how to write an objective education

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How to Write an Educational Objective

Last Updated: December 17, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 351,871 times.

An educational objective is an important tool for teaching. It allows you to articulate your expectations for your students, which can inform you as you write lesson plans, test, quizzes, and assignment sheets. There is a specific formula that goes into writing educational objectives. Learning to master that formula can help you write excellent educational objectives for you and your students.

Planning Your Objective

• Goals are broad and often difficult to measure in an objective sense. They tend to focus on big picture issues. For example, in a college class on child psychology, a goal might be "Students will learn to appreciate the need for clinical training when dealing with small children." While such a goal would obviously inform the more specific educational objectives, it is not specific enough to be an objective itself.
• Educational objectives are much more specific. They include measurable verbs and criteria for acceptable performance or proficiency regarding a particular subject. For example, "By the end of this unit, students will be able to identify three theorists whose work on child psychology influenced teaching practices in the US." This is a more specific educational objective, based on the educational for the same hypothetical course.

• Bloom identified three domains of learning. The cognitive domain is the domain given the most focus in the world of higher education. Cognitive is the domain used for guidance when writing educational objectives. The cognitive domain focuses on intellectual, scholarly learning and is divided into a hierarchy consisting of six levels.
• Example: Memorizing multiplication tables.
• Example: Recalling when the Battle of Hastings occurred.
• Example: Translating a Japanese sentence into German.
• Example: Explaining why nuclear technology affected President Reagan's political policies.
• Example: Using pi to solve various mathematical problems.
• Example: Using "please" to ask for things politely not just with Mom, but other people.
• Example: Understanding the concept of "fate" as a predetermined destiny.
• Example: A ball thrown on the ground falls, a rock thrown on the ground falls...but what happens if they are thrown into water?
• Example: Creating a painting.
• Example: Putting forth a new idea about subatomic particles.
• Example: Creating a short film humanizing immigrants in your community with commentary on why you believe they deserve respect.
• Example: Writing an essay on why you believe Hamlet really did not love Ophelia.

• Performance is the first characteristic. An object should always state what your students are expected to be able to do by the end of a unit or class.
• Condition is the second characteristic. A good educational objective will outline the conditions under which a student is supposed to perform said task.
• Criterion, the third characteristic, outlines how well a student must perform. That is, the specific expectations that need to be met for their performance to be passing.
• For example, say you are teaching a nursing class. A good educational objective would be "By the end of this course, students will be able to draw blood, in typical hospital settings, within a 2 to 3 minute timeframe." This outlines the performance, drawing blood, the conditions, typical hospital settings, and the criterion, the task being performed in 2 to 3 minutes.

Writing Your Educational Objective

• Example: After completing this lesson, students are expected to be able to write a paragraph using a topic sentence.
• Example: After completing this lesson, students are expected to be able to identify three farm animals.
• Example: By midterm, all students should be able to count to 20.
• Example: At the end of the workshop, students should produce a haiku.

• For knowledge, go for words like list, recite, define, and name.
• For comprehension, words like describe, explain, paraphrase, and restate are ideal.
• Application objectives should include verbs like calculate, predict, illustrate, and apply.
• For analysis, go for terms like categorize, analyze, diagram, and illustrate.
• For synthesis, use words like design, formulate, build, invent, and create.
• For evaluation, try terms like choose, relate, contrast, argue, and support.

• What performance do you expect? Do students simply need to list or name something? Should they understand how to perform a task?
• Where and when will they carry out this performance? Is this for a classroom setting alone or do they need to perform in a clinical, real world environment?
• What are the criteria you're using to evaluate your student? What would be considered a passing grade or an appropriate performance?

