Mager’s Criterion-Referenced Instruction Approach Ideal for Self-Paced eLearning

Learning objectives are as integral to instructional designas cream is to butter, but it wasn’t always so.

Psychologist Robert Magerconducted studies in the early 1960s whose results still influence the wayeLearning and other adult instruction is designed and implemented. Forinstance, Mager pioneered an approach to instructional design that includedcreating performance-based learning objectives. Mager also studied the sequenceof instruction; his recommendations influence self-paced eLearning and otheronline instruction.

Mager’s approach to instructional design is calledcriterion-referenced instruction (CRI), and it is based on a four-step process:

1. Task analysis or goal analysis—Identifywhat needs to be learned
2. Performance objectives—Specify theoutcomes and how they will be evaluated
3. Criterion-referenced testing—Determinethe knowledge or skills needed to accomplish the stated outcome goals, anddecide how to evaluate that they have been learned
4. Development—Create learning modules basedon the objectives

CRI uses many ideas from Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction; it also emphasizes learner initiative, so it isuseful in designing learning for adults, particularly self-paced eLearning. Theunderlying principles appeal to many adult learners who become frustrated wheneLearning is repetitive or covers basic material they already know. Mager basedhis principles on a study that found that, when given the opportunity to directtheir own learning, adult learners followed a different sequence than theinstructor, skipping sections that covered material they knew. He also foundthat learners who were able to consider and use their own base knowledge weremore motivated and engaged.

The principles of CRI are:

• Design instructional objectives that aredirectly tied to skills and knowledge learners need to perform their jobs; ensurethat each objective is verifiable using defined criteria.
• Learners study and practice only skills thatthey have not yet mastered. They are required to achieve only the level ofmastery needed for job performance.
• Learners have opportunities to practice each objective;they are given feedback on their performance.
• Learners are offered repeated practice, such asrefresher courses, so they can maintain their level of proficiency. This isespecially important for difficult or frequently needed skills.
• Learners choose the sequence and pace of theirlearning, while following any constraints imposed by prerequisite knowledge orskill requirements.

Crafting learning objectives

Ideally, according to Mager,learning objectives include:

• A definition of the desired performance by thelearner: What should the learner be able to do?
• A description of the criteria under which thelearner will perform: Under what conditions must the learner be able to do it?
• Criteria for evaluating the learner’sperformance: How well must the learner be able to do it?

The performance element spells out what the learner will beable to do once she has mastered the learning objective. Performance must beobservable or measurable. That’s why instructional designers are cautioned toavoid words like “know” and “understand” when writing learning objectives.Rather than “understand” the meaning of a word, the learner should be able to definethe word or use the word correctly in a sentence or list threesynonyms for the word.

Once the task is defined, the instructional designer shouldspecify any conditions attached to performance of the task. Conditions caninclude stipulations about what tools the learner can use, how much time shehas to complete the task, the accuracy level required, or what the learnercannot use. For example, in a CPR course, one condition of success might be: Perform100 to 120 chest compressions per minute. A condition might stipulatewhether the learner can use notes or tools: Perform the five-step processwithout consulting notes or instructions. Conditions might vary dependingon the task. For an accountant, one condition might be: Complete accurate financialreports by the deadline. In this instance, the deadline varies but would bestipulated for each report. Conditions are useful for providing clarity, thoughsome tasks might not have conditions.

The final element of the learning objective is the criteriafor evaluation: How well does the learner need to perform? This can be a rate: Packsix boxes of widgets per minute. It can be an accuracy level: Identifythe compromised sample with 90 percent accuracy, or nine times out of 10.It can be a quality measure: Write a letter free of grammatical errors. Again,not all tasks will have criteria, but including criteria does avoid ambiguityand make impartial assessment easier.

Learning objectives can be simple or complex; loaded withconditions and criteria or simple statements of a task.

• A learning objective can be: Write an articleabout learning objectives. No conditions; no criteria.
• With conditions, it might read: Write a500-word article about learning objectives without referencing the Internet oryour class notes.
• With conditions and criteria, it could read: Intwo hours, write a 500-word article about learning objectives for aninstructional design magazine. The article should be free of errors in spelling,punctuation, and grammar.

A final caveat: The objectives and assessment criteria focus on thelearner’s performance, not the instructor’s method or performance.