There is a special treatment plan, or specification, for developing instruction for Use/Concept objectives. This treatment plan is comprised of a series of instructional components that combine in a way that best teaches this particular type of objective.
Choose from the topics below for help in applying the treatment plan for your Use/Concept objectives:
How to Write a Brief Introduction for an Objective
A brief introduction to an objective should have these characteristics:
•Relates the current objective content to what has just been learned.
•Orients the students to what is coming in the segment.
•Motivates the learner by establishing relevance and purpose for learning the material.
Here's an example of a brief introduction to an objective:
In the last segment you became familiar with all of the features and components of the DOP Pentrometer. Now it's time to start using the meter. This segment will cover the first important activity: Calibrating the meter. It is vital to properly calibrate the meter to be sure your are getting accurate readings.
 Note that the introduction is very brief and to the point, while still exhibiting the three components of an introduction: orientation to what was taught before; brief overview of what is coming, and a motivating statement, in this case based on why it is important to learn the material.
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How to Write a Main Idea for a Concept Objective
To write a main idea for a Use/Concept objective, follow these guidelines:
First, write a lead-in statement that introduces the concept. The lead-in statement should basically be a restatement of the objective behavior.
For example, for this "use process" type objective, "Diagnose a problem in an automobile engine cooling system" the lead-in statement might be, "When operating normally, the automobile engine cooling system process is as follows Behavior".
The objective behavior refers to the action statement in the objective. Remember, the three components of an objective are (1) conditions; (2) behavior (action statement); (3) standards.
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List the critical characteristics that are shared by all of the elements of the concept group.
Critical characteristics are what really define the concept. The critical characteristics of a baseball game are the field, players, equipment and the flow of events. The irrelevant characteristics are the stadium, the crowds, location of the game and so on.
For example, the critical characteristics of the concept group "squares" are: four sides; all four sides are of equal length.
Irrelevant characteristics are the size, color, shape, position and so on.
Each element of the group shares a unique set of characteristics that define the concept. The main idea is basically a list of these unique characteristics.
As an example, let's say you are teaching the critical characteristics of an acceptable site for a commercial property development project. They might look like this:
•good visibility from a major highway •easy access and exit •sufficient space to support the project, including for parking •within walking distance to public transportation •zoned for commercial development Combined with the lead-in statement, these characteristics will comprise the entire main idea for the concept objective.
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Keep the list concise and logically organized.
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Don't include any elaboration or specific examples.
The main idea (critical characteristics) contains all of the information needed for most learners in the target audience to meet the objective. It does not include elaboration or details. Those will come later, in the explanation and examples.
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How to Write an Explanation for a Concept Objective
The purpose of the explanation is to clear up any confusing or complex areas and provide necessary detail. The explanation makes it more likely that any learner can use the critical characteristics to discriminate between the items that fall into the concept group and those that do not.
Your explanation for a Use/Concept should accomplish the following, as applicable to your specific main idea content:
Clarify any of the characteristics that are not obvious. If a characteristic is complicated or easy to misunderstand, provide the detail needed to clarify. Think about what a novice learner would really find helpful in order to understand the characteristics, and why it is significant.
For example, you might clarify the characteristic "good visibility" with something like this:
"Good visibility means that the entrance can be spotted easily from the highway in time for the motorist to slow down and enter the parking lot safely."
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Use a specific example if necessary to help make your clarification easier to grasp (and perhaps more interesting).
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Point out any common errors in over-generalizing or under-generalizing the concept.
When there is a chance that the learner will confuse the concepts, your explanation should point out the tricky areas. For example:
When deciding if a proposed site is acceptable for commercial development, watch out for the proximity to public transportation. It's easy to miss this point. But our research shows that with more and more rigid environmental legislation, access to the rail system will be a real plus.
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Point out specific points of differentiation between the concept and other related concepts.
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Use graphics, photographs or other aids as needed to make every characteristic more clear. They always seem to make the lesson more interesting and appealing too. That's an important consideration.
Use drawings, photographs or the actual equipment to clarify any of the characteristics as needed.
For example, let's stick with the commercial property development example. Say that "good visibility" is one of the critical characteristics of an acceptable location for a commercial development project. The characteristic might be clarified by a drawing or topography map, showing a freeway that is within close proximity to the entrance of the proposed shopping center.
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Do not elaborate on a step that is very simple and obviously needs no further detail.