• Say you're teaching a high school English class and, for one lesson, you're teaching symbolism. A good educational objective would be, "By the end of this lesson, students should be able to analyze the symbolism in a given passage of literature and interpret the work's meaning in their own words."
• The stem statement identifies that the objective should be met by the end of the lesson.
• The verbs used are comprehension verbs, indicating this task falls under the second level of Bloom's hierarchy of learning.
• The expected performance is literary analysis. The condition is, presumably, that the reading be done alone. The expected outcome is that the student will be able to read a work, analyze it, and explain it in her own words.

Reviewing Your Objectives

• S stands for specific. Do your learning objectives outline skills that you are able to measure? If they're too broad, you might want to revamp them.
• M stands for measurable. Your objectives should be able to be measured in classroom setting, through testing or observed performances.
• A stands for action-oriented. All educational objectives should include action verbs that call for the performance of a specific task.
• R stands for reasonable. Make sure your learning objectives reflect realistic expectations of your students given the timeframe of your course. For example, you can't expect students to learn something like CPR by the end of a week-long unit.
• T stands for time-bound. All educational objectives should outline a specific timeframe they need to be met by.

• Obviously, tests, papers, exams, and quizzes throughout the semester effectively measure if educational objectives are being met. If one students seem to be struggling with an objective, it might be an issue of that individual's performance. If every student seems to struggle, however, you may not be effectively relaying the information.
• Give your students questionnaires and surveys in class, asking them how they feel about their own knowledge of a given subject. Tell them to be honest about what you're doing right and wrong as a teacher.

Sample Objectives and Things to Include and Avoid

Community Q&A

• Fellow educators can help you with your objectives. Everyone in the world of education has to write educational objectives. If you are struggling, have a peer review your objectives and give you feedback. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0
• Look at lots of examples of educational objectives. They are usually listed in course syllabi. This will give you a sense of what a solid, well written objective sounds like. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://rapidbi.com/the-difference-between-goals-objectives/
• ↑ https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/taxonomies-educational-objectives
• ↑ https://fctl.ucf.edu/teaching-resources/course-design/blooms-taxonomy/
• ↑ https://www.yourcoach.be/en/coaching-tools/smart-goal-setting.php

About This Article

To write an educational objective, create stem statements that outline what you expect from your students. Use a measurable verb like "calculate" or "identify" to relay each outcome, which is what the students are expected to do at the end of a course or lesson. Be sure to define a time frame for each objective in your stem statements, and don't forget to note the criteria you plan to use to evaluate the students! For tips on using Bloom's Taxonomy when creating an educational objective, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Part 1: The Basics of Lesson Planning

How to: writing objectives.

• Before beginning this section, be sure to read this section:  Foundational Understanding: Learning Standards and Foundational Understanding: DOK .

The Five rules of writing objectives

Rule #1: All objectives are one sentence long and start with “The student will…” or “The learner will…”

Rule #2 : All objectives contain one Bloom’s Taxonomy verb. Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs are necessary for an objective. It allows for the objective to be assessed. This resource offers a good overview of how Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs work.

Rule #3 : The objective needs to be tied to a state standard.

Rule #4 : The objective needs to indicate a DOK level.

Rule #5 : An objective should typically have one topic. It is always better to make two separate objectives rather than one objective that will measure two things.

Anatomy of an Objective

Locating the Mississippi State Standards

The State of Mississippi has  content standards for every subject and grade level . They are called “College and Career Readiness Standards” and are aligned with Common Core. For the main subject areas (math, science, social studies, and English) there is an app that can be downloaded to a smart phone ( click here for Android ;  click here for Apple ).

Writing Objectives, Step by Step

Step 1: write “the student will…”, step 2: find a state standard you wish to cover with the objective..

Add the short-hand abbreviation to the end of the objective. For example, let’s say you are teaching Geometry, and want to use standard “G-GMD.3: Use volume formulas for cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres to solve problems.” This standard covers several shapes, so our objective will need to be a little more specific. Since the objective will be tied to the standard, we would add “G-GMD.3” to the very end of the objective.

At this point, your objective should look something like “ The student will…(G-GMD.3) ”

Step 3: Choose a Bloom’s Taxonomy verb.

