1. Training & Instructional Design
Creating a lesson plan.
Creating a Lesson Plan
This material (Comp20_Unit3) was developed by Columbia University, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under Award Number 1U24OC

2. Creating a Lesson Plan Learning Objectives
Write measurable objectives for a training program
Write learning objectives that use Blooms Taxonomy to classify learning from the simplest to the most complex
Write learning objectives that are tied to needs analysis
Select appropriate activities for training objectives
Construct a lesson plan using appropriate instructional approaches tied to the needs analysis
By the end of this unit learners will be able to:
Write measurable objectives for a training program
Write learning objectives that use Blooms Taxonomy to classify learning from the simplest to the most complex
Write learning objectives that are tied to needs analysis
Select appropriate activities for training objectives
Construct a lesson plan using appropriate instructional approaches tied to the needs analysis
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

3. Why Write Lesson Plans Lesson Planning Core skill for trainers
Aids in organization and delivery of lessons
Guide for managing the learning environment
Leads to more creative lessons
Lesson planning is an important core skill for teachers and trainers, yet many skip this step. This skill will take time to master, but the result will be that your courses and lessons will be better organized, and implementation will go more smoothly. Better organization leads to more effective teaching and in turn, greater learning.
The lesson plan will provide a pathway toward the attainment of the selected learning objectives. It will be your guide to answering the questions, “What are my goals for this lesson?” and “What do I have to do in class to achieve these goals?” This is also the time that teachers can show their creativity, and over time, lessons will be more interesting, and delivered with confidence.
Writing lesson plans does not have to be difficult. In this unit we will look a systematic process to prepare a lesson plan that will help ensure success.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

4. Anatomy of a Lesson Plan
Step 1
Unit topic
Content
Step 2
Instructional goals
Learning objectives
Materials
Step 3
Instructional procedures
Evaluation procedures
There are 3 main steps in preparing a lesson plan:
In step 1, the topic and content to be covered are defined. Step 2 lists the instructional goals, learning objectives, and materials, and in step 3, the instructional and evaluation procedures are planned.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

5. Writing Learning Objectives
Statements which describe what the learner is expected to do after instruction
Specific, observable, and measurable learning outcomes
Objectives are:
Let’s say the goal is to prepare a lesson for intake personnel on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules, with a focus on the new EHR. All that’s known so far is the content area to be covered in this lesson, but this information says nothing about what students will know, and what the learner is expected to do after instruction. For this information, we need to write learning objectives. Learning objectives define specific, observable, and measurable learning outcomes. What about the HIPAA rules should they know? How will they demonstrate this has been learned? And, how will you measure that learning has occurred?
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

6. Objectives Versus Goals
Broad, generalized statement about what students will gain from instruction over an entire course or curriculum
Objective
Specific statement describing what the learner will know or be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity
Before we go any further, we should discuss the difference between goals and objectives. These two concepts are often confused; goals are broad, generalized statements about what students will gain from instruction over an entire course or curriculum, but in order to better describe what kind of work is expected in the course and to more easily design assessment, more specific statements of what the learner must “do” are desirable. Therefore objectives are specific statements describing what the learner will know or be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

7. Examples of Objectives & Goals
Students will learn how to write lesson plans
Objective
Students will be able to write measurable objectives for a training program
Here are some examples of each. A goal for this unit you are currently taking is: “Students will learn how to write lesson plans”. This tells you why you are taking this unit, but it does not give any information about the specific skills you need to write lesson plans and will gain by completing this lesson. Here’s an actual objective for this lesson: “Students will be able to write measurable objectives for a training program.”
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

8. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Purpose of Objectives
By knowing where you intend to go, you increase the chances of you and the learner ending up there
Guides the teacher relative to the planning of instruction, delivery of instruction and evaluation of student achievement
Guides the learner; helps him/her focus and set priorities
Allows for analysis in terms of the levels of teaching and learning
Objectives are useful for a number of reasons:
By plotting where you intend to go, you increase the chances of you and the learner ending up there
Guides the teacher; helps with the preparation of assessment tools to measure student achievement
Guides the learner; helps him/her focus and set priorities
Allows for analysis in terms of the levels of teaching and learning
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

