Writing Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

A learning objective is a brief, clear statement of what the participant should be able to do as a result of training. It should look at how the learning relates to successful completion of the task or job. A well-written objective is specific and measurable. It forms the basis for the training program design and evaluation.

Generally, objectives are given in writing to the participants. It's also important to review the objectives orally at the beginning of the session in order to allow participants an opportunity to ask clarifying questions and to make necessary modifications.

Guidelines for writing learning objectives

Write objectives from the viewpoint of what the specific trainee or participant will do.
Use active voice. Be as specific as possible. Avoid vague terms such as "know," "learn," "comprehend," "study," "cover," and "understand."
Learning must be observable and measurable so that the trainer can determine that the behavior has been learned.
Examples
Wastewater treatment operators will be able to list, in sequence, the five steps of effective process troubleshooting.
Participants will be able to measure and record the level of anaerobic bacteria in the wastewater treatment system.
New employees will demonstrate the ability to select and put on a respirator correctly.

Additional factors
Learning objectives also need to take into consideration the audience, the level at which the participant is to use the information, and the standards of acceptable performance.

Target audience

The target audience (participants or trainees) must be considered because the same topic may be approached differently depending on the background of the groups to be trained.
Level of knowledge or skill needed
What is the audience supposed to be able to do? Do they only need awareness or recognition of the information? Will they need to be able to apply the information and solve problems? If so, will the participants need to apply knowledge to actual cases or problems?
Standards of acceptable perfomance
How well must the trainee perform the objective, and how will performance be measured? Examples of standards include percentages of right responses, time limitations, tolerance, correct sequences without error, etc.

Training objectives are the keystones for the design and the development of the training program. Trainers should base the design on the principles of adult learning. The methods of the presentation should reflect the goals of the learning objectives.