Why Write Learning Objectives? Why go to the bother of writing learning objectives for your training program?

We see many programs that simply wear participants out by being "nine miles long and one inch thick" with little opportunity to engage learners and practice skills and in the end serving no useful purpose for the organization paying for the program. These programs have a heavy emphasis on what needs to be "taught" with little regard to what participants will need to be able to do when they get back to their job. A focus on writing effective learning objectives tied to real organizational needs is what is missed in a lot of cases. What is a "learning objective"? What is called a "learning objective" is variously named "learning outcome" and "learner objective". Sometimes the term "student" or "participant" is used in place of "learner". In any case, a "learning objective" is what the training participant is intended to have actually learned at the conclusion of the training program. "Learning" encapsulates new beliefs, new attitudes and new practical skills and the unlearning of outmoded beliefs, attitudes and skills. What are the benefits of defining and articulating a well-constructed learning objectives statement? We see the benefits for your program as including the following:

Learners can focus more easily on what is important to their actual workplace performance. Learning objectives form a solid basis for sequencing and chunking program content and activities. Participants' managers can be assured that training addresses actual organizational goals. Learning objectives determine the relevance of program design features and content, allowing you to weed out easily what are just peripheral sideshows. Trainers can better focus on the key deliverables of the training program, without being too sidetracked to the detriment of the program. Learning objectives allow learner tests to be checked for relevance and completeness.

The writing of well-specified learning objectives plays a central role in any training program. Formulating and documenting such objectives serves to guide the activities of all of the people involved in its development and delivery; course designers and developers, participants' managers, trainers and the learners themselves. The Learning Objectives Process

How do you write effective learning objectives? As with all good outcomes, we see the trick as following the right process. Effective training program needs analysis and high-level design consists of four basic steps. Figure 1 Phases of training program design

The first step involves working with client managers to determine the organization's purpose for the training. This purpose should be stated in organizational terms and not in training terms. In Step 2, the organizational unit's objectives are expanded in order to clarify what it is employees will need to be able to do following the training for the organizational unit to be able to achieve its stated objectives. The behavior statements documented in Step 2 are then converted into the language of training in Step 3. Step 3 culminates in a document specifying behavior-based learning outcomes for the program. In the following Step 4, the designer determines the basic course design and delivery parameters. Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, will walk you through the first three of these steps, laying a solid foundation for you to progress to Step 4. Step 1: Identify Organizational Unit Objectives In this first step, determine clearly who are your clients (CEO, department manager, project manager, etc). Review the appropriate organizational documents (strategic, project and operational plans, etc) and conduct joint meetings with your clients. Ensure that the objectives agreed with your clients are SMART objectives; that is, that they are:

Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time framed

Our book, Writing Learning Outcomes, will help you identify and frame the organization's objectives for designing and conducting the training. Step 2: Determine On-the-Job Behaviors

In this next step, determine what behaviors participants must demonstrate back in the workplace following the training for the organization's objectives to be achieved. To do this effectively, ensure that your behavior statements:

are directly linked to the organization's objective, contain active verbs, and refer to actions that are publicly observable.

To stay in touch with reality, gather a cross section of stakeholders to thrash out what learner behaviors are really required. At the least, invite client managers, subject matter experts and prospective training participants. At this stage, you will need to work hard to make sure that stakeholders stick with what participants are required to do back on the job, and not what they will need to know. We have cost-effective tools to help you conduct the proper training needs analysis required in Steps 1 and 2. Our Training Management and Training Projects Template Packs contain the necessary templates and guides for identifying organizational objectives and required on-the-job behaviors. Step 3: Write Learning Objectives Only now that you and the organization are clear on business objectives and workplace behaviors are you ready to actually write the learning objectives. Translate the behavior statements formulated in the previous step into performance-based learning objectives. Begin by writing them in the form: At the conclusion of XYZ program, participants should be able to: anticipate ... consider ... create ... Make sure that the learning objectives are learner centered and not centered on what the trainer or program will do or provide or cover. Now add the performance standard to which training participants are expected to perform back on the job. A racing car driver, for example, is expected to drive at a higher skill level than an ordinary road user. Also now add the working environment that the participants are expected to perform within and their available resources back on the job. Will they work autonomously or within a team? Will they have access to user manuals, or will they be expected to remember the process steps? These now constitute the terminal learning objectives the highest-level outcomes specified for the entire training program. Many of your programs will span several

modules or sessions. For each of these discrete components, now formulate enabling learning objectives. To do this, think about what it is the training participant will need to learn to be able to satisfy each terminal objective. For each enabling learning objective, make sure you consider each of Bloom's three learning domains: 1. cognitive includes knowledge, beliefs and reasoning, 2. affective includes values, feelings, attitudes and motivation, and 3. psycho-motor includes physical movement and co-ordination. Once again, make sure that you use active verbs to describe the outcomes. Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, will help you structure your terminal and enabling learning objectives and contains tables of suggested active words for you to use. By writing learning objectives that are both meaningful and practical, you will enhance your credibility with your clients and improve your effectiveness as a training designer. You will be interested in