9. Anatomy of an Objective
A well-written objective statement provides a clear picture of the outcome or performance expected as a result of the lesson
It should be specific, concise, and, measurable
Let’s focus in on how an objective is constructed. A well-written objective statement provides a clear picture of the outcome or performance expected as a result of the lesson. It should be specific, concise, and, measurable.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

10. Anatomy of an Objective (cont.)
Behavior
The behavior should be specific and observable
Condition
The conditions under which the behavior is to be completed should be stated, including what tools or assistance is to be provided
Standard
The level of performance that is desirable should be stated, including an acceptable range of answers that are allowable as correct
An objective statement has three parts, the behavior, the condition and the standard. The behavior describes what the students will be able to do and verbs that are specific and observable should be used. The condition under which the behavior is to be completed should be stated. Including what tools or assistance is to be provided, and the standard indicates the level of performance that is desirable should be stated, including an acceptable range of answers that are allowable as correct
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

11. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Objective Example
Given a normal clinical environment and using the new EHR, intake staff will be able to accurately create an electronic chart for all new patients
This example describes the observable behavior (create electronic chart), the conditions (clinical environment and the new EHR), and the standard (all new patients)
Consider the following objective:
Consider the following objective, given a normal clinical environment and using the new EHR, intake staff will be able to accurately create an electronic chart for all new patients.
This example describes the observable behavior (create electronic chart), the conditions (clinical environment and the new EHR), and the standard (all new patients).
Often, learning objectives ignore the conditions and standards. When omitted, it is assumed that the conditions involve normal workplace conditions, and standards are set at perfection. This is usually acceptable, but written indication of the behavior using measurable or observable verbs must always be included
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

12. Measureable Verbs
Evaluation: Ability to judge the value of learned material
Synthesis: Ability to put parts together to form a new whole
Analysis: Ability to break down material into its component parts
Application: Ability to use learned material in new situations
Comprehension: Ability to grasp the meaning of material
Knowledge: Remembering of previously learned material
To find measureable and observable verbs, we refer to learning taxonomies such as Bloom’s. In the cognitive domain Bloom’s taxonomy identified and defined levels of mental skills from the lowest level of simple recall of facts, through increasingly more complex mental activities. There are 6 major categories.
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

13. Measureable Verbs (cont.)
Level 1: Recall
Knowledge
Comprehension
Level 2: Interpretation
Application
Analysis
Level 3: Problem-Solving
Synthesis
Evaluation
An added benefit is that you can use the hierarchy to help you chunk your modules and focus teaching to target the domains and levels of learning.
We can group the six levels of learning into three categories. Level 1 is recall. Recall objectives are at lowest level and involve recall or description of information. The next level up is interpretation and involves application and examination of knowledge. Level 3, or problem-solving skills, test the highest level of learning and involve construction and assessment of knowledge.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

14. Recall Verbs Knowledge: Remembering of previously learned material
defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states
Comprehension: Ability to grasp the meaning of material
converts, defends, distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives an example, infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates
The following verbs can be used to describe observable recall behaviors. This first set of verbs describes knowledge, the remembering of previously learned material.
Defines
Describes
Identifies
Knows
Labels
Lists
Matches
Names
Outlines
Recalls
Recognizes
Reproduces
Selects
States
This next set of verbs can be used to describe comprehension, the ability to grasp the meaning of the material.
Converts
Defends
Distinguishes
Estimates
Explains
Extends
Generalizes
Gives an example
Infers
Interprets
Paraphrases
Predicts
Rewrites
Summarizes
Translates
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

15. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Sample Objective
Recall
After attending HIPAA workshop, the student will state the policy on patient confidentiality
Here’s an example of an objective that targets the recall level of learning: “After attending a HIPAA workshop, the student will state the policy on patient confidentiality.”
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

