Conditions are circumstances, equipment, documents and other such things that significantly affect performance of the objective. They may be things that help the learner perform the objective, like a calculator ("Given a hand calculator...".) Or, they may be things that hinder performance, such as "Without a calculator...". It is important to include all such conditions in order to clarify exactly what the learner is expected to do.
Choose from the topics below for more specific help in identifying the conditions for your objectives:
Categories of Conditions
Here are some categories to help you think of conditions for your objectives. Remember, it may be appropriate to identify the presence of these conditions, as well as their absence:
•Tools and other equipment
•Assistance of others, performing in a group or independently
•References, drawings, procedures or other documentation
•The setting or environment, such as classroom, simulator, lab, at the job site
•Specific circumstances or occurrences, such as emergencies, hazardous conditions
•Availability of information or data
Example Conditions
•Given a calculator and the required raw data, and in a laboratory setting...
•Given all necessary hand tools and the technical manual...
•From memory...
•Without the aid of reference...
•Given a simulated control panel...
•Under emergency conditions and without assistance...
•Given a scenario...
•With assistance from a journeyman...
•In a simulated cockpit...
Tips for Formulating Conditions
Below are some suggestions for formulating conditions:
•Look at the conditions statement in the higher level objective (such as the terminal objective), if there is one. Use these conditions if they are appropriate.
•Use conditions that approximate the real job as closely as possible, except where clearly impractical, unsafe or unnecessary.
•Use general conditions when possible, rather than detail every manual or piece of equipment found at a work station. Overly complex or detailed conditions can be intimidating.
oFor example, the term "Given the standard complement of hand tools and test equipment..." is more preferable than detailing every tool or piece of equipment.
•State as many conditions as necessary to clarify the objective.
•Leave the conditions out when they are perfectly obvious or "understood".
oFor example, in the objective "From memory, state the mission of the training department," it is not necessary to state "from memory" as a condition. It is obvious that the behavior will be carried out without the aid of references.
o On the other hand, for the objective "From memory, list the five emergency steps for handling a mid flight engine burnout" it would probably be a good idea to state the condition. Perhaps there might otherwise be an assumption on the part of the learner that he or she will be able to use a job aid or the emergency procedure, since in some cases they are available.
•You can place the conditions anywhere in the objective, but they are most often placed in the front of the behavior.