Continuing with the geometry example, this topic lends itself to students applying a formula to solve a problem. Therefore, it makes sense to pull a verb from the “apply” category. In this case, there are several potential verbs: solve, implement, use, compute , and apply . For the sake of this example, the Bloom’s Taxonomy verb solve will be used.

At this point, your objective should look something like “ The student will solve… (G-GMD.3) ”

Step 4: Decide on the topic covered.

Be as specific and direct as you can. In this case, the word “problems” and “pyramids” will be pulled straight from the state standard.

At this point, your objective should look something like “ The student will solve word problems using the volume formula for pyramids. (G-GMD.3) ”

Step 5: Add the appropriate DOK level.

Add the appropriate DOK level based on the charts from that section. In this case, students are applying a formula (what could be considered a “skill”) to find an answer. Therefore, this objective would fall into a DOK 2 because students are “applying skills and concepts.”

Now, your finished objective should look as follows: “ The student will solve word problems using the volume formula for pyramids. (DOK 2) (G-GMD.3) ”

Other thoughts

The objective writing process requires you to consider at least two other questions: “What do the students already know?” and “What objectives support and/or complement this objective?”

What do the students already know?

The objective written above assumes that students are already familiar with the volume formula for pyramids. However, if they have never been exposed to this formula, we will need to teach the students that before we attempt this objective. Gaining an understanding of what students know is part of the assessment process, which will be covered in that section of this text.

“What objectives support and/or complement this objective?”

This objective covers pyramids, but there are other shapes mentioned in the standard. Please resist the temptation to cover an entire standard in one objective. Remember, an objective should typically have only one verb and one topic. If one were teaching a series of lessons or a unit, It makes sense that we would have other objectives like the following:

The student will solve word problems using the volume formula for cylinders. (DOK 2) (G-GMD.3) The student will solve word problems using the volume formula for cones. (DOK 2) (G-GMD.3) The student will solve word problems using the volume formula for spheres. (DOK 2) (G-GMD.3)

In addition, notice the objectives have students looking at word problems. There is the possibility that English Language Arts (ELA) objectives might come into play for these lessons. This will be covered in more detail in the cross-curricular section of this text.

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Learning Objectives: What Are They and How Do I Write Them?

by Model Teaching | August 29, 2018.

Do you sometimes find yourself using the state standard as your learning objective because you are unsure of how to write one yourself? Or maybe you are just leaving them out all together? Find out what information you should be including in your student learning objectives, as well as how you should be using them in your classroom with this article.

Learning Objectives: What Are They & How Do I Write Them?

Have you ever heard the Lewis Carroll quote, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there”? Have you ever thought about its meaning? Without a direction or knowledge of where you are going, you will always end up in the exact same place – nowhere. This line speaks such truth in education. You can’t know what roads to take, or even know if you have arrived until first you know where you are headed!

Learning objectives are the key component to knowing where you are going. A learning objective is a statement, in specific and measurable terms that describes what the learner will know and be able to do after completing a lesson. When it comes to designing a great unit, or planning out your week of instruction, objective writing should be your first step. Only when you have clear learning objectives can you design activities that make learning engaging and interesting. Without having a solid grasp on what you want your students to know and be able to do, you are left to blindly pick and choose and hope the lesson is successful.

The Three-Part Learning Objective

Every effective learning objective has three main parts: the behavior, the condition, and the criterion. The behavior describes what the learner will be doing. It can be something as simple as matching a word with its definition, or it may be something more challenging such as creating a model. But it must be some form of an observable action verb. You want to avoid words such as “know”, “understand”, or “comprehend”. These actions are unobservable and therefore more difficult to measure mastery. You will also want to have only one verb when writing the behavior portion of your learning objective. Having multiple verbs in an objective can cause confusion when it comes to student mastery. Instead, either write them as two separate objectives, or choose the verb that is at the learning level of your students.

