How to write good learning objectives

A learning objective briefly describes something that a learner will be able to do at the end of a learning experience, which they couldn’t do before.

They’re designed to help connect the learning to learners’ goals and motivations, and to evaluate progress.

A good learning objective should encapsulate who the target learner is, what they need to be able to do, and what their starting point is.

Don’t:

  • Use verbs that can’t be objectively evaluated: ‘know’, ‘understand’, ‘study’, ‘be aware’

Do:

  • Use verbs which describe an observable action, like ‘explain’, ‘demonstrate’