Learning objectives

What are they?

Learning objectives let students know what standards need to be achieved in the course or in an instructional unit, explain why various activities and assignments have been set and clarify the kind of evidence students need to produce to show that they’ve achieved the objectives. Learning objectives should:

• speak directly to the students,
• be clear and specific,
• use active verbs to let students know how they will able to demonstrate what they have learned,
• define the level of learning necessary to achieve the objectives, and
• match the assessment requirements.

Why do students need learning objectives?

Online Learners tell us over and over again that they use learning objectives to figure out where they are in the course, and for recognizing the purpose of the various units and the activities and assignments they are asked to complete. In addition, students tell us that they often use learning objectives to test themselves on the material covered in the various units.

Resources in PDF

• Learning Objectives: A Basic Guide
• Domains of Learning
• Rubric for Assessing Learning Objectives

Resource links

• Action Verbs for Learning Objectives

For more information about teaching an online or blended class, please visit our comprehensive resource site for Online and Blended Learning and Teaching.