Chapter 5
Writing Instructional Objectives
What Are Learning Objectives?
After the needs assessment has been completed and the data gathered, analyzed, and reported to the appropriate people, the next step is to design the training program. The first step in the design process is to write learning objectives.
Learning objectives or outcomes state what the learner will be able to do at the end of the training program or at the end of a phase of training. They describe the planned outcome of the training rather than the training process—results rather than procedure.
Why Set Objectives?
Objectives serve as a type of contract. If participants know the program or session objectives from the beginning, they will know what they are expected to learn. Objectives give participants a sense of direction. They know what to expect from you and what you expect from them.
Objectives serve as the basis for the design and development of the program, that is, the instructional plan. They help the trainer focus clearly on the desired outcomes and determine what the participants need to know and do in order to meet those objectives. The concept of designing a training program is analogous to planning a trip: the objectives are the destination and the instructional plan is the itinerary. First decide where you want to go (objectives) and then decide how you are going to get there—how long the trip will take and what means of transportation you will use (methods and materials).
Objectives should be written from the participant's point of view, not the trainer's. The emphasis should not be on what you want to cover but on what you want the participant to value, understand, or do with the subject, information, or skills after the training program is over.
Objectives are used to measure success. Because they describe what the participant will be able to do at the end of the training, the objectives automatically become the standard against which success is measured.
Finally, objectives are a sales tool. Develop the program objectives based on the needs assessment you conducted earlier. Then use these objectives to tell the participants' managers exactly what your training will do for their employees. These managers will have a much better understanding of what the training will and will not do.
Types of Objectives
Objectives fall into three categories of development: attitude (affective), skill (behavioral), and knowledge (cognitive).
Attitude Development—Feel
Objectives that address attitude development deal with attitudes, values, or feelings. These objectives are appropriate when you want to change people's attitudes or increase their awareness of or sensitivity to certain issues or ideas.
Skill Development—Do
Objectives for skill development deal with behavior. These are much easier to identify and to determine whether they have been met. They focus on a person being able to perform a task or procedure.
Knowledge Development—Think
Knowledge-development objectives have to do with content or cognitive learning. They relate to the ability to demonstrate acquired knowledge, to comprehend information, and to analyze concepts.
Essential Characteristics of Objectives
For objectives to be useful, they must meet certain criteria. They must be:
- Objective and measurable. Objectives should describe exactly what the participants will be able to do at the end of the training session, that is, specify the kind of behavior (if possible) that will be accepted as evidence that the participants have achieved the objective.
- Results-oriented, clearly worded, and specific.
- Focus only on important aspects of the job.
- Measurable with both qualitative and quantitative criteria.
- Action-oriented statements. They must outline specific activities and how performance will be measured.
- Written in terms of performance. The trainer can then select the most appropriate methods and activities.
- Specific about what the participants will be able to do. They must be specific about results, rather than describing the trainer or the experience of the session.
- Descriptive of the participants' behavior or performance. Objectives should not describe what participants must know or understand, but what participants must do to demonstrate their understanding, knowledge, or skill.
- Descriptive of desired competence at the end of the training.
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Specific about the conditions under which the participants will be performing.
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Indicate the minimum level of performance acceptable.
Writing Learning Objectives
Writing objectives is not an easy task. The first challenge is to think of objectives from the participants' viewpoints, and the second challenge is to write them as performance outcomes.
Components of an Objective
The easiest way to write an objective is to start by examining its three components: performance, condition, and criteria.
Performance
Ideally, the objective should describe behavior that can be observed, that is, what the participants will be able to do as a result of the training. This is not always possible, particularly when dealing with attitude or affective objectives. When the objective is not observable, specify the consequences of the learned behavior that can be accepted as evidence of achievement. For example, for a diversity training program, an objective might be that the participants will “explore their feelings about workplace diversity issues.”
The objective must use specific action verbs that are not subject to various interpretations. Words such as understand, know, and learn, for example, are not acceptable. You cannot observe those behaviors. Table 5.1 offers a few action verbs for each of the desired learning outcomes.
