Often, I have come across the context where some of the course developers interchangeable use learning goals and learning objectives. I thought this would be a good topic to write on to differentiate and explain both of them. Firstly, learning goals have a different need from learning objectives. The scope and characteristics of both are quite different. I would elaborate first on what each of them are used and meant for.
Let me first define and characterize ‘Learning goals’. Learning goals are general in nature and non-specific. Goals are often not for measuring. Generally, goals are written for a complete course or a curriculum of study. They often define big picture or overall aims of the course or curriculum. Learning goals are aimed at answering questions such as:
• What will the students know by the end of the course?
• What will the students be able to do by the end of the course?
Learning goals are defined in some cases before conducting learning needs analysis and in some at the time of analysis. These learning goals and analysis give you a high level design document with details of audience, learning goals, course/curriculum structure, and delivery model/platform.
Once the learning goals are defined and both learner needs and task analysis are performed, the learner profile (audience) and learning needs are in place. If you apply Blooms Taxonomy to the course/curriculum structure and learning goals, you would have the learning level expected from the learners. Search for ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ on web if you are uncertain of it or new to instructional designing.
Combining the learning goals, intended learning level, course structure and audience, you can develop detailed course outline or a low level design document. Developing a low level design document is something that is very commonly followed in industry as a best practice and process before you start writing a storyboard. Low level design document is used to define detailed course and topic structure, learning objectives for each of the smallest learning unit (preferably one level above page level). Based on the learning domain either cognitive or affective or psychomotor, you can use blooms taxonomy and few guidelines to define learning objectives.
Learning objectives are referred in different contexts and by different people as, ‘Outcomes’, ‘Enabling objectives’, ‘Terminal objectives’, ‘Educational objectives’, ‘Performance objectives’, ‘Instructional objectives’, ‘Aims’, ‘Competencies’.
‘Learning objectives’ are specific, measurable and observable definitions of your learning needs for your audience under specific conditions.
Before writing learning objectives it is very important to remember that you must have the end in mind. By this I mean, while writing learning objectives keep in mind how you would evaluate the specific learning objective i.e., what will be your assessment question for this learning objective. At least, have an understanding of what type of assessment question would you formulate to measure the learning objective.
A learning objective often consists of four parts.
• action verb
• conditions
• criteria or standard
• audience
Look for part-2 for more on how to write learning objectives and some comparisons between learning goals and objectives.