The second component an effective learning objective must contain is the condition. The condition gives specific and clear guidance to the student as to what they can expect when completing the behavior that is stated. For example, it may include specific information the learner will use, such as a specific formula, or it may list the tools or references the student will need in order to complete the behavior such as a dictionary, diagram, or T-chart. Don’t confuse this with the instructional activity or event that is occurring before the learning behavior. For example, “after finishing the book” or “after reading the chapter” is not considered a condition. These phrases do not list the tools or references that will be provided for the actual behavior. Instead they describe what is leading up to the behavior.

The final part of an effective learning objective is the criterion. This is the part of the learning objective that specifically tells the learner what they must do to show mastery of the objective. This can be done in one of three ways: by telling the degree of accuracy the behavior must be performed, by giving a quantity of correct responses that must be given, or by giving a time limit in which the behavior must be completed. Notice the list did not include a grade specific criterion. Grades are not the most effective way to give a student feedback; therefore they should not be used in a learning objective. There may be times when you feel a learning objective needs more than one criterion and that is perfectly acceptable. You may add as many as needed to clarify for students what is expected of them to show mastery.

Tips For Writing Effective Learning Objectives

• Learning objectives should be student-centered.  When writing learning objectives, make sure the focus is always on the student. They should always describe what the student will be doing, not what you will be teaching or what your instruction will look like. A learning objective should never be confused with a learning activity.
• Make sure to use simple language all learners can understand.  Learning objectives should be shared with students prior to the learning. This gives the learner a sense of purpose. Therefore, it is important that they are able to read and understand each word we use.
• Keep the learning objective statement brief.  Limiting your objectives to one sentence will help your learners focus better on what is expected of them, instead of becoming discouraged and overwhelmed by the wordiness.
• Match the learning objective to the level of your students.  When choosing an action verb for your objective, make sure it is at the same learning level as your students. For example, if you were introducing a new topic to your class, you would want to start them at a lower level and choose a verb such as “describe” or “list”. Using a Bloom’s Taxonomy verb chart can help with this.
• Write objectives with outcomes in mind – not content.  Your focus should be entirely on what a student should be able to do, not on the lesson itself. The lesson will develop out of the outcome, not the other way around. Remember, you need to know where you are going before you can choose your path to get there.

After writing your learning objectives, use a  checklist like the one included  to carefully examine each one. In order for an objective to be the most effective, it must meet each and every criteria.

Sharing Learning Objectives With Students

How many of us have written a learning objective on the board only because we are required to do so, and never do anything with it? I bet there are quite a few of us. We are missing out on a huge opportunity to improve student learning in the classroom when we do this. Learning objectives shape what students learn. When a student knows before hand what they are expected to learn, they are able to direct their attention towards those particular areas. There is a sense of purpose for their learning.

The most important step of sharing learning objectives is to ensure students actually understand the objective. One way we can do this is by engaging students in a discussion about the learning objective prior to the lesson. Ask questions such as:

• What are we going to be learning today?
• How does this relate to something we have already learned?
• Why do you think it is important that we learn this?
• When do you think we would use this in the real world?
• How will you know if you have got it?

This gives students the opportunity to stop and process the information found in the objective. Classrooms where students understand the learning objective for the daily lesson see performance rates that are 20% higher than those where the learning objective is either unknown or unclear. (Marzano, 2003)

Now that you know what goes in to writing an effective learning objective and how to share it with your students, I challenge you to start each planning session with writing learning objectives. Let this guide the planning of your lessons. Then consistently start each lesson discussing the objective with your class. You will begin to see a change in student learning in your classroom.

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Learning Objective Checklist

Use this checklist to help you write your learning objective.

