Lesson 2

Learning Targets for Performance and Product

Assessment Product-Orient
Suggested
Timeframe: 4.5 ho
What are the learning targets appropriate for alternative assessment?
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
Educational objectives are specific statements of student performance at
the end of an instructional unit. Educationalobjectives are sometimes referred to
as behavioral objectives and are typically stated with the use of verbs. The
most
popular taxonomy of educational objectives is Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of three domains; cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor. These three domains correspond to the three types of goals that
teachers want to assess: knowledge-based goals (cognitive), skills-based goals
(psychomotor), and affective goals (affective). Hence, there are three taxonomies
that can be used by teachers depending on the goals. Each
taxonomy consists of
different levels of expertise with varying degree of complexity. The succeeding
sections describe the taxonomies for the psychomotor and affective domain.
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective Domain describes
five levels of expertise: receiving, responding, valuing,organization, and characterization
by avalue or value complex. Table 2.1 provides an elaboration of this
will be discussed further in Lesson 4on assessment of affective taxonomy. This
learning.
Table 2.1. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective Domain

Level Description llustrative Sample

Verbs Objective
Receiving Awareness or
passive attention to
asks,chooses, Listens attentively
holds, identifies, to the instruction
aphenomenon or listens of the teacher
stimulus

17
Responding Active attention answers, Participates
and response complies, actively in the
to aparticular participates, focus-group
phenomenon or practices, discussion
stimulus writes

Valuing Attaching value completes, Demonstrates

or worth to a demonstrates, belief in the value
phenomenonor differentiates, of the election
object. Valuing explains, procesS
may range from justifies
acceptance to
commitment

Organization Organizing values adheres, Defends the

into priorities by defends, importance
comparing, relating, integrates, of graduate
and synthesizing organizes, education in
specific values synthesizes the career of a
teacher
Internalizing Having a personal acts,displays, Displays
values/ value system that is influences, commitment
characterization now a characteristic solves, to helping
by a value or of the learner verifies economically
value complex disadvantaged
students

in terms of educational objectives in the psychomotor domain, Bloom and

colleagues did not propose levels unlike in the cognitive and affective domains.
However, other scholars like Elizabeth Simpson (1972) buit a taxonomy for the
psychomotor domain from the work of Bloom. In Simpson's Taxonomy Educational
Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain, seven levels of expertise are described:
perception, set, guided response, mechanism, complex overt response, adaptation,
and origination. Table 2.2 provides an elaboration of this taxonomy.
Table 2.2. Taxonomy of EducationalObjectives in the Psychomotor Domain
Level Description llustrative Sample
Verbs Objective
Perception The ability to use adjusts, Detects non
sensory cues to guide describes, verbal cues
motor activity detects, from the
identifies, participants
selects

18
Set The mental, physical, begins, Shows
and emotional sets that displays, knows, motivation to
predispose a person's recognizes, learn a new skill
response to different shows,
situations. states
Guided Demonstration of a copies, Performs the
Response complex skill through performs, mathematical
guided practice like follows, reacts, operation
imitation and trial and responds by following
error,
the steps
demonstrated
by the teacher
Mechanism Learned responses assembles, Plays the guitar
have become habitual dismantles,
and mOvements can be
fixes,
performed with'some manipulates,
degree of confidence plays
and proficiency
Complex Performance of motor assembles, Demonstrates
Overt acts that involve dismantles, one's expertise
Response complex fixes, in playing the
movement patterns manipulates, guitar
in aquick, accurate, organi|es
and highly coordinated (similar with
manner. Characterized Mechanisms
by automatic but performed
performance and in amore
performance without accurate, more
hesitation coordinated,
and quicker
way)
Adaptation Psychomotor skills are adapts, alters, Modifies the
well developed and the modifies, dance steps
person rearranges, to suit the
can modify movement varies abilities of one's
patterns to fit special groupmates
requirements

19
Origination Creating new movement arranges, Creates new
patterns to fit a builds, steps for a
particular situation combines, contemporary
or specific problem. creates, version of a
classic dance hit
Learning designs
outcomes emphasize
creativity based upon
highly
developed skills.
Bloom's taxonomies of educational objectives for affective and psychomotor
domains are able to provide teachers with a structured guide in formulating more
specific learning targets in the classroom. The taxonomies serve as guide for
teachers in both instruction and assessment of student learning in the classroom.
The challenge is for teachers to identify the levels of expertise that they expect
the students to achieve and demonstrate. This will then lead to the identification
of the assessment methods required toproperly assess student learning. Higher
level of expertise in a given domain are assumed to require more sophisticated
assessment methods or strategies.
Learning Targets
As previously learned from Assessment in Learning 1, a learning target is a
statement on what students are supposed to learn and what they can do because
of instruction.Learningtargets are more specificcompared with
standards, and objectives and lend themselves to more specificeducational goals,
instructional and
assessmnent activities. Learning targets should be congruent with the standards
prescribed by a program or level and aligned with the instructional or learning
objectives of a subject or course. Teachers
broader standards and learning objectives. Theformulate
learning
learning targets from
targets
specific, and should be clear,
meaningful to students. Thus, learning targets are more effectively
stated in students' point of view, typically using the phrase "l can.." For example,
"| can differentiate between
assessment".
traditional methods and alternative methods of
The purpose of learning targets isto effectively
should be able to do or demonstrate inform students of what they
as evidence of their learning.
learning targets should specify both the content and criteria of Therefore,
Specific learning targets formulated, appropriate learning. With
assessment can be designed. classroom instruction and
The most common typology of learning
targets are knowledge, reasoning,
skill, product, and affect (also known as disposition). Table 2.3
types of learning targets. summarizes these

