Learning Objectives

This page contains helpful information to use when designing learning objectives.

Resources:

1. Hodell, C. (2006) Instructional Systems Development. Silver Spring, MD: ASTD.

Chapter 1: Basics of Instructional Systems Development, pgs 1-19

Offers a nice summary of the ADDIE model. Also contains a good ADDIE checklist.

2. Discovering Instructional Design 6: Developing Objectives,  part of the E-Learning Curve Blog at Edublogs

Contains a good break down of parts of an objective. 

3. Discovering Instructional Design 10: the Dick and Carey Model, part of the E-Learning Curve Blog at Edublogs.

Describes Robert Mager’s five-step process for translating vague instructional goals into learning objectives. 

Examples of learning objectives:

1. Hodell (2006). ABCD example:

Given a complete copy of the Infoline on Instructional Systems Development, the Introduction to

ISD participant (UMBC course number EDUC 602) should be able to accurately describe the four

components of an objective without error when given at least three opportunities to do so.

2. From Discovering Instructional Design 6: Developing Objectives:

Classically, instructional objectives have three elements: conditions, performance, and standards:

Table 1 Instructional Objectives

“Given that you are in a high-pressure job,	CONDITION
reduce workplace stress	PERFORMANCE
and lower your blood pressure by 10%”	STANDARD

3. Example from my EDU603 Design Plan: 

Terminal Learning Objectives:

Given a meeting room, classroom, or similar facility, job aids (setup guide and display screen diagram), the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop, the Turning Point Basics course participant will be able to independently set up and test the Turning Point system, in one attempt without error.

Given a meeting room, classroom, or similar facility, job aids (setup guide and display screen diagram), the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop; the Turning Point Basics course participant will be able to independently conduct, save, and recall data from a Turning Point® enabled NATEU instructional module, in one attempt without error.

Enabling Learning Objectives:

Given a setup guide and display screen diagram, the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop; the Turning Point operator will be able to set up, power on, and test the system in 5 minutes without error.

Given a setup guide and display screen diagram, the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop; the Turning Point operator will be able to run a 30 minute long Turning Point® enabled NATEU instructional module within 30 minutes without error.

Given a setup guide and display screen diagram, the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop; the Turning Point operator will be able to reset a Turning Point® Check on Learning Question in 1 minute without error.

Given a setup guide and display screen diagram, the Turning Point ® interactive response system, and a NATEU laptop; the Turning Point operator will be able to rename, save, and relocate the student data file from a 30 minute long Turning Point® enabled NATEU instructional module within 5 minutes without error.

Robert Mager’s five step process 

(from Discovering Instructional Design 10: the Dick and Carey Model)

Mager's five-step process for taking a broad instructional goal and working it down to a set of specific learning objectives:

1.    Write down the goal using whatever abstract terms express the intent and be sure the statement is written in terms of outcomes rather than process. For example, “Have a favorable attitude to…” rather than “Develop a favorable attitude to…”.

2.    Think about achieving the goal in terms of people performance. What would people have to do or say or stop doing and saying before you would be willing to say that they represent the goal? List as many performances as you can think of.

3.    Sort the list. Many of the items will be ‘fuzzy’ and not describe anything about performance per se. Ask SMEs to undertake steps 1 and 2 again. Continue until there is a list of performances that collectively represent the goal – until it can be said that if someone did these things and did not do these other things that would represent the goal.

4.    Expand the words and phrases on the list into complete sentences that tell when or how often the performance is expected to occur. This will help to establish limits around the expected performance. It will enable the instructional designer to say “how much" performance is satisfactory to undertake the task successfully. For example, a goal analysis on security consciousness might include the item ‘no unattended documents’. When expanded into a complete sentence it may read “Employee always locks sensitive documents in safe before leaving room.”

5.    Test for completeness. Review the performances on your list and ask:

If someone did these things would I be willing to say that he or she is _____________”.

(Mager, R. Making Instruction Work. 1988, pp 45-46). If this is the case, the goal analysis is finished. If not, return to step 2 and add the missing performances.    

Further reading about Mager: 

Mager, R. (1988). Making Instruction Work. Belmont , CA: Lake Publishing Co.