The sun is out (most days) and the temperature is heating up! Summer is here! Thoughts turn to cookouts, family vacations, and for many faculty members…creating or redesigning a course. An important component of any course design or redesign is the creation or modification of learning objectives.

What is a learning objective? Simply stated, a learning objective describes the knowledge and skills students will be expected to acquire within a specific time frame such as by the end of a course module/unit, course activity, or class session. Different learning objectives lead to different teaching activities. 

Learning objectives (also referred to as learning outcomes) can be classified in one of three domains:

• Knowledge (or Cognitive domain)
• Skills (or Psychomotor domain)
• Attitude (or Affective domain)

Learning objectives must also be SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

How about you? Will you be creating new or modifying existing learning objectives in the near future? There are numerous resources available to help educators better understand the role learning objectives play in student success. These resources can also assist in creating clearly stated learning objectives as well as designing appropriate teaching activities and assessments that align with those objectives. We have included a few resource examples below.

Quick Teaching Tip: Learning Objectives (Video provided by Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators)
http://youtu.be/vfBR8qggpY0

A Model of Learning Objectives (From Iowa State University – Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching)
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching-resources/effective-practice/revised-blooms-taxonomy/

Link to Resources on Objectives (Created by Deirdre Bonnycastle via Diigo)
https://www.diigo.com/user/deirdreb/objectives

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