Setting learning objectives

Setting learning objectives

The subsequent guide outlines the process for setting learning objectives for each content page as follows:

  • Define the information, skills, behaviours, or perspectives that learners will gain from each specific page.

  • Clearly outline the anticipated outcomes that learners will be able to demonstrate after engaging with each page.

  • Draft learning objectives that correspond to these outcomes and accurately represent the page’s content.

  • Ensure that objectives are learner-centric, focusing on the behaviours learners should adopt after going through the page, rather than focusing on what the page will “teach”

  • Specify what learners will be able to do ensuring that objectives are:

are stated clearly,

define or describe an action, and

are measurable.

  • Incorporate action words from the Modified Bloom’s Taxonomy.

  • Choose an action word from the various levels of objectives (Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation) when formulating learning objectives, aligning them with the educational activity's overarching goal.

  • Refrain from using vague terms like understand, learn, and know, as they lack measurability due to the absence of tangible outcomes.

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Measurable Verbs:

Benjamin Bloom devised a taxonomy of measurable verbs to facilitate the description and categorization of observable knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours, and abilities. This theory posits that there exist discernible levels of observable actions indicative of cognitive activity within the brain. Through the utilization of measurable verbs in crafting learning objectives, the explicit actions required to demonstrate learning are articulated.

Table 1: Measurable verbs

Category

Meaning

Verbs

Knowledge

Remember previously learned information.

Arrange

Choose

Cite

Define

Describe

Draw

Enumerate

Identify

Indicate

Label

List

 

Locate

Match

Name

Order

Outline

Quote

Read

Recall

Recite

Recognize

Record

 

Relate

Repeat

Reproduce

Review

Select

State

Study

Tabulate

Tally

Tell

Underline

Write

Comprehension

Demonstrate an understanding of the facts.

Articulate

Associate

Characterize

Clarify

Classify

Compare

Compute

Contrast

Convert

Defend

Describe

Differentiate

Discuss

Distinguish

Estimate

Example

Explain

Express Extend

Extrapolate

Factor

Generalize

Give

Give examples

Identify

Illustrate

Indicate

Infer

Interpolate

Interpret

Locate

Match

Observe

Organize

Paraphrase

Predict

Recognise

Relate

Report

Represent

Restate

Review

Rewrite

Select

Summarize

Tell

Translate

 

Application

Apply knowledge to actual situations.

Acquire

Act

Adapt

Apply

Ascertain

Assign

Avoid

Back

Back up

Calculate

Capture

Change

Chart

Choose

Classify

Complete

Compute

Construct

Consult

Convey

Customise

Demonstrate

Develop

Discover

Dramatize

Derive

Employ

Experiment

Explain

Execute

Generalize

Guide

Identify

Illustrate

Implement

Interpret

Interview

Manipulate

Modify

Obtain

Operate

Organize

Paint

Perform

Practice

Predict

Prepare

Produce

Process

Provide

Relate

Schedule

Select

Show

Simulate

Sketch

Solve

Translate

Use

Utilize

Write

Analysis

Break down objects or ideas into simpler parts and find evidence to support generalizations.

Administer

Analyze

Appraise

Break

Break down

Calculate

Categorize

Chart

Classify

Compare

Conclude

Confirm

Contrast

Correlate

Corroborate

criticize

Identify

Illustrate

Infer

Inspect

Debate

Deduce

Delegate

Detect

Diagnose

Diagram

Differentiate

Discover

Discriminate

Dissect

Distinguish

Divide

Document

Ensure

Establish

evaluate

Examine

Experiment

Figure

Group

Inventory

Investigate

Manage

Monitor

Order

organize

Outline

Point out

Predict

Prioritize

Question

Reconcile

Relate

Resolve

Select

Separate

Solve

Subdivide

Survey

Test

Transform

Troubleshoot

Synthesis

Compile component ideas into a new whole or propose alternative solutions.

Anticipate

Appraise

Argue

Arrange

Assemble

Assess

Brief

Attach

Choose

Collect

Compare

Compile

Conclude

Consolidate

Construct

Contrast

Core

Counsel

Create

Criticize

Critique

Decide

 

Defend

Describe

Depict

Design

Develop

Determine

Discriminate

Enhance

Estimate

Evaluate

Explain

Facilitate

Formulate

Frame

Generate

Grade

Handle

Invent

Judge

Manage

Mediate

Modify

 

Organise

Prepare

Prescribe

Probe

Propose

Rate

Rearrange  

Reconcile

Refer

Relate

Release

Reorganise

Revise

Rewrite

Select

Set up

Specify

Supervise

Synthesize

Test

Value

Verify

Weigh

Evaluation

Make and defend judgments based on internal evidence or external criteria.

Appraise

Argue

Arrange

Assemble

Assess 

Categorize

Choose

Collect

Combine

Compare

Compile

Compose

Conclude

Construct

Create

Design

Develop

Devise

Estimate

Evaluate

 

Explain

Facilitate Formulate

Generalize

Generate

Hypothesize

Improve

Integrate

Invent

Judge

Justify

Make

Manage

Measure 

Modify

Organize

Originate

Plan

Predict

Prepare

 

Produce

Propose

Rate

Rearrange

Reconstruct

Relate

Reorganize

Revise

Rewrite

Role-play

Score

Select

Set up

Specify

Summarize

Support

Synthesize

Tell

Tell why

Value

Write