16. Interpretation Verbs
Application: Ability to use learned material in new situations
applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses
Analysis: Ability to break down material into its component parts
analyzes, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates
The following verbs can be used to describe observable interpretation skills. These verbs are used to describe application, the ability to use learned material in new situations.
Applies
Changes
Computes
Constructs
Demonstrates
Discovers
Manipulates
Modifies
Operates
Predicts
Prepares
Produces
Relates
Shows
Solves
Uses
This next set of verbs can be used to describe analysis, the ability to break down material into its component parts
Analyzes
Compares
Contrasts
Diagrams
Deconstructs
Differentiates
Distinguishes
Identifies
Illustrates
Infers
Outlines
Selects
Separates
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

17. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Sample Objective
Interpretation
After attending HIPAA workshop, the student will demonstrate how to position computer monitors to protect patient information in a public setting
To target interpretation skills, this objective might work, “After attending HIPAA workshop, the student will state the policy on patient confidentiality.”
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

18. Problem-Solving Verbs
Synthesis: Ability to put parts together to form a new whole
categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes
Evaluation: Ability to judge the value of learned material
appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports
And, lastly here are verbs you can use for problem-solving skills. The first group are used to describe synthesis, the ability to put parts together to form a new whole
Categorizes
Combines
Compiles
Composes
Creates
Devises
Designs
Explains
Generates
Modifies
Organize
Plans
Rearranges
Reconstructs
Relates
Reorganizes
Revises
Rewrites
Summarizes
Tells
Writes
And this final set is used to describe evaluation, the ability to judge the value of learned material.
Appraises
Compares
Concludes
Contrasts
Criticizes
Critiques
Defends
Describes
Discriminates
Evaluates
Interprets
Justifies
Supports
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

19. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Sample Objective
Problem-Solving
After attending the new EHR training, the student will modify procedures to accommodate a patient without insurance
A suitable problem-solving objective is, “After attending the new EHR training, the student will modify procedures to accommodate a patient without insurance.”
Let’s consider this example of a task analysis.
The objective here is for the learner to be able to accurately register a new patient in the electronic health record.
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

20. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Non-Functional Verbs
These verbs are non-specific & non-measurable
Able to
Shows interest in
Has knowledge of
Capable of
Learns
Memorizes
Conscious of
Understands
Familiar with
Often trainers use vague, non-specific, non-measurable verbs to describe behaviors. These should be avoided. These are the most common offenders:
Able to
Shows interest in
Has knowledge of
Capable of
Learns
Memorizes
Conscious of
Understands
Familiar with
Avoid these verbs at all costs.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

21. Objective Checklist Does the objective focus on student performance? ✔
Is the task measurable or observable?
What criteria will I use to establish that the objective has been reached?
To summarize, after you write objectives check them against these three questions:
Does the objective focus on student performance?
Is the task measurable or observable?
What criteria will I use to establish that the objective has been reached?
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

22. Needs Analysis Checklist
Organizational analysis ✔
Learner analysis
Job & task analysis
Instructional analysis
Another check should be made against your needs analysis results. Well-conducted organizational, learner, job, task, and instructional analyses should lead directly to the specific skills and knowledge that a training should target. Checking against the results will ensure that nothing was omitted.
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

23. EHR Intake Task Analysis
Collect Patient Information
Collect patient demographics
Collect insurance information
Select third-party provider, plan, and group
Identify primary policy holder
Verify Patient Insurance
Verify insurance enrollment
Check for patient co-pays
Notify patient of amount due at first visit
Schedule Appointment
Select care provider
Select location
Select date and time
Validate appointment confirmation
We’ll look at how you would use the result needs analysis to help write objectives, by returning to a previous example. In this example, the task analysis defined the tasks in accurately registering a new patient in the electronic health record. This diagram illustrates a step-by-step process that defines that learning. The three main tasks are:
Collect Patient Information
Verify Patient Insurance
Schedule Appointment
And, these tasks are further broken down into sub-tasks. If you were developing a training session on intake tasks, your training would have to consider these low-level procedural tasks.
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

