ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the identification, formulation, and classification of performance objectives and their use for developing performance assessments. But performance objectives give more detailed descriptions of the desired 'exit behaviors', including the conditions under which the complex skill needs to be performed, the tools and objects that can or should be used during performance, and, last but not least, the standards for acceptable performance. The chapter describes skill decomposition as a process for identifying relevant constituent skills and their interrelationships. It discusses the formulation of a performance objective for each constituent skill in this hierarchy. The whole set of objectives provides a concise description of the contents of the training program and sets the standards for acceptable performance. The chapter then explores the performance objectives for particular constituent skills are classified as being either nonrecurrent or recurrent. This includes the specification of scoring rubrics, which may be used to assess learners' performance and their progress when implemented in development portfolios.
