Learning objectives in e-learning: how to use them effectively!

Learning objectives give your online training a clear direction. The more closely the learning objectives align with the learning needs of your client or student, the greater the chance they will be motivated to complete your training.

As an expert in your field, it can be difficult to break down your knowledge and go back to the beginning. What steps did you take in your own learning process before reaching the level you are at now? Think about what was valuable to you and which knowledge and skills you (still) benefit from the most.

This way, you put yourself in your student's current situation.

After all, you were once at the point where they are now. What would have helped you most in your learning process at that time? Use that as a starting point for developing your learning objectives.

In this blog, we will dive deeper into how to choose learning objectives and how to use them effectively in your e-learning.

‍Learning objectives - what exactly are they?‍

A well-written learning objective must be clear, concise, and actionable. It should tell the student exactly what they need to achieve, how their skill will be measured, and what materials they have at their disposal.‍

Action verbs‍

It is important to use the right 'action verbs' when formulating a learning objective. If you add words like "understand" or "comprehend" to your learning objective, for example, the outcomes are difficult to measure.

But if you use action verbs like "define," "explain," or "demonstrate," the outcome suddenly becomes much more measurable.

SMART learning objectives for e-learning

A handy mnemonic to remember is to make your learning objectives SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). ‍

From small to large ‍

Keep the learning objectives intentionally small. Or develop an overarching learning objective that you then split into smaller (and therefore more manageable) learning objectives. This prevents the student from feeling overwhelmed (and perhaps even giving up entirely).

‍Bloom's Taxonomy‍

Bloom's Taxonomy provides a clear structure for learning objectives. You can incorporate this structure into your online training as well. This way, you ensure that you start at the beginning and do not overload or overwhelm your students with steps that are too large.

Keep it short and simple

Do not measure more than one topic per learning objective. Keep the learning objectives short and punchy. Also, ensure that the learning objectives are realistic and achievable. This provides clarity for the student and a sense of attainability: if I follow these steps and achieve these realistic goals, I will pass this online training and have mastered this new knowledge/skill.‍

Materials are available‍

Give your student all the materials they need to reach their goal. Do you use a step-by-step plan yourself, for example? Then share that plan with the student in the online learning environment.

Or if there are other resources, tools, checklists, etc. that you find valuable yourself, add them to the training.

The more tools you offer the student, the greater the chance they will achieve the learning objectives.

Also keep in mind that your students have different preferences for gathering and remembering information. So choose a variety of formats: checklists, videos, podcasts, workbooks, etc.‍

Assessment aligns with learning objectives‍

A handy way to determine learning objectives is to intuitively reverse the order: instead of developing the learning objectives first, you can also develop your assessment first and reason backward from there.

If your online training trains students to develop a certain skill, create an assessment that measures that skill. Then break down which steps (and thus learning objectives) come before it. What steps does the student need to take to complete the assessment successfully?‍

Assessment criteria are transparent and clear

One of the most common mistakes in developing an online training is opaque assessment criteria. As a student, you want to know exactly which steps you can take to reach the assessment goal. So make sure you set clear evaluation criteria that align closely with the learning objectives. 

Conclusion

In short, developing learning objectives can seem quite overwhelming if you have no experience with it. Yet you already have this knowledge in house! Go back to the beginning and think about the steps you took yourself to get to where you are now. Then take your student along on that journey. 

Need more inspiration? Download the e-book “E-learning Essentials”!