For a step-by-step guide on writing learning objectives with lots of templates and examples, check out our learning outcomes resource book. As you complete each step in the guide, you will write the results for your particular training project in the workbook provided. When you have finished working through the workbook, you will have a complete set of documented learning objectives for your project. Writing Learning Outcomes Setting SMART Objectives Get your learning and change programs off to the best start by defining and agreeing SMART objectives with stakeholders.

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Define SMART Objectives Whether your organization is about to embark on a major learning initiative or a change program, well designed and effective projects begin with clearly stated business goals. As a program leader, you will need to meet with the key stakeholders to thrash out the desired objectives of your training or change program. Target as your primary meeting outcome a clear definition of what it is your organization wants to achieve with the help of the learning or change initiative. Frame the organizational objective so that it meets the criteria for being a SMART objective. According to the SMART way of defining objectives, each goal should be: Specific Clearly define in unambiguous terms the scope of the objective, such as which region, which department, which machine, which employees. Measurable Describe how success will look to a dispassionate observer. Use numbers, such as quantity produced, error rate or survey scores. Achievable The objective should be ambitious, yet within the reach of the organization given the resources and time allocated. An unrealistic objective will certainly lead to a failed training or change program. Relevant Relate the objective to the broader strategic and/or operational objectives of the organization. Avoid objectives that do not contribute directly to the end game. Time framed State the point in time that the objective will be achieved by, such as end of financial year. The main advantage to be gained from defining your objectives as SMART goals is that once you and your management team start using it, wooly, nebulous thinking

goes out the door. Everyone knows what everyone else means. And when it comes time to evaluate whether the objectives were met, you will all have a clearly graduated ruler to put up against your results. Apply the above SMART test to the organizational objectives related to your training or change project. Examples of poorly stated objectives include the following:

enhance the buying experience of our customers produce more value-add products build a more productive work environment create more happy customers hire people who fit in with our work culture improve leadership skills

These are fine as broadly stated strategic objectives. However, for underpinning effective learning and change programs, they need to be fleshed out. Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, will take you step by step through the process of creating SMART learning objectives for your program. SMART Goals Examples Below are some examples of SMART goals discussed at stakeholder meetings during the objectives-setting phase of an important project. In the first scenario, the stakeholder group teased out what the objective, "improve leadership skills", means in terms of measurable results. After some debate, two options were put on the table: All Division Heads publish in the company newsletter a Mission and Vision statement for their Division by end of year. All frontline managers in the New Products division achieve a minimum score of 3 on the end of financial year Leadership multi-rater survey. The two groups working on the options worked hard to ensure that their proposal passed the test for SMART goals. Each goal specifies which company leaders are included within the scope of the objective, each contains an objectively observable measure of success, each is achievable given the company constraints, each is directly related to the strategic area of improving leadership skills and each contains a target date. It was then up to the stakeholders to adopt the goal that best matched their circumstances.

Our Managing Change in the Workplace guide and workbook can assist you and your stakeholders clarify your wants and help you navigate the change. The second scenario focused on the vague objective, "create more happy customers". The stakeholder team involved considered two SMART objectives: For the next quarterly reporting period, reduce the number of registered customer service complaints in the South-East Region by 30%. Increase the average customer satisfaction index score to 4.5, as measured by the next Ajax annual customer survey. Once again, both of these objectives satisfy the criteria for being a SMART goal. Our third example tackles the undefined objective, "hire people who fit in with our work culture". Two possibilities considered by the stakeholder group were: Increase the proportion of all new employees starting next financial year and who stay beyond six months by 50%. Raise the workplace culture score on our next company-wide annual employee engagement survey to a value of 3.5. Notice how these two options put two very different interpretations on the vague wish to hire people who fit in with the company's work culture. This is a good illustration of the critical importance you need to place on ensuring that all program goals are SMART goals. Otherwise, as the program unfolds, confusion can reign supreme as the various meanings come to the surface. Get your key stakeholders to think about the various interpretations of their stated objectives. Work with them to decide which of the interpretations best matches their situation and what they really want to achieve. Last of all, apply the SMART test to see whether their declared objectives are SMART goals. You can them move with confidence to the next steps in your change program or learning design. You will be interested in

For a step-by-step guide on writing SMART learning objectives for your training program, check out our learning outcomes resource book. As you complete each step in the guide, you will write the results for your particular training project in the workbook provided. When you have finished working through the workbook, you will have a complete set of documented learning objectives for your project.