For example, a performance component for a sales training objective might be that the participants will be able to “suggest other bank services to the customer.”
Table 5.1 Reference Chart for Objectives
| Learning Type | Related Action Verbs | |
| Attitude Development | Adjust Analyze Assess Choose Criticize |
Decide Evaluate Pick Select |
| Skill Development | Assemble Compute Construct Copy Count Demonstrate Design Develop Draw Measure Operate |
Prepare Process Prove Record Repair Solve Speak Transcribe Type Write |
| Knowledge Development | Cite Compare Contrast Define Describe Detect Differentiate Distinguish Enumerate Explain |
Identify List Name Quote Recite Recognize Relate Repeat Reproduce |
The Trainer's Handbook, 4th Ed. Copyright © 2016 by Karen Lawson. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Condition
The objective explains the circumstances under which the participant will be performing the activity. It also describes the equipment, supplies, and job aids that may or may not be used on the job. Furthermore, the objective describes the work setting and any information used to direct the action. For example, a statement such as “Using open-ended questions to identify customer needs, the participant will …” identifies the materials the participant will use to help him or her perform an action.
Criteria
Finally, the objective specifies the level or degree of proficiency that is necessary to perform the task or job successfully. It indicates the quality of the performance required to achieve objectives. Thus, information in the criteria is used to evaluate performance. The objective may involve speed, accuracy with a margin of error, maximum of mistakes permitted, productivity level, or degree of excellence. Keep in mind that not all standards can be quantified. Following the sales example, the criteria might be to identify how many or which services the participant would tell the customer about. Putting it all together, the objective reads: “Using open-ended questions to identify the customer's needs (condition), the participant will suggest (performance) at least two additional products or services to every customer (criterion).”
In many cases, the trainer will need to rely on input from subject-matter experts and/or supervisors to establish the criteria, especially if the objective relates to specific tasks that can be measured. This standard of performance is usually determined by the line manager and thus directly links the training to real-world projects and job expectations.
To gain a better understanding of the format and components of an objective, take a look at the following examples:
- Using brochures and desk-top charts (condition), customer-service representatives will answer (performance) all customer questions about standard products and services (criteria).
- Employees will answer the telephone (performance) within three rings (criterion) using the standard identification message and greeting (condition).
- Following prescribed bank procedures (condition), employees will balance the teller windows (performance) each day within twenty minutes (criterion).
- Using PowerPoint® software (condition), employees will create (performance) a thirty-minute presentation that includes animation and sound (criteria).
- Managers will write (performance) a two-page, error-free request proposal (criteria) following the proposal format introduced in the business writing workshop (condition).
To help you gain a better understanding of how to write learning objectives, complete the activity in Exhibit 5.1. Suggested solutions are provided in Appendix A.
Using an Objectives Worksheet
To better understand and master the objective-writing process, take a look at the Sample Objectives Worksheet in Exhibit 5.2, which identifies the component parts of a well-written objective.
On the left are the components of a well-written objective along with a brief explanation of what information is included in each component. To the right of each component is an example of the specific piece(s) of information that would satisfy that component. In this example, the subject is “leadership characteristics.” The objective (taken from the previous activity) “Know the characteristics of a leader” is not specific enough. In fact, this objective does not even come close to meeting the criteria listed earlier.
In this particular example, the trainer will be giving the participants “results from several recent studies” (condition). Having given that information, the trainer then expects the participants to be able to “identify” (behavior) “six characteristics of effective leadership in a team environment” (criteria). As you can see, the worksheet can help you identify the components more easily. You can then put those components together to create a useful and meaningful learning objective: “Using the results of several recent studies on leadership, participants will identify the six characteristics of effective leaders in a team environment.”
Writing Your Own Objectives
Choose a particular topic from your own situation and write three learning objectives that include all three components. Use the Objectives Worksheet in Exhibit 5.3.
At first, the practice of writing objectives may seem difficult, tedious, and time-consuming. With practice, though, it will become easy. After you have determined your learning outcomes and written objectives, you are ready to design your training program.