Don't worry too much over an objective that is presented briefly and with little elaboration. So much the better for the learner! Never make someone have to plod through information they don't really need. Keep it lean!
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How to Develop Examples for a Concept Objective
Teaching someone to recognize and differentiate between concepts depends on what kinds of examples you show, and how many. You simply cannot teach a use/concept objective without examples.
One way to use examples to teach a concept is to show several examples of the concept, each with all of the critical characteristics. Make the examples also vary with the non critical characteristics. Look at this example for teaching the concept of a "square."
A square has these critical characteristics:
•four sides •all four sides are of equal length Here are examples of a square. Some are bigger, some are smaller. They are all different colors. But each has all of the critical characteristic of the concept for a square: four sides, all four sides are of equal length. They are all squares, even though the look a bit different.
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Another way to use examples for concept objectives is with "example and non-example pairs." In the pairs, show a true "example" (it has all of the critical characteristics), and a matching "non-example." The non-example might be identical in the irrelevant characteristics but lacks one or more of the critical characteristics.
Note the examples here:
Both examples are the same color. Both have four sides. But in example B, the sides are not of equal length. Example A is a square. Example B is not a square.
Here's one more example. This one's a bit tricky:
"These two examples look quite different from each other. But notice, both have all of the characteristics for a square: four sides, all four sides are even. It's just that one is tipped to look like a diamond. And the colors and size are different. Both are still squares."
Admittedly, these examples (for the concept "square") are pretty simple. But the same applies to any concept your are trying to get across. Whether simple objects, or something more complex, like "a good location for commercial property."
Here are a few more hints for using example and non-examples to teach a concept:
•The examples should show a wide range and represent every reasonable category of the irrelevant characteristics. •Every common error should be represented in the non-example. •The non-examples should be reasonable and realistic, not far our (don't show a fish as a non-example of a tree). •Be sure to label the examples and non examples as such. •Point out the critical characteristics in the example with graphics, etc. |
How to Develop Practice for a Concept Objective
To develop the practice, include the following information:
•It is best to provide a series of repetitive practices. It is sometimes a good idea to make each repetition more complex than the one before. "Practice makes perfect."
•Ask the learner to identify items that fall into the concept group.
Practice for a concept objective should ask the learner to identify an item that falls into the concept group. You can work the practice in several ways. For example:
1.Have the learner select the item that represents the concept from a set of items: "Which item below is a true square?"
2.Have them determine whether or not an example represents the concept: "Is the item below a true square?"
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Provide general instructions to the student (or to the instructor, if the practice will be administered by an instructor) for how to carry out the practice. Instructions should include things like: where to get equipment, how to use the lesson guide, and who to see for help.
Start the practice instructions with a clear statement of what the learner will do in the practice.
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Be sure to describe the expected outcomes so that the student can tell if they are on the right track at every step.
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Provide several different practice exercises to cover the range of instances required to ensure the student understands the objective and can apply it in the range of circumstances likely to be encountered.
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Provide feedback after every instance or repetition. Practice without feedback is practically useless!
Include feedback after each question that explains "why". Explain why the objective, or any part of the objective, works the way it does.
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Often the learner can practice the objective with minimal instructor supervision. In these cases, the instructions in a self-paced lesson or student lab guide must be extremely clear.
•Be sure to specify exactly what the practice requires the learner to do, based on the objective. •Provide very clear directions for where to get the required equipment, the condition or mode that the equipment must be in at the start of practice, where to get the step by step directions and who to see for help. •Be sure to describe the expected outcomes so that the student can tell if he or she is on the right track at every step. |
If the procedure will be presented to the student in a facilitated lab, on-the-job session or classroom, prepare the demonstration in the form of instructions to the instructor. State each step with all of the information necessary to demonstrate the entire procedure. The idea is to provide enough information in the instructions to enable any qualified instructor to perform the demonstration with consistency.
It's tempting to avoid doing that. "Leave it up to the individual instructor to perform the demonstration in whatever way he or she sees fit." That sounds logical. It certainly makes your job as author much easier! But it presents these problems:
•It takes longer for each instructor to gear up for the lesson. Every time the lesson is presented by a new instructor, he or she has to prepare the demonstration. It really adds up. •It also leads to inconsistent instruction. Some instructors might think of important common errors, helps and tips. Others may not. Not every student would get the best instruction possible. So it's best if you, the author, to do the job once, and do it thoroughly.
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Introduce the Concept