24. Other EHR Intake Skills
Are there special protocols for when there is an emergency and the triage is flooded with new patients?
If training staff to work in the emergency room
Communicating with the patient in a public setting
Computer screen orientation
Logging out when leaving the computer terminal
How do HIPAA privacy and confidentiality affect the patient registration process?
But, you may also want to include content to answer the following questions.
If you are training staff to work in the emergency room, what special protocols exist for when there is an emergency and the triage is flooded with new patients?
Or, how do HIPAA privacy and confidentiality affect the patient registration process – factors such as communicating with the patient in a public setting, computer screen orientation, logging out when leaving the computer terminal?
These are all examples of some higher-level knowledge and skills required to ensure that the job tasks are completed adequately, so they would have to be included in the training session.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

25. EHR Intake Learning Objectives
Recall the steps of the intake process
Assist patients who have incomplete information
Resolve any potential complications adequately
Select the appropriate registration protocol given the intake environment
Apply HIPAA regulations to the registration process
By the end of this lesson intake personnel will be able to:
For your lesson on these intake tasks, you may write the following learning objectives:
Recall the steps of the intake process.
Assist patients who have incomplete information.
Select the appropriate registration protocol given the intake environment.
Apply HIPAA regulations to the registration process.
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

26. Instructional Materials
PowerPoint presentation
Handouts and/or textbooks
Visual aids
A/V equipment
Computers & software
Additional personnel
Create a materials list
Create a materials list and add to this as you write your procedure so that you know exactly what you will need for your class to run smoothly. Prepare your PowerPoint presentation, select and prepare your handouts, and make copies. What about the physical space? Do you need computers? Make sure the A/V equipment works and software is installed on computers. Do you need additional personnel to assist you?
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

27. Instructional Procedures: Overview
Introduction: Focusing Event
Development: Modeling/Explanation Demonstration
Practice: Guided/Monitored Activity
Independent Practice: Assignments to Measure Progress
Checking For Understanding: Assessment/Feedback
Closure: Wrapping it up
The actual lesson should be broken up into some discrete parts that progress through the steps of introducing new content, allowing for practice and reinforcement of learning, followed by assessment. The steps are:
Introduction: Focusing Event
Development: Modeling/Explanation Demonstration
Practice: Guided/Monitored Activity
Independent Practice: Assignments to Measure Progress
Checking For Understanding: Assessment/Feedback
Closure: Wrapping it up
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

28. Instructional Procedures
Introduction: Focusing Event
Introduce the objectives of this lesson
Set up expectation for the learners
Development: Modeling/Explanation Demonstration
Lecture
Small or whole group discussions
Demonstrations
Practice: Guided/Monitored Activity
Observe, listen, read
Problem sets
Practice on actual tools
Determine how you will introduce the lesson. You may want to use this time to introduce the objectives of this lesson and to set up your expectation for the learners.
Decide the method(s) you will use to teach the content of your lesson. Will you lecture; have small or whole group discussions? Sometimes it may be best to use a combination of these methods: beginning with a couple minutes of lecture, followed by a discussion to ensure that the students understand what you have taught them.
You should plan and select the most appropriate approach for students to achieve each outcome. The instructional approaches chosen for one learning outcome may be different from the approaches selected for other outcomes in the same lesson.
For example, if students are to gain skill in performing a certain task, one of the activities should be practice in performing the task. If the desired outcome is knowledge, students should observe, listen, or read so they can relate what they are learning to their own experience. If students must learn to apply a principle, the instructor should ask them to solve problems or perform tasks requiring an application of that principle.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

