare, plan, score”, etc. One can observe the student /participant and/or measure how well the objective was met.
Verbs that describe feelings, emotions, thoughts or similar things are not behavioral, because they are
not observable or measurable.
Verbs in this category include “appreciate, believe, know, learn, realize, think, understand”, and so on. Steer clear of these types of words when writing learning objectives.
know, learn, realize, think understand, appreciate, approach,
Examples of good behavioral verbs.
After attending this activity, the participant will demonstrate the ability to:
- Recognize four common causes of shoulder pain
- Compare and contrast several management strategies for patients with chronic shoulder pain
- Describe the current clinical practice for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors in adults
- Evaluate the process of translating laboratory research into clinical trials for patients with malignant
gliomas - Outline current advances in molecular biology, immune therapy, stem cell therapeutics, and drug
delivery systems for brain tumors - Identify challenges caregivers face in caring for patients with brain tumors
- Recognize quality of life issues for patients with brain tumors and the effectiveness of measurement
tools.
Writing Behavioral Objectives – Please use this tool to aid in writing the learning objectives for your session.
What behavioral objectives ARE:
Behavioral objectives describe what the participant will be able to do after having attended your activity,
something that is observable and measurable. Each objective should begin with a verb that describes an
observable behavior, such as “describe, summarize, demonstrate, compare, plan, score”, etc. You can
observe the participant and measure how well the objective was met.
What behavioral objectives are NOT:
a. Verbs that describe feelings, emotions, thoughts or similar things are not behavioral, because they are
not observable or measurable. Verbs in this category include “appreciate, believe, know, learn, realize,
think, understand”, and so on. Steer clear of these types of words when writing your objectives.
b. What the presenter intends to do during the activity (e.g. “Present information on…”, “Show the
audience how to…” are the presenter’s goals, not learning objectives. Write objectives from the
perspective of what the participant will be able to do after attending the activity.
Advise
Analyze
Apply
Appraise
Arrange
Assemble
Assess
Audit
Calculate
Categorize
Change
Choose
Code
Collect
Combine
Communicate
Compare
Compile
Comply
Compose
Conclude
Conduct
Construct
Contrast
Convert
Counsel
Create
Criticize
Debate
Deduct
Defend
Define
Demonstrate
Describe
Design
Develop
Devise
Diagram
Differentiate
Discover
Discriminate
Discuss
Distinguish
Dramatize
Edit
Employ
Enforce
Estimate
Evaluate
Examine
Experiment
Explain
Express
Extend
Formulate
Gather
Generalize
Generate
Identify
Illustrate
Incorporate
Inspect
Instruct
Interpret
Interview
Inventory
Investigate
Judge
Justify
Label
List
Locate
Maintain
Manage
Manipulate
Match
Measure
Modify
Monitor
Name
Operate
Organize
Outline
Paraphrase
Perform
Plan
Point
Practice
Predict
Prepare
Produce
Propose
Question
Rate
Rearrange
Recall
Recommend
Reconstruct
Record
Relate
Repeat
Report
Reproduce
Respond
Restate
Retrieve
Review
Revise
Rewrite
Schedule
Score
Screen
Select
Separate
Show
Sketch
Solve
State
Subdivide
Summarize
Support
Tell
Test
Transcribe
Translate
Underline
Use
Avoid non-measurable verbs: amplify, appreciate, be acquainted with, be aware, be(come)
familiar with, explore, gain insight, improve, increase, know, learn, realize, understand
The following verbs will help to write good learning objectives for Bloom Taxonomy on COGNITIVE DOMAIN:
Knowledge and Comprehension encompass cognitive processes of remembering or explaining.
Application and Analysis are at a higher level and involve using knowledge to find new solutions, or in
breaking a whole into component parts. Synthesis and Evaluation are problem solving cognitive
processes, usually involving the creation of a new whole, or ability to judge the value of some thing(s).
KNOWLEDGE
Cite
Choose
Define
Label
List
Locate
Match
Name
Recall
Recognize
Record
Repeat
Select
State
Write
COMPREHENSION
Arrange
Associate
Clarify
Classify
Convert
Describe
Diagram
Draw
Discuss
Estimate
Explain
Express
Identify
Locate
Outline
Paraphrase
Report
Restate
Review
Sort
Summarize
Transfer
Translate
APPLICATION
Adapt
Apply
Catalogue
Chart
Compute
Consolidate
Demonstrate
Develop
Employ
Extend
Extrapolate
Generalize
Illustrate
Infer
Interpolate
Interpret
Manipulate
Modify
Order
Predict
Prepare
Produce
Relate
Sketch
Submit
Tabulate
Transcribe
Use
Utilize
ANALYSIS
Analyze
Appraise
Audit
Break down
Calculate
Categorize
Certify
Compare
Contrast
Correlate
Criticize
Deduce
Defend
Detect
Diagram
Differentiate
Discriminate
Distinguish
Examine
Infer
Inspect
Investigate
Question
Reason
Separate
Solve
Survey
Test
Uncover
Verify
SYNTHESIS
Arrange
Assemble
Build
Combine
Compile
Compose
Conceive
Construct
Create
Design
Devise
Discover
Draft
Formulate
Generate
Integrate
Make
Manage
Organize
Plan
Predict
Prepare
Propose
Reorder
Reorganize
Set up
Structure
Synthesize
EVALUATION
Appraise
Approve
Assess
Choose
Conclude
Confirm
Criticize
Critique
Diagnose
Evaluate
Judge
Justify
Prioritize
Prove
Rank
Rte
Recommend
Research
Resolve
Revise
Rule on
Select
Support
Validate
RECEIVING
Accept
Acknowledge
Attend (to)
Follow
Listen
Meet
Observe
Receive
RESPONDING
Agree
Allow
Answer
Ask
Assist
Attempt
Choose
Communicate
Comply
Conform
Cooperate
Demonstrate
Describe
Discuss
Display
Exhibit
Follow
Give
Help
Identify
Locate
Notify
Obey
Offer
Participate (in)
Practice
Present
Read
Relay
Reply
Report
Respond
Select
Try
VALUING
Adopt
Aid
Care (for)
Complete
Compliment
Contribute
Delay
Encourage
Endorse
Enforce
Evaluate
Expedite
Foster
Guide
Initiate
Interact
Join
Justify
Maintain
Monitor
Praise
Preserve
Propose
Query
React
Respect
Seek
Share
Study
Subscribe
Suggest
Support
Thank
Uphold
ORGANIZATION
Anticipate
Collaborate
Confer
Consider
Consult
Coordinate
Design
Direct
Establish
Facilitate
Follow through
Investigate
Judge
Lead
Manage
Modify
Organize
Oversee
Plan
Qualify
Recommend
Revise
Simplify
Specify
Submit
Synthesize
Test
Vary
Weigh
CHARACTERIZATION BY A VALUE OR VALUE COMPLEX
Act
Administer
Advance
Advocate
Aid
Challenge
Change
Commit (to)
Counsel
Criticize
Debate
Defend
Disagree
Dispute
Empathize
Endeavor
Enhance
Excuse
Forgive
Influence
Motivate
Negotiate
Object
Persevere
Persist
Praise
Profess
Promote
Promulgate
Question
Reject
Resolve
Seek
Serve
Solve
Strive
Tolerate
Volunteer (for)
The affective domain is concerned with changes (growth) in interests, attitudes and values. There are five major classes based on level of involvement.
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