20
 Table 2.3. Description and Sample Learning Targets
Type of Learning
Targets Description Sample

Knowledge targets Refers to factual, Ican discuss the

conceptual, and research design that I
procedural information used for my thesis.
that students must
learn in a subject or
content area.
Reasoning targets Knowledge-based Icanjustify my choice
thought processes that of Analysis of Variance
students must learn. It (ANOVA) as my
involves application of statistical analysis for
knowledge in problem my thesis research.
solving, decision
making, and other tasks
that require mental
skills.

Skills targets Useof knowledge and/ Ican perform Analysis

or reasoning to perform of Variance (ANOVA)on
or demonstrate physical research data using the
skills. software SPSS.

Product targets Use of knowledge, I can write the results

reasoning, andskills in and discussion section
creating a concrete or of athesis manuscript.
tangible product.
Affective targets Refers to affective I can appreciate the role
characteristics that of a thesis adviser in the
studentscan develop completion of a thesis
and demonstrate research.
because of instruction.

What are the appropriate alternative methods of assessment for learning

targets?
While all five types of learning targets (knowledge, reasoning, skill, product,
and affect)can be assessed by the use of alternative methods of assessment, three
types of learning targets can be best assessed using alternative assessments.
These are skills, products, and affect.
Stiggins et al. (2006) defined skills type of learning targets as one's use of
knowledge and reasoning to act skilfully. In other words, skills refer to learning

21
targets that require the development and demonstration of behavioral or
physical task. Toable to demonstrate skills or act skillfully,students must be able
to possess the knowledge and reasoning ability related or relevant to the skills to
be demonstrated.
On the other hand,Stiggins et al. (2006) described product learning targets
as the use of knowledge, reasoning, andskills tocreate a concrete product. Thus,
products refer to learning targets that require the development of a tangible and
high-quality product or output. Students are expected to create products that
have certain core attributes that will serve as basis for evaluating its quality.
Meanwhile, affect or disposition was defined by Stiggins et al. (2006) as
students' attitudes about school and learning. In practice, we look at affect/
disposition to encompass abroad range of noncognitive attributes beyond
attitude that may affect learning and performance, including motivation,
interest, and other affective states. The development of affect/disposition
simultaneously occurs as a student learns concepts and skills in the classroom.
Table 2.4 provides further examples of learning targets for skills, products,
and affect across different subject areas:
Table 2.4. Sample Learning Targets Across Subject Areas
Typology of Learning
Subject Area
Targets Learning Targets
English Skills Participate in conversation with
others.
Products Write an argumentative essay
where arguments are justified by
providing factualor empirical data
as support.
Affect Enjoy reciting apoem in front of an
audience.
Physical Skills Dribble the bll to cross the half
Education Court.
Products Create a three-mnonthpersonal
fitness plan.
Affect Show determination to complete
the physical task.

22
 Mathematics Skills Measure angles using aprotractor.
Products Given the data, construct a
histogram with normalcurve using
SPSS.
Affect Demonstrate interest in attending
mathematics class.
Science Skills Use laboratory equipment properly.
Products Prepare a report about the field
observation.
Affect Consider the safety of others in the
conduct of an experiment.
Social Studies Skills Participate in civicdiscussions on
current social isSues.
Products Create atimeline for the 2017
Marawi Siege.
Affect Argue with others in a constructive
manner.

Once the learning targets are identified, appropriate alternative methods

of assessment can be selected to measure student learning. In terms of skills,
having the required skills to apply one's knowledge and reasoning skills
the performance of a behavioral or physical task is a step higher thanthroughsimply
knowing or being able to reason based on knowledge. Hence, skills targets are
best assessed among students through performance-oriented or performance
based assessment as skills are best gauged through actual task performance.
In terms of products, astudent's knowledge, reasoning, and skills are
all
required before one can create a meaningful product or output. Obviously,
product targets are best assessed through product assessment. Given the need to
also give value to the process of creating a product, performance
assessment is
also typically used through product assessment or portfolio assessment.
For affect or disposition, a student may already hold a
particular affect or
disposition in relation to a particular lesson or learning target
may change or not depending on the learning and instructional and and such affect
experiences of the student. Affect or disposition is best assessed assessment
affective assessment or the use of self-report measures through
questionnaires, Scales) and other alternative strategies(checklists,
to
inventories,
assess affective
outcomes.
Table 2.5 presents a simple matrix of the
best assessed through alternative different types of learning targets
assessment methods.

23
 Table 2.5. Matching Learning Targets with Alternative Assessment Methods
Learning Performance Product Portfolio Self-Report
Oriented Scale
Targets Oriented
Skills
Product
Affect/
Disposition
Note: More checks mean better matches.

Across the different nontraditional or alternative methods of assessment,

teachers can expand the role of assessor to other students (peer assessment)
and thestudent themselves (self-assessment). This allows assessment to become
really authentic. There are also other methods or strategies for alternative
assessment, and it is up to the teachers to select the method of assessment and
design appropriate tasks and activities to measure the identified learning targets.