Plain English Meaning

Before teaching, the instructor decides exactly what the student must be able to do by the end, the conditions they must do it under, and how well they must do it. Those targets are then used to judge whether the student has actually learned the skill.

Full Definition

The instructional design step in which the instructor writes clear, measurable performance objectives that define exactly what the learner must be able to do, under what conditions, and to what standard, in order to be judged competent. These objectives become the benchmark against which both training progress and final performance are evaluated.

Context Anchor

Seen in lesson planning, training syllabi, and instructor discussions about how a lesson or training period will be judged.

Derivation

Criterion comes from the Greek 'kriterion,' meaning a standard for judging. Objective comes from Latin 'objectum,' meaning something placed before you as a . Together: a goal you at, with a fixed standard to judge whether you reached it.