Learning outcomes and performance objectives are not the same thing. Learning outcomes are what we want students to be able to do/know at the end of instruction (lesson, unit, course, etc). They are more general in nature than performance objectives, but the two are connected to each other. Performance objectives tell us whether or not the student has achieved the specified learning outcome. The performance objective is the description of the exact behavior within a prescribed situation that the student will exhibit in order for the instructor/examiner to know that learning outcomes have been achieved. Performance objectives must be designed carefully to ensure that the behavior elicited will correctly indicate that the student has achieved the type of knowledge (learning outcomes) we want them to have learned as a result of the instruction. Without performance objectives, we can’t show that students have mastered the learning outcomes.
Learning outcomes and performance objectives are related to each other. Outcomes can be categorized based on the type of capability they require of the learner, and the performance objective must measure only that capability in order to be valid. The categories of learning outcomes are: declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and problem solving knowledge. Declarative knowledge is being able to state information or knowing that something is the case. It includes more than just memorization, however. Stating a definition of a word can be done as a result of memorization, but it can also be done as a result of experience with the concept of the word. Therefore, being able to state the definition of a word as a result of experience with it is known as declarative knowledge. Procedural knowledge means knowing how to do something. The difference between declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge can be demonstrated with an example. Let’s say that someone states that a poodle is a dog. That is declarative knowledge. Then, let’s say that someone is able to take previously unseen breeds of dogs and categorize them as dogs. That is an example of procedural knowledge, which requires the ability to discriminate, apply rules, and understand concepts. Problem solving knowledge involves using strategies in order to find a solution. It means using what we know and what we can do in order to come to a solution. However, to be a good problem solver, we have to be able to choose between all the information we have and all that we can do in order to find just the right information and abilities needed to solve the specific problem at hand. Problem solving is not about applying rules. So, solving math problems doesn’t count as this category of learning outcomes.
We must know what type of outcome we are going to require of students because the performance objective we use must align with that category in order for us to show/prove that students have mastered the outcome and not some other outcome. For example, if we want students to be able to categorize animals as mammals (procedural knowledge), we must be sure that the test measures the student’s ability to apply the rule of what determines whether or not an animal fits into the category of mammal and not that he/she is simply recalling (declarative knowledge) that a whale is a mammal because he/she saw an example of a whale as a mammal during instruction. It should be noted that in an assessment, students should be provided with unique examples to categorize instead of previous examples seen during instruction.
As stated above, the types of performance objectives used must match with the category of the capability indicated in the learning outcome. Declarative knowledge is simply the stating of information. A performance objective that measures declarative knowledge would require someone to recall information (match terms to definitions). However, procedural knowledge involves discrimination, concept understanding, and rule applying. Therefore, performance assessments can be designed to measure each of these three types of procedural knowledge, and they would each require a behavior of the learner that would measure that exact capability. Finally, problem solving involves using and choosing between all of one’s declarative and procedural knowledge to select the right ones needed to find a solution. The performance objective must ask a student to find a solution to a relevant and previously unused problem in order to measure problem solving ability.
As you can see, both learning outcomes and performance objectives are necessary to determine if students have achieved what we set out for them to accomplish. You must have an idea in mind of what you want students to be able to do at the end of instruction (learning outcome) in order to design assessments that will measure whether or not they have learned what they were supposed to learn. Learning outcomes specify the exact nature of the learning and performance objectives control the measuring tool used in order to ensure we are getting a correct reading.
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