What's a Learning Objective, And Why Should You Care?
Are you an entrepreneur planning to offer a course as part of your overall business model? If so, Learning Objectives can be your best friends - ever!
What's a Learning Objective, And Why Should You Care?
Learning Objectives - two words that definitely do not conjure up fun. In fact, the term sounds like the beginning of something that could be exceptionally boring, if not downright painful. Well, it doesn't have to be, and if you happen to be planning a course as part of your business model - these two words could quickly become your new best friend.
What does the term mean, anyway? Well, a learning objective is a statement that clearly explains what a student will know, or be able to do after taking a course, that they didn't know, or couldn't do previously. A learning objective also identifies the behaviors a student must demonstrate in order be sure that the expected learning has actually occurred.
Here's an example of how the absence of learning objectives can cause confusion. Last month I attended a seminar that was advertised as being about financial management strategies for women. However, the actual event was very different than what I'd expected. At the opening, the sponsors of the event spoke briefly about how they had founded their company (which is a financial management firm) and how much they admired one another and enjoyed working together. Then, they explained that the proceeds from the event would be going to a local charity. (This sounded okay to me - I assumed that they were just getting warmed up, and that the content I was interested in was just around the corner . . . unfortunately, that's not what happened.)
The next two speakers were from the local charity, and they described the services the organization provides. Then, lunch was served. After lunch, a motivational speaker talked about "making a difference" in the world. Then, another speaker did a presentation about how to assemble the perfect wardrobe using pieces that were color-coordinated. The afternoon was capped off by a final speaker from the charity, and a request for contributions.
Imagine my surprise. What ever happened to those financial management strategies? The agenda would have been perfectly reasonable if I had come to the seminar without expectations. After all, the money went for a good cause, and the speakers were entertaining; but that's beside the point. The seminar was advertised as being about financial management strategies for women, and yet none of the content remotely touched on this subject.
How does this relate to learning objectives? Well, learning objectives define what a course is about, and what it is intended to accomplish. They set expectations for specific outcomes. They are the bones of a course (or seminar). Once they are defined and sequenced, the rest of the content is added around them. Starting with clear objectives ensures that the course stays on track, and produces the result that it was intended to produce.
In the case of the seminar described above, if it had been designed around a set of learning objectives, it would have become immediately clear that there was a disconnect between the stated purpose of the event, and the content that was being offered. So, if you're preparing a course, one way of looking at learning objectives is that they keep you honest.
When you really know your subject matter, and you're excited about your what you have to say - it's easy to get sidetracked and veer off onto topics that might be valid, but not necessarily what your student, or customer, has signed on to learn about.
That's when a strong set of learning objectives can be your best friends. They'll help you stay on message - and ensure that you've provided your students with exactly what they were seeking.
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