IMPLEMENTATION GOAL

Choose one subject area that you teach and start your next planning session by writing your learning objectives before deciding what lessons or activity you will be using. Use the downloadable checklist to check your objectives for effectiveness. Use these objectives to build your lessons off of for the week. Then each day start your lesson by discussing the objective with your class. Use the questions found in this article to lead the discussion. Do it for two weeks before adding in another subject area.

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing Learning Objectives: Definitions, Strategies and Examples

Simple steps to writing effective, measurable learning objectives for university and college educators. This guide includes practical approaches and helpful examples.

Top Hat Staff

While it’s natural to focus on theory and concepts when designing your course, it’s equally important to think about the net result you want to achieve in terms of student learning. Learning objectives focus on just that—they articulate what students should be able to know, do and create by the end of a course. They’re also the key to creating a course in which courseware, context, teaching strategies, student learning activities and assessments all work together to support students’ achievement of these objectives.

This guide presents essential information about how to write effective, measurable learning objectives that will create a strong structure and instructional design for your course. 

Table of contents

What are learning objectives, learning objectives vs. learning outcomes, how to write learning objectives, tools for developing effective learning objectives, examples of learning objectives.

Learning objectives identify what the learner will know and be able to do by the end of a course. Grounded in three primary learning areas—attitudes, skills and knowledge—clear learning objectives help organize student progress throughout the curriculum .

While the terms “learning objectives” and “learning outcomes” are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between them.

One key distinction is that learning objectives are a description of the overarching goals for a course or unit. Learning outcomes , on the other hand, outline goals for the individual lessons comprising that course or unit. Learning outcomes should be measurable and observable, so students can gauge their progress toward achieving the broader course objectives.

Another distinction between the two concepts is that learning objectives focus on the educator or institution’s educational goals for the course. For students, goals and progress in a specific course or program are measured by learning outcomes.

Learning objectives help students understand how each lesson relates to the previous one. This way, students can understand how each course concept relates to the course’s goals, as well as degree or course goals. When writing measurable student learning objectives, instructors should ensure that they are structured in a way that makes it easy for students to assess their own progress, as well as the way forward in their learning.

Strong learning objectives should:

• Focus on what students should learn in a course rather than what the instructor plans to teach
• Break down each task into an appropriate sequence of skills students can practice to reach each objective
• Make use of action-oriented language 
• Be clear and specific so students understand what they will learn and why they are learning it

Learning objectives should also be measurable. In order to be effective, they must lay out what success looks like. This way, students can accurately gauge their progress and performance. From these criteria, students should be able to clearly identify when they have completed an element of the course and are ready to move on to the next one.

Key elements to consider

By answering certain fundamental questions, you can begin the process of developing clear learning objectives armed with the information to craft them effectively.

• Which higher-order skills or practical abilities do you want students to possess after attending your course that they did not possess beforehand?
• What do your students need to know and understand in order to get from where they are now to where you want them to be by the end of the course?
• Which three main items do you want students to take away from your course if they learn nothing else?

3 steps to writing learning objectives

Writing strong and effective learning objectives is a matter of three simple steps:

• Explain the precise skill or task the student will perform.
• Describe how the student will execute the given skill or task and demonstrate relevant knowledge and competency—a quiz, test, group discussion, presentation, research project.
• Lay out the specific criteria you will use to measure student performance at the end of the learning experience.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Used to develop effective learning objectives, Bloom’s Taxonomy is an educational framework that is designed to help educators identify not only subject matter but also the depth of learning they want students to achieve. Then, these objectives are used to create assessments that accurately report on students’ progress towards these outcomes.

The revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (2001) comprises three domains—cognitive, affective and psychomotor. In creating effective learning objectives, most educators choose to focus on the cognitive domain. The cognitive domain prioritizes intellectual skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creating a knowledge base. The levels of this domain span from simple memorization designed to build the knowledge of learners, to creating a new idea or working theory based on previously learned information. In this domain, learners are expected to progress linearly through the levels, starting at “remember” and concluding at “create,” in order to reach subject mastery. 

