Writing Learning Objectives

Questions to Ask Yourself

 What do you want participants to be able to do back at their institutions as a direct result of attending

this session (workshop, course, seminar, etc.)?

 What does our audience need to know or be able to do to bridge the gap between where they are today

and where we want them to be tomorrow?

 If participants could learn only three things in this session, what would those three things be? What

would be your three take-home messages?

Steps for Writing an Objective

1. Write each objective beginning with the phrase “After participating in this session, attendees should be able

to . . . .”

2. Choose a verb that matches the desired level of knowledge or skill (see information on Bloom’s Taxonomy

below).

 Verbs should indicate specific, measurable, and observable behaviors.

3. Review each objective to make sure it is an outcome.

 Double check that you have not created a list of learning activity descriptions or agenda items (for

example, “The participants should complete a simulation on how to perform the XYZ procedure”).

 Your objectives should describe what participants should be able to know or do as a result of a

learning experience.

4. Examples:

 Poorly defined learning objective: After participating in this session, attendees should be able to

explain change management.

 Well-defined learning objective: After participating in the session, attendees should be able to

describe the three essential elements of change management.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy, created by Benjamin Bloom, is a hierarchical classification of the different levels of thinking

Writing Learning Objectives

List of Verbs for Formulating Educational Objectives

Remembering

arrange

bookmark

call out

choose

define

describe

duplicate

highlight

identify

label

list

locate

match

memorize

name

omit

order

recite

recognize

relate

repeat

reproduce

retrieve

select

state

tabulate

write

Understanding

annotate

arrange

attach

blog

Boolean search

categorize

classify

comment

compare

discuss

explain

express

extend

give example

illustrate

indicate

infer

interpret

paraphrase

report

restate

review

rewrite

summarize

translate

Applying

apply

assemble

carry out

collect

compose

construct

demonstrate

develop

dramatize

edit

execute

generalize

hack

illustrate

implement

load

network

operate

organize

play

practice

prescribe

restate

run

schedule

select

sketch

solve

Analyzing

analyze

appraise

attribute

calculate

categorize

classify

collaborate

contrast

criticize

deliberate

differentiate

discriminate

distinguish

examine

experiment

infer

integrate

interpret

manage

organize

question

reverse-engineer

structure

subdivide

survey

tag

test

validate

Evaluating

coach

critique

debate

defend

detect

develop

evaluate

formulate

hypothesize

judge

manage

mentor

moderate

plan

prepare

prioritize

propose

rate

recommend

re-engineer

review

revise

set up

support

synthesize

test

train

verify

Creating

argue

assess

brainstorm

budget

build

compose

conceive

conceptualize

construct

create

design

direct/produce

engineer

envision

estimate

formulate

hypothesize

institute

invent

justify

make up

originate

predict

prototype

publish

role play

strategize

Words to be avoided:

These words are often used but are open to many interpretations:

appreciate

believe

know

learn

understand

Sources:

http://edglossary.org/blooms-taxonomy/

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+Digital+Taxonomy