Writing Better Learning Objectives
Writing Better Learning Objectives
If you’re not already writing learning objectives, it’s time to start. Adult learners need context before diving in, and clear objectives are essential. They communicate intended outcomes more effectively than agendas or purpose statements, which in my view are still important, but optional.
So, how can you write better learning objectives? Here are a few suggestions:
Determine Target Outcomes
Begin by defining what success looks like for your learners. Ask yourself:
What will they do differently after training?
How can you distinguish trained from untrained employees?
Determine Level of Learning Required
Consider the level of learning needed to reach those desired actions. Think of Bloom’s Taxonomy—how far up the learning levels do you need to go? Usually, it is beyond knowing or understanding.
Use Action Verbs
Avoid starting objectives with “to know.” Instead, use strong action verbs that reflect higher-level learning, like “analyze” or “explain.” For example, instead of saying “Know how to handle customer complaints,” say “Analyze customer complaints and explain appropriate solutions.”
Make Objectives Measurable
If your objectives are actionable then they can be measurable. Think through the measurable characteristics of your target outcome and try to incorporate them into your learning objectives. These characteristics could be accuracy, time, quality, quantity, etc.
This is just a snapshot of how to write effective learning objectives. Curious to know more?
Blooming Your Objectives
When Learners Don’t Learn
Have you ever seen content developers beam with delight because their newly published training course is achieving high completion rates and earning passing quiz scores, only to see that delight turn into frustration when the learners immediately return to their old ways?
Here’s a thought: maybe it’s because of bad learning objectives.
Learning objectives drive the direction of the training, so if they are set up wrong, the rest of the course can fall apart.
Transform these fleeting successes into lasting impact by incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy into the creation of your learning objectives. Here’s why this works: as you ascend the levels of learning, you reach higher levels of application, including actionable behavior. So, when you create low-level objectives, you get low-level results such as training completions and quiz scores. On the other hand, when you create high-level objectives, you can achieve actionable behavior change.
I call this approach Blooming Your Objectives.
Curious to know more?