Writing Learning Goals

Learning Objectives

When writing (or revising) learning objectives or goals for a specific unit or activity within your course, you will need to consider your course outcomes, your course content, and any activities you already use. Your end goal in writing clear learning objectives is to specify what you want students to know, value, or be able to do at the end of a unit or activity. By necessity, these objectives are more concrete and specific than, yet related to, your course-level outcomes.

Qualities of Clear Learning Objectives:

• Clearly written in plain, simple language that instructors, students, and employers understand
• Observable, written using action verbs, and describing an end state that can be deemed successfully reached
• Focused on skills rather than knowledge or understanding 
• Relevant and significant to students 
• Fit the scope of the course, unit, or activity

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy was originally published in 1956 as Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and has been widely used and revised since then. It provides a structure for writing learning objectives based around verbs, and organizes these verbs in a hierarchy of complexity. Using Bloom’s when you write or revise learning objectives helps ensure they are observable and that they fit the scope of your course and are attainable for students. 

Please review the diagram below of the cognitive domain, and make your own copy of our Bloom’s Taxonomy handout, which includes the cognitive and affective domains. You may find that both domains can apply to your course material, though the cognitive domain is usually the best fit.

Choosing activities or assessments as evidence of learning

Writing clear learning objectives is very related to the activities and assessment you lead. Ideally, all assessments and activities connect to one or more of your learning goals for students, and completing these assessments and activities provides both an instructor and students with evidence of learning. More formal or summative assessments likely comprise students’ grades. Less formal or formative assessments help instructors and students understand the learning process.

Once you’ve written or revised your learning objectives using Bloom’s Taxonomy, these verbs can help suggest activities or assessments that will provide you and students with evidence of learning. See the examples below for the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain.

Remember:

• • Questions that ask students to define, label, or list

Understand:

• • Questions that ask students to describe, explain, summarize, identify, or select
  • Student reports or presentations

Apply:

• • Questions that ask students to apply, solve, demonstrate, or employ
  • Problem sets

Analyze:

• • Questions that ask students to analyze, compare, examine, distinguish between, or test
  • Lab reports based on analyzing data and observations
  • Writing assignments that analyze case studies, experiences, readings, etc.

Evaluate:

• • Questions that ask students to evaluate, argue, assess, defend, judge, predict, rate, or support an argument
  • Writing assignments that evaluate complex positions or policies, or make future predictions

Create:

• • Questions that ask students to develop, plan, propose, design, create, or assemble
  • Portfolio assignments where students collect a body of work
  • Presentations, exhibits, or art installations
  • Projects where students design or build a model

Suggested process for writing and refining learning objectives

Writing or revising learning objectives can be messy, as it requires assimilating information from many places. This process may not look the same for every instructor, but our worksheet suggests a place to start. Make your own copy of our Learning Goals Drafting Worksheet. As you use this worksheet, refer back to information in this guide.