Writing measurable outcomes
A page within CATL Syllabus Guide
Course Outcomes and Instructional/Learning Objectives
- Course outcomes are broad statements of the expected learning outcomes of the course or program.
- Example: The Online Instructor Training course is designed to help instructors develop effective skills in online course development and teaching. Course outcomes or goals have multiple instructional/learning objectives.
- Instructional or learning objectives are clearly written, specific statements of observable student behaviors that can be measured and contribute to achieving course outcomes
- Example: Given the Online Course Evaluation Guidelines, participants will design an assessment strategy to support the achievement of learning objectives for your proposed course or training session.
Often instructional/learning objectives are statements that start with "At the end of this course, students will be able to…" - followed by the objective.
Instructional/learning objectives are important for many reasons for both the instructor and the student. Starting with well-defined and articulated instructional/learning objectives is the way in which the instructor provides a clear purpose for learning efforts.
| Well-written instructional / learning objectives help: | |
| Instructors | Students |
| Plan and revise courses by organizing around specific areas of achievement | Identify what you value and expect them to be able to do |
| Facilitate construction of instructional activities and assignments | Determine the desired outcomes that will be measured |
| Plan the sequence of instruction, allocate time to topics, gather resources | Evaluate their performance, as well as course interaction |
How to write measurable objectives
A true instructional/learning objective is written so that it can be measured or assessed. It focuses on what the student should be able to do at the end of the course.
Well-written instructional/learning objectives contain these elements:
- Conditions (a statement that describes the conditions under which the behavior is to be performed)
- Behavioral Verb (an action word that connotes an observable student behavior)
- Criteria (a statement that specifies how well the student must perform the behavior)
When writing measurable objectives it is best to start with a basic understanding of Bloom's Taxonomy (Bloom et al., 1956).
The major concept of the taxonomy is that educational objectives can be arranged in a hierarchy that moves from less to more complex levels of knowledge. The levels are successive; one level must be mastered before the next level can be reached.
The original levels published by Bloom et al. (1956) were ordered as follows: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. In 2001 Anderson and Krathwohl published a revised version of Bloom's Taxonomy reflecting what has been learned since the first publication. The revised levels are: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
References
Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl (Eds.). (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman.
Bloom, B., Englehart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomny of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York, Toranto: Longmans, Green.