Writing Learning Outcomes Changing Learner Behavior Design your training programs in a way that guarantees learners will behave differently back on the job.

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Learner Behavior On-The-Job Many trainers focus on what their program participants need to know. Outstanding trainers think deeply about how their training participants will translate knowledge into action on the job. Without changing on-the-job behavior, training programs are simply glorified amusement sessions or, even worse, boredom enhancers. Effective training begins with proper design. You have analyzed your organization's training needs and are now ready to write the program participants' learning outcomes. It is at this point that it helps to clarify exactly what behaviors are required of the learners once they return to the workplace at the conclusion of the training. If you get this right, the major learning outcomes will largely drop out. A statement detailing the required employee behaviors serves as the bridge between the organization's objectives and the expected outcomes from the training program. Without using this bridge as an intermediate step, you may just fall in the water with no life jacket on hand! Consider the following organization objective for an upcoming leadership development program: All Division Heads publish in the company newsletter a Mission and Vision statement for their Division by end of year. To achieve this objective, the required leadership behaviors might be:

critically review and note business operating environment and company strategy conduct facilitation sessions with employees to explore unit's mission and vision clarify with employees and document unit's vision and mission statements

Without teasing out the required behaviors to achieve the objective, the training course has a high risk of stopping at filling participants' heads with all there is to know about missions and visions, how they work and why they are important. Without the link to the actions required to create them, that knowledge is in danger of remaining stagnant in participants' minds. Using Active Verbs A characteristic of well-written behavior statements is that they contain an active verb and describe an action that is publicly observable. Here are examples of poorly written behavior statements:

understand UNIX commands appreciate the importance of diversity in the workplace feel team spirit

An outside observer would not be able to determine whether any of these statements were true of a learner until the learner performed an action. How would a learner demonstrate that they had each of the above attributes? For the first example, the learner could demonstrate their use of specific UNIX commands to run particular tasks, such as incremental data backups. In that case, the behavior statement could be:

enter the keyboard command for running an incremental backup

Examples of other well-written behavior statements include the following:

conduct a SWOT analysis with senior managers remove and replace an exhaust manifold on a four-cylinder engine diagnose and correct common operating system errors document health and safety polices for state branch complete invoices and purchase orders online isolate mains power prior to performing maintenance work

Review your own behavior statements for the presence of active verbs. Include them where they are missing. Continue to refine your behavior statements so they more accurately reflect the on-the-job behavior your organization needs learners to demonstrate. Behavior Gap Analysis

For each of the required behaviors you identified for your program, perform a gap analysis. A gap analysis uncovers the differences between current behaviors and required behaviors. To perform a gap analysis, for each behavior, ask the following questions:

What is it that learners need to start doing that they are not doing now? What is it that learners need to stop doing that they are doing now? What is it that learners need to do in a different way compared with how they are doing it now?

Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, provides examples and a template for you to record your gap analysis. Working with Managers Often, stopping or changing a current behavior is just as important as starting a new behavior. Work initially with the participants' managers to extract from the objectives the required behaviors, and then work together in performing the gap analysis. If you have a group of managers, get them all together in the same room to thrash out the behaviors and the gap. If the managers are removed from the day-to-day operations of the prospective training participants, then include in your meeting lower-level managers and supervisors. Also include subject matter experts and senior employees well-versed in the work practices to be discussed. For training participants themselves to have maximum buy-in to the program, invite one or two prospective participants to provide a sanity check on the meeting outcomes. Meetings are a time-consuming part of the process, but well worth the effort. A clear understanding of what employees will be expected to do in their jobs will save much time and stress further down the track. Also, be prepared for managers unconsciously diverting the discussion back to content, with statements such as, "I think we should include the new invoicing system in the course". Keep asking meeting attendees the question, "But what do you want training participants to be able do on the job?" Focusing on workplace behaviors is a real paradigm shift for most managers, so they will need constant encouragement and gentle steering back on to the right path. If you have a number of clients and stakeholders, it may take two or three meetings or more to clarify all of the behavior requirements. At the conclusion of the exercise, confirm your findings with the meeting attendees. Write your answers into the template we provide in our Writing Learning Outcomes resource kit, noting any specific gaps and adding particular behaviors that require unlearning. These notes will prove invaluable when you go on to the next stage of program design, writing the learning outcomes.

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For a step-by-step guide on writing behavior-based learning objectives and performing a gap analysis, check out our learning outcomes resource book. As you complete each step in the guide, you will write the results for your particular training project in the workbook provided. When you have finished working through the workbook, you will have a complete set of documented learning objectives for your project. Writing Learning Outcomes Performance Objectives in Instructional Design Using performance-based objectives in your training program design ensures a firm link with workplace performance.