The following are the six levels of the cognitive domain: 

• Remembering
• Understanding

Action verbs

These action verbs and sample learning objectives are mapped to each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy’s cognitive domain. Here, we provide a breakdown of how to implement each level in your classroom. Some examples of action verbs useful for articulating each of the levels within the cognitive domain include:

• Sample learning objective: Upon completion of a geography workshop, students will be able to list the different layers of rock in a given natural structure.
• Sample learning objective: By the end of a Sociology lesson, students will be able to identify instruments for collecting data and measurements for the conducting and planning of research.
• Sample learning objective: After a lesson on literary analysis, students will be able to assign a cohesive reading list for an imagined class on a particular subtopic within the literary realm.
• Sample learning objective: At the end of a course in global economics, students will be able to analyze the economic theories behind various macroeconomic policies and accurately categorize them.
• Sample learning objective: Upon completion of a course on the history of war, students will be able to compare and contrast any two historic wars using timelines of the respective conflicts.
• Sample learning objective: Upon completion of the astronomy course, students will be able to predict the motion and appearance of celestial objects and curate data on the subject from multiple sources and communicate procedures, results and conclusions properly.

The SMART strategy

Simply put, learning objectives are goals for teaching and learning. They provide a sense of direction, motivation and focus. By setting objectives, you can provide yourself and your students with a target to aim for. A straightforward way to set realistic, achievable expectations is through the SMART strategy, ensuring objectives are:

• Specific : Unambiguous, well-defined and clear.
• Measurable : Designed with specific criteria of how to measure your progress toward the accomplishment of the goal in mind.
• Achievable : Attainable and possible to achieve.
• Realistic : Within reach, realistic, and relevant to the course or program’s purpose.
• Timely : With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date, to ensure you can set mini-milestones and check-ins throughout the duration of your course.

By writing measurable learning objectives you can better choose and organize content and use that to select the most appropriate instructional strategies and assessments to meet the learning goals for your course.

• Using language formally vs. informally
• Explaining how to write and speak in each type of language
• Teaching others how to choose and use the appropriate type of language in different situations
• Good example: Upon completion of this course, students will possess the ability to identify and develop instruments for collecting data and measures for executing academic research.
• Poor example: After completing this course, students will be able to explain the organizational structure. 
• Poor example: Students will comprehend the importance of the Civil War.

The first two are good learning objectives because they explain the exact skill or task the student will perform, as well as how they will be tested and evaluated on their performance. The second examples are poor because they are vague and do not include how the knowledge acquired will be evaluated.

Student learning improves when they know what is expected of them. When learning objectives are clear, students are better prepared for a deeper approach to learning. This means that students seek meaning, relate and extend ideas, look for patterns and underlying principles, check evidence, examine arguments critically and engage with course content in a more sophisticated way.

For instructors, this means a more engaged and connected classroom community that works together. By setting clear guidelines for what you intend to teach and for students to learn, you can ensure that you are laying the foundation for a successful and more motivating educational experience.

Hattie, J. A. C., & Donoghue, G. M. (2016). Learning strategies: a synthesis and conceptual model. Science of Learning , 1, 1–13. doi:10.1038/npjscilearn.2016.13

Marsh, P.A. (2007). What is known about student learning outcomes and how does it relate to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning? International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1(2), article 22.

Trigwell, K. & Prosser, M. (1991). Improving the quality of student learning: the influence of learning context and student approaches to learning on learning outcomes. Higher Education , 22(3), 251–266.

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The Innovative Instructor

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Writing Effective Learning Objectives

Developing learning objectives is part of the instructional design framework known as Backward Design, a student-centric approach that aligns learning objectives with assessment and instruction.

Clearly defined objectives form the foundation for selecting appropriate content, learning activities and assessment plans. Learning objectives help you to:

• plan the sequence for instruction, allocate time to topics, assemble materials and plan class outlines.
• develop a guide to teaching allowing you to plan different instructional methods for presenting different parts of the content. (e.g. small group discussions of a common misconception).
• facilitate various assessment activities including assessing students, your instruction, and the curriculum.

