Learning Objective Tip Sheet

Tips for Writing Learning Objectives

 

Available as PDF Download

What are learning objectives?

  • Learning objectives are specific, measurable, observable student behaviors;
  • An objective is a description of a performance you want learners to be able to exhibit before you consider them competent; and
  • Learning objectives can describe these behaviors at a course, module/unit, or session level.


Why have objectives?                   

  • To convey instructional intent to students;
  • To ensure that learning is focused clearly enough that both students and teacher know what is going on;
  • To provide direction to instruction; and
  • To provide guidelines for alignment of assessment.


How specific and detailed should objectives be?
What are the components of a learning objective?

 A common way of framing objective components is using the A-B-C-D model.  These include: audience, behavior, condition, and degree.

  • A (audience) – Who is the target audience? (e.g. “Students will…”)
  • B (behavior) – What is the real work to be accomplished by the student? (e.g. “design”)
    • They should be both observable and measurable behaviors.
  • C (condition) – What are the conditions/constraints where the audience will be expected to perform these tasks within?  (e.g. “given an amino acid sequence of a protein…”).
  • D (degree) –How will the behavior need to be performed? (e.g. “the gene for expression of a protein”).

Examples:

  • Students will be able to predict the net charge on ionizable groups at any given pH.
  • Students will be able to predict, in qualitative terms, the role of molecular forces in stabilizing protein-drug complexes and the potential effect of chiral centers on drug activity.
  • Given the target of a drug in polymer biosynthesis, students will be able to predict the effect of that drug on bacteria or viral growth.
  • Students will describe past public policy debates in the United States that exemplify a broad range of historical and contemporary concerns and analyze them using a provided theoretical framework.
  • Students will identify which patients will benefit from the pertussis vaccine based on their demographics and comorbidities

Writing Objectives Using Bloom’s Taxonomy and Associated Action Verbs

 Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of different objectives. The taxonomy was proposed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom but was recently updated. These 6 levels can be used to structure the learning objectives, lessons, and assessments of your course. The taxonomy ranges from the Remembering (Lowest cognitive task) to Creating (Highest cognitive task). Note: This taxonomy addresses the cognitive domain but other taxonomies are available for the psychomotor and affective domains.

UConn Center for Teacing and Learning, Writing Learning Objectives

It is important to remember that these verbs are not observable and therefore are not measurable:

  • understand
  • know
  • grasp
  • appreciate

Consider using the verbs below to define your objectives and the example activities to assess achievement of the learning objectives.

Please feel free to reach out to CETL (cetl@uconn.edu) if you would like further assistance on writing learning objectives and aligning them with your assessments.

 

Measurable Action Verbs across Bloom’s Taxonomy for Writing Learning Objectives

“After successfully completing this course/ module, you will/ should be able to…”
Lower Order Thinking                →                       →                         →               Higher Order Thinking

Remembering Understanding/ Comprehension Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating/ Synthesis
gather & recall information grasp meaning; explain, restate ideas use learned material/ knowledge in a new situation separate material into component parts; show

relationships between parts

make choices; judge the worth of material against

stated criteria

put together separate ideas to form new

whole; establish new relationships

define

identify

describe

label

list

name

find

state

match

select

locate

memorize

recall

reproduce

tabulate

tell

copy

discover

duplicate

enumerate

listen

omit

read

recite

record

repeat


Activities:

Read books, articles

Watch video content

Research

Notes
List

Label

 

 

 

 

explain
describe
interpret
paraphrase
summarize
classify
compare
differentiate
discuss
extend
associate
contrast
demonstrate
express
identify
indicate
infer
relate
restate
select
translate
cite
give examples of
group
illustrate
order
report
represent
research
review
rewrite
showActivities:

Analogy

Outline

Summary

Graph

Drawing, Diagram

Collage

Skit

Speech

Personal statement

Collection

 

apply
solveillustrate

modify

use

calculate

change

choose

demonstrate

discover

experiment

relate

show

sketch

complete

construct

interpret

prepare

produce

report

teach

administer

collect

compute

determine

develop

examine

explain

measure

list

operate

practice

record

schedule

transfer

convert


Activities:

Demonstration, performance

Solve Puzzle/ Problem

Drawing, Diagram

Map

Journal

Interview

analyze

compare

classify
correlate

contrast

distinguish

infer

separate

explain

select

categorize

connect

differentiate

discriminate

divide

order

point out

prioritize

subdivide

appraise

break down

conclude

deduce

devise

diagram

dissect

estimate

experiment

illustrate

organize

outline

plan

question

test


Activities:
Abstract

Chart, graph

Model

Survey

Break down an argument

Syllogism

Interpret different levels of meaning

evaluate

justify
assess

recommend

choose

select
weigh
critique
criticize
judge

distinguish

estimate
appraise

support

defend

compare

decide
determine

discriminate

predict

rank
order

score

rate

grade

measure

test

conclude
argue

debate

editorialize
reframe

find errors
persuade

convince
infer


Activities:
Checklist

Rubric

Editorial

Evaluation

Recommendation

Review

Discussion

create
design
composedevelop
produce
formulate
devise

write
express
propose
build
make
construct
assemble
invent
arrange
adapt
modify
combine
rewrite

rearrange
substitute
integrate
generalize
reorganize
prepare
plan
negotiate
role-play
simulate
facilitate
support
test
validate

hypothesize

predict
Anticipate


Activities:

Article, book

Poem, song, media product

Game

Report

Invention

Note: Depending on the context, several of these Verbs/ Activities can be used at different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/verbs-for-blooms-taxonomy.jpg 1/1