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The Anatomy of a Learning Objective
Learning objectives are a staple in the design of effective instruction. They serve many purposes. They:
- Define the goals for the learning activity.
- Inform the learner of the standards and expectations of the activity.
- Provide the standard for assessing the effectiveness of the activity.
- Guide the selection of content for the activity
- Serve as an implicit contract between instructor and leaner.
Effective objectives have two components:
Action Verb + Stem
· The verb describes elicits or describes a measurable or observable behavior. Choosing the proper verb is highly important for a couple reasons. The proper verb provides clear direction and explanation of expectation for the learner. It focuses the activity content at an appropriate level for the activity.
- The stem defines or describes an outcome of the action. It provides a standard for testing rather or not the desired outcome is achieved.
The intention of CE for health professions is to improve patient outcomes. Ideally, CE objectives target changes in practice behaviors to close gaps between “best practices” and current levels of care. Objectives that move beyond “information” and “comprehension” are desirable.
To develop learning objectives, use this phrase with the proper verb to complete each objective.
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
To be useful, learning objectives should be SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-Focused
Time-Focused
The following lists of verbs are presented in an order moving from levels of acquisition of “knowledge” to “application” and then to “skills.” These levels distinguish successive levels of both “active” and “deeper” learning.
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