Think about what a successful student in your course should be able to do on completion. Questions to ask are: What concepts should they be able to apply? What kinds of analysis should they be able to perform? What kind of writing should they be able to do? What types of problems should they be solving? Learning objectives provide a means for clearly describing these things to learners, thus creating an educational experience that will be meaningful.

Following are strategies for creating learning objectives.

I. Use S.M.A.R.T. Attributes

Learning objectives should have the following S.M.A.R.T. attributes.

S pecific – Concise, well-defined statements of what students will be able to do. M easurable – The goals suggest how students will be assessed. Start with action verbs that can be observed through a test, homework, or project (e.g., define, apply, propose). A ttainable – Students have the pre-requisite knowledge and skills and the course is long enough that students can achieve the objectives. R elevant – The skills or knowledge described are appropriate for the course or the program in which the course is embedded. T ime-bound – State when students should be able to demonstrate the skill (end of the course, end of semester, etc.).

II. Use Behavioral Verbs

Another useful tip for learning objectives is to use behavioral verbs that are observable and measurable. Fortunately, Bloom’s taxonomy provides a list of such verbs and these are categorized according to the level of achievement at which students should be performing. (See The Innovative Instructor post: A Guide to Bloom’s Taxonomy ) Using concrete verbs will help keep your objectives clear and concise.

Here is a selected, but not definitive, list of verbs to consider using when constructing learning objectives:

assemble, construct, create, develop, compare, contrast, appraise, defend, judge, support, distinguish, examine, demonstrate, illustrate, interpret, solve, describe, explain, identify, summarize, cite, define, list, name, recall, state, order, perform, measure, verify, relate

While the verbs above clearly distinguish the action that should be performed, there are verbs to avoid when writing a learning objective. The following verbs are too vague or difficult to measure:

appreciate, cover, realize, be aware of, familiarize, study, become acquainted with, gain knowledge of, comprehend, know, learn, understand, learn

III. Leverage Bloom’s Taxonomy

Since Blooms taxonomy establishes a framework for categorizing educational goals, having an understanding of these categories is useful for planning learning activities and writing learning objectives.

Examples of Learning Objectives

At end of the [module, unit, course] students will be able to…

… identify and explain major events from the Civil War. (American History)

… effectively communicate information, ideas and proposals in visual, written, and oral forms. (Marketing Communications)

… analyze kinetic data and obtain rate laws. (Chemical Engineering)

…interpret DNA sequencing data. (Biology)

…discuss and form persuasive arguments about a variety of literary texts produced by Roman authors of the Republican period. (Classics)

…evaluate the appropriateness of the conclusions reached in a research study based on the data presented. (Sociology)

…design their own fiscal and monetary policies. (Economics)

Additional Resources

• Bloom, B., Englehart, M. Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain . New York, Toronto: Longmans, Green.
• Writing learning objectives. http://sites.uci.edu/medsim/files/2015/03/Writing-learning-objectives.pdf

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Richard Shingles, Lecturer, Biology Department

Richard Shingles is a faculty member in the Biology department and also works with the Center for Educational Resources at Johns Hopkins University. He is the Director of the TA Training Institute and The Summer Teaching Institute on the Homewood campus of JHU. Dr. Shingles also provides pedagogical and technological support to instructional faculty, post-docs and graduate students.

Images source: © Reid Sczerba, Center for Educational Resources, 2016

19 thoughts on “ Writing Effective Learning Objectives ”

The post is interesting. Can I share it?

Yes you may, just please link back.

I agree! Perfect to help my pre-service teachers! Thank you.

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From the viewpoint of SPECIFIC , isn’t it that singularity of behavior that can be measured rather than two behaviors at the same time as noted in your example “Identify and explain” is more preferable. I think combining two behaviors at the same time defeats the purpose of concise

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I agree with separating the two behaviors into two learning objective statements.

