Definition

Learning objectives describe what the learners will be able to do as a result of their learning.

Why?

• Learning objectives help align the instructional design steps.

• They can give learners motivation.

How to?

Do

• Provide specific, observable, and measurable learning objectives with audience (A), behavior (B), condition (C), and degree (D).
  • ABCD
    • Audience (A): Who are the learners?
    • Behavior (B): What do you expect them to do? (Observable behavior)
    • Condition (C): Under what circumstances will the learning occur?
    • Degree (D): How much will be accomplished? How well? To which level?

• For specific, observable, and measurable behaviors
  • KLI framework (link to paper)
    • Specify goals with observable action verbs
    • Facts: recall, recognize
    • Skills: apply, solve, evaluate, design, create
    • Principles: explain, exemplify, compare, and contrast
  • Bloom's Taxonomy (link to article) (also see: Bloom's Digital Taxonomy in Use of Technology section)

    

  • DOK (Depth of Knowledge) (link to overview)
    • Level 1: Recall/reproduction
    • Level 2: Skill/Concept
    • Level 3: Strategic Thinking
    • Level 4: Extended Thinking

Do NOT

• Use vague, unobservable behaviors as your learning goal
  • Bad example: Students will learn programming.
  • Why:
    • Unobservable, unmeasurable behavior
    • No condition
    • No degree
  • A better example: Students will design and develop a usable calculator app with GUI using Python in a two-week project.