Formulating learning objectives Prepared by: Beatrice Ghirardini, Chiara Nicodemi, Fabiana Biasini Instructional Designers, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) September 2013

Formulating learning objectives Why formulate learning objectives? From the trainer’s perspective, to : develop appropriate, targeted content establish your evaluation framework For the learners ’perspective, to: guide them in the learning process clarify expectations from the onset. By the end of this unit, you will be able to formulate learning objectives for your own learning programme.

Formulating learning objectives Learning objectives are important for: Learning events and workshops (Face-to-face/online) E-learning and learning materials Coaching and on-the-job training

What do you want them to be able to remember, understand, do or do differently by the end of the learning initiative? WHO is the target audience? job tasks, skills, gaps, motivation? Think about your audience National programme designers not convinced of the need for Impact Assessment don’t know how to do it don’t even know what it is Example: a course on Impact Assessment (IA) of Food Security programmes They need to: understand what Impact Assessment is, and be aware of the benefits remember what the available methods are, understand their pros and cons, and apply criteria to select the right method. …. Formulating learning objectives

Apply/use Understand Remember What type of learning outcome does the objective represent? I can recall the definition of Learning objective I can give an example of a learning objective I can develop learning objectives for my project + Change Attitude: I now appreciate the importance of learning objectives and therefore I will use them more Levels of learning performance: Formulating learning objectives

Apply/use Understand Remember describe the basic concepts of Impact Assessment select the most appropriate mix of methods for a given project explain pros and cons of different assessment methods At the end of the course, learners will be able to... Example + Change Attitude: convince colleagues of the value of integrating IA in their projects list the three main methods for assessing programme impact Formulating learning objectives

list the three main methods for assessing impact performance content By completing Unit 1, learners will be able to... Example Learning objectives should describe the intended learning outcomes. The action verb indicates observable and measurable actions. Formulating learning objectives

Action verbs essential list (in the cognitive domain): Formulating learning objectives RememberUnderstandApplyAnalyzeEvaluate Define Identify List Name Recall Recognize Record Relate Repeat Underline Choose Describe Determine Differentiate Between Discuss Explain Express Identify Locate Review Recognize Select Tell about Apply Demonstrate Employ Operate Practice Relate Schedule Use Utilize Initiate Analyze Appraise Calculate Categorize Conclude Correlate Criticize Deduce Develop Diagram Estimate Relate Solve Test Diagnose Appraise Assess Choose Compare Critique Estimate Evaluate Judge Measure Rate Revise Score Select Validate Value

Formulating learning objectives  Objectives should be short sentences  Formulate objectives in terms of outcomes – not by describing learning activities  Formulate the objective from learners - not trainer – perspective  Use action verbs that consider the appropriate level of performance – avoid vague verbs  Don’t replace the objective with the topic’s title  Don’t include two different performances in the same objective A few tips

Formulating learning objectives 1.At the end of this course you will be able to recall the steps of the Learning Management Cycle and to apply them to your project 2.In the first unit you will look at several examples of FS reports 3.By completing this unit you will learn about the steps of the Learning Management Cycle 4.The first unit provides a description of the main methods for impact assessment What’s wrong with the following objectives?