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Why Performance Objectives? A critically important task in instructional design is writing learning outcomes in a way that makes clear the required performance of the learner following the training. Focusing on performance objectives directly ties the learning to the actual on-thejob behavior necessary for achieving the organization's goals. Just as importantly, performance-based objectives clarify for the learner where they need to concentrate their learning efforts and makes it easy for assessors to test learners on what is really important. Your first step is to identify the on-the-job behaviors required by learners once they return to work. The list of behaviors may be handed to you as part of the initial training needs analysis. The next step is to fill out the behavior statements with the performance conditions and standards applicable to the real-world workplace application of the learning by the training participants.

Robert F. Mager was the first to characterize the three components of an effective learning objective as Performance, Conditions and Criterion. Heinich, Molenda, Russell, and Smaldino modified Mager's PCC method to form their ABCD model: (A)udience, (B)ehavior, (C)ondition and (D)egree. For the sake of simplicity and because of our emphasis on workplace behavior, we use our BPC method. With this approach, an effectively written learning outcome statement consists of three elements: Behavior what the learner is required to do on the job Performance the standard to which the learner is expected to perform Conditions the enablers and constraints to learner performance Why should we not be satisfied with simply stating the required behavior? What's wrong with the following learning objective? At the conclusion of the course, the learner should be able to drive a car. What instructional designers need to accommodate is that on-the-job behavior can be performed in a variety of ways and to varying degrees of exactitude. For example, the small town resident who only takes the car out on Sundays and the champion rally-car driver can both be said to be able to "drive a car". Performance Standards and Conditions Performance standards are the standards to which learners are required to perform in the workplace. The standard you specify should mirror the standard expected on the job; no more and no less. In order to determine the appropriate standard for each stated learning outcome, consult subject matter experts, managers and supervisors. Performance standards may include one or more of the following:

errors (rate, number, severity) time (response, cycle, delivery, frequency) quantity (absolute, proportion, rate)

Turning now to condition statements, these specify the environment that the learner performs within. They can also list the type and amount of available resources that will either inhibit or enable effective performance.

Conditions may include environmental variables, such as:

weather conditions lighting structure

Resource variables include such things as:

tools and equipment finance raw materials

Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, examines in more detail the three components of an effectively written learning objective. To determine the appropriate conditions, use the information sources mentioned above. Managers, subject matter experts, and so on, are in the best position to clarify normal work conditions inhibiting and enhancing on-the-job performance. Ensure your condition statements are realistic and reflect the actual workplace situation. Performance Objectives Examples Consider a Leadership Development program that includes the following stated learning objectives. At the conclusion of the Leadership Development program, participants should be able to: 1. anticipate and resolve conflict amongst employees 2. consider and respond appropriately to the interests and feelings of employees How can we turn these vague learning outcomes into clear and unambiguous performance standards? Our challenge is that the conflict resolution skills of a frontline manager completing this course do not need to be as developed as those of a professional counselor. With this in mind, the performance standard we apply to the first learning outcome may be:

conflict and potential conflict situations are defused in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures

Continuing on, the conditions under which we expect participants to be able to deal with conflict situations may be stated as:

working independently or as part of a work team using all forms of communication (telephone, facsimile, email, letter, face-toface) disputants are any combination of employees, peers and customers

For the second stated learning objective about responding to the interests and feelings of employees, the performance standard could be:

responses are in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures and access and equity principles employee confidentiality is maintained

The conditions under which we expect the manager to perform may be:

concerns conveyed directly by the employee or by union representative, colleague or team leader feelings conveyed through direct personal contact, impersonal written communications or indirect body language

Now review the learning objectives of your current or last training program. Do they accord with the Behavior, Performance, Conditions approach? Work with your key stakeholders to revise them until they do. Our resource kit, Writing Learning Outcomes, illustrates more examples of performance objectives and provides a customizable template for you to organize and record your program's objectives. Recommended Reading:

Dick, W., Carey, L. and Carey, J.O. (2009). The Systematic Design of Instruction, 7th ed., New York, Longman Heinrich, R., Molenda, M., Russell, J.D., Smaldino, S.E. (1996). Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning , Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Merrill Mager, Robert F. (1997). Preparing Instructional Objectives, 3rd ed., Atlanta, Georgia, The Center for Effective Performance, Inc.

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For a step-by-step guide on writing performance objectives with lots of templates and examples, check out our learning outcomes resource book. As you complete each step in the guide, you will write the results for your particular training project in the workbook provided. When you have finished working through the workbook, you will have a complete set of documented learning objectives for your project. Writing Learning Outcomes