29. Instructional Procedures (cont.)
Independent Practice: Assignments to Measure Progress
Independent practice
Role-play/simulations
Other cooperative activities
Checking For Understanding: Assessment/Feedback
Quizzes
Formal exams
Workplace performance
Closure: Wrapping it Up
Assign homework
Introduce next topic
Plan for follow-up
Determine how you will have the students practice the skill/information you just taught them. For example, if you have taught them about the HIPAA rules, you will have them practice this with problem sets independently, or role-play in groups or some other cooperative project. These are a few of many possibilities.
How will you know whether your course is effective? You will need to gather some evidence of their learning, and this is usually done by administering some kind of formal assessment and assigning grades to learners. If you choose this method, you will need to create a grading rubric based on lesson objectives. If you have written specific, observable objectives it will be easy to turn this into questions for your assessments. You also turn some classroom activities into tests, but expect learner s to complete them this time without assistance.
For workplace training, it may be necessary and appropriate to design assessments to measure workplace performance after training.
Use the last few minutes of the class to assign homework or plan for the next session.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

30. Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan
Example Lesson Plan
Objective
Materials
Procedures
Time
Recall the steps of the intake process.
PowerPoint presentation
Handout of intake workflow for a specific clinic
Introduction to Intake process and why patient confidentiality is important
Lecture presentation
Distribute a self-test quiz to test knowledge of step
15 minutes
Apply HIPAA regulations to the registration process.
Video of patient registration process in busy clinic
Flip board and markers
Divide students into small groups and ask them identify methods and procedures to ensure patient privacy
30 minutes
This slide shows a simple lesson plan with a two objectives from our list. The first objective, “Recall the steps of the intake process” uses two teaching materials, a PowerPoint presentation and a handout of the intake workflow for a specific clinic. The Instructional Procedures column suggests that the trainer do an introduction to the intake process and explain why patient confidentiality is important. After the introduction the trainer presents the lecture using the PowerPoint presentation and then distributes a self-test quiz so the student can test their knowledge. The suggested time for these actives is 15 minutes.
The second objective covered in this lesson is “Apply HIPAA regulations to the registration process”. The materials used are a video of the patient registration process in a busy clinical setting and a flip board and markers for each group of students. The students are divided into small groups and asked to identify patient privacy methods and procedures they saw in the video. The groups of students then share their results. This activity should take 30 minutes.
In this example each objective has a unique set of materials and instructional procedures, but often you will have multiple objectives sharing the same materials and procedures. Remember to select the most appropriate materials and methods based on the verb in the learning objective.
Follow this link to see an example of another Lesson Plan Template:
Table 1.1
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Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

31. Creating a Lesson Plan Summary
Develop lesson plans, but be flexible to enough to adapt to changes as they occur
Respond to them and use to use them to your learners benefit
We’ve discussed the importance of lesson planning and how the quality of your lesson planning will affect the quality of the learner experience and the instructional results. But, even though you have spent hours developing and perfecting your lessons, during class time you should be flexible enough to adapt to unexpected events as they can and will occur. But, some of the best results will come from spontaneous, unplanned events, and you should be alert and flexible enough to respond to them; to use them to your learner’s benefit. In any event, you should incorporate them when you are in your planning your next lesson.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan

32. Creating a Lesson Plan References
Clark DR. Bloom’s Taxonomy [monograph on the Internet]. Big Dog & Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition; c2004 [cited 2010 Jun 21. Available from:
Molenda, M. (2003). In search of the elusive Addie model. Performance improvement, 42(5), 34. Retrieved from
Carkhuff RR, Fisher SG. (1984). Instructional systems design: volumes I & II. Amherst, MA: Human Resource Development Press.
Carliner S. Training Design. (2003). Danvers, MA: American Society for Training and Development.
Fleming M, Levie WH. Instructional Message Design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications, Inc.; 1978.
Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956).Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals;
Handbook I: Cognitive Domain New York, Longmans, Green, 1956.
Gagne RM, Wager WW, & Golas K. (2004) Principles of Instructional Design (5th ed.). California: Wadsworth Publishing.
Reigeluth CM. (1999). Instructional-design Theories and Models: A new paradigm of instructional theory. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
No audio
Charts, Tables, & Figures:
1.1 Table: Zimmerman, J. (2010). Example lesson plan. Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 3.0/Spring 2012
Training & Instructional Design Creating a Lesson Plan