Page 247 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

Objectives should focus on the person learning, not on the educator. The following objective is poorly
stated: “The dietitian will teach the client about his diet.” Note that this statement focuses on what the
practitioner will do and not on what the client or learner will do. The following is preferred because it focuses
on the client: “After instruction [when], the client [who] will be able to plan appropriate menus using the
sodium-restricted diet as a reference [what].”

One should create an environment conducive to learning.
Source: US Department of Agriculture.

Mager wrote one of the most useful guides for writing performance objectives.20 A key to writing
measurable performance objectives is the selection of the verb that describes the desired outcome. Some verbs
are vague and subject to misinterpretation, as in the following objectives:

• To know (is able to know which foods contain potassium)
• To understand (is able to understand that foods high in potassium should be consumed daily when certain medications are prescribed)
• To appreciate (is able to appreciate the importance of following the dietary instructions)

It is not clear when using “to know” whether “knowing” means that the client will purchase foods high in
potassium, be able to tell a friend which foods are high in potassium, or recognize them on a list.
“Understanding” could mean being able to recall reasons, being able to read an article about it, or being able to
apply knowledge to one’s own situation. The meanings of “know,” “understand,” and “appreciate” are vague
and unclear.

Instead, select verbs that describe what the person is able to do after learning has taken place. Note that the
phrase “after learning [when], the individual [who] is able to [do what]” is understood to precede the phrase
since one is describing what the person will be capable of doing. Another method involves starting with the
action verb. The first two examples are rewritten from the unsatisfactory objectives in the previous list. Better
verbs to use are summarized in Box 11-1 and include the following:

• To recall (is able to name five good food sources of potassium)
• To explain (is able to explain why foods high in potassium should be consumed)
• To write (is able to list the groups in the USDA myPlate)

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