Once
you have a good understanding of your topic and your audience,
you can begin to write your goals and objectives. This first
step in planning a presentation is perhaps the most
important. We cannot emphasize enough how important
it is to have well written goals and objectivesif you do
not know what you want to shoot at, you may completely miss
your target.
Goals describe in broad, general terms what you hope to
accomplish.
Objectives explain specifically what participants should
know, be able to do, and be
like as a result of the presentation.
For short presentations
You need 1 major goal that summarizes your overall purpose.
You need 2-4 specific objectives that identify what will
be accomplished.
For long programs
You need 1-2 major goals to help frame the overall program.
You need 2-5 more specific objectives that identify what will
be accomplished.
If the program has multiple parts, it can be helpful to identify
1-3 specific objectives for each session.
Four Types of Objectives: Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes
and Behavior
When planning a presentation, you need to identify
what you want your audience to know (knowledge), do (skills and
behavior), and be like (attitudes) as a result of your session.
Knowledge: Refers to facts and terms, concepts, generalizations
and theories. Example Action verbs:
List
Identify
Select
Give example
Describe
Name
Tell
Outline
Explain
State
Summarize
Distinguish
Skills: Refers to a wide range of cognitive (mental),
physical and emotional skills including science processes, critical
thinking, problem solving, decision making, communication, research,
mathematical, psychomotor and interpersonal relations. Example
Action verbs:
Compare
Observe
Apply
Solve
Contrast
Draw
Show
Operate
Infer
Practice
Construct
Prepare
Analyze
Illustrate
Modify
Demonstrate
Categorize
Manipulate
Predict
Model
Attitudes: Refers to feelings, beliefs, dispositions,
opinions, and values. Example Action verbs:
Express
Clarify
Support
Interpret
Evaluate
Appraise
Conclude
Criticize
Judge
Debate
Justify
Feel
Behavior: Refers to applying knowledge and skills,
solving a problem, acting based upon a decision. Example
Action Verbs (usually reflects a specific action):
Reduce
Dispose
Teach
Install
Exercise
Present
[1] Adapted with permission
from Soil and Water Conservation District Outreach: A Handbook
for Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation . Ohio
Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation,
2003.
Best
Education 
What are BEPs?
Once
you have a good understanding of your topic and your audience,
you can begin to write your goals and objectives. This first
step in planning a presentation is perhaps the most
important. We cannot emphasize enough how important
it is to have well written goals and objectivesif you do
not know what you want to shoot at, you may completely miss
your target.