Thanks for the concrete suggestions for writing course objectives.

Quite helpful due to such clear explanations. Thanks.

I am especially drawn by the list of verbs and verbal expressions not to use in preparing learning objectives, some of which I had not considered but these expressions do express a level of noncommittal and ambiguity. This is useful information

I really appreciate this article, it has really helped me a lot. I will take what I learned from this article and apply the knowledge for when I create the online classes for the fall 202 semester and further into the future.

This was an excellent article. I appreciated both lists of verbs. The lists will help me in the future, and they’re a great resource to continually use.

Thank You for the clear and concise information.

Very good article on specific terms that identify what is required from the students.

I first learned of Bloom’s taxonomy when I took Applying the QM Rubric. This is a great guide to help me with articulating learning objectives and creative module and course level objectives.

Helpful to have specific examples in different content areas, thanks!

I appreciated the differences between concrete verbs and vague verbs.

Excellent description of what we should be listing for the students. In the pass, our objectives were vague and not always measurable other than quizzes, tests, written assignments, and exams. This proposal assures that each objective can be measured and provides the students how to determine their understanding and grasp of the materials and requirements.

Thank You: I enjoyed reading this, it was very helpful, I do plan to utilize it. Also, the GoEd, Article, How to successfully learn from Online courses, is broken, it returns as an error

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55 Learning Objectives Examples

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Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Learning objectives are explicit statements that clearly express what learners should be able to comprehend, perform or experience by the end of a course or instructional period (Adams, 2015).

They are fundamental to the process of educational planning and instructional design, acting as vehicles that drive both teaching and learning strategies.

Importantly, they ensure coherence and a clear focus, differentiating themselves from vague educational goals by generating precise, measurable outcomes of academic progress (Sewagegn, 2020).

I have front-loaded the examples in this article for your convenience, but do scroll past all the examples for some useful frameworks for learning how to write effective learning objectives.

Learning Objectives Examples

Learning Objectives for Internships

For more, see: List of SMART Internship Goals

Learning Objectives for Presentations

For More: See This Detailed List of Communication Objectives Examples

Learning Objectives for Kindergarten

Taxonomies to Assist in Creating Objectives

Various taxonomies are available to educators as guides in formulating potent learning objectives, with three prominent ones provided below.

1. The SMART Framework for Learning Objectives

The SMART framework helps you to construct clear and well-defined learning objectives. It stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (Doran, 1981).

• Specific objectives are ones that are straightforward, detailing the what, why, and how of the learning process. For example, an objective that states “Improve mental multiplication skills” is less specific than “Multiply two-digit numbers mentally within two minutes with 90% accuracy.” When I was learning to write learning objectives at university, I was taught to always explicitly describe the measurable outcome .
• Measurable objectives facilitate tracking progress and evaluating learning outcomes. An objective such as “Write a 500-word essay on the causes of World War II, substantiated with at least three academic sources” is measurable, as both word count and the number of sources can be quantified.
• Achievable objectives reflect realistic expectations based on the learner’s potential and learning environment, fostering motivation and commitment.
• Relevant objectives correspond with overarching educational goals and learner’s needs, such as an objective to “identify and manage common software vulnerabilities” in a cybersecurity course.
• Time-bound objectives specify the duration within which the learning should take place, enhancing management of time and resources in the learning process.

2. Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy outlines six cognitive levels of understanding – knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (Adams, 2015). Each are presented below:

Each level is demonstrated below:

Here, we can reflect upon the level of learning and cognition expected of the learner, and utilize the Bloom’s taxonomy verbs to cater the learning objectives to that level.

3. Fink’s Taxonomy

Another helpful resource for creating objectives is Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning , which emphasizes different dimensions of learning, including foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning how to learn (Marzano, 2010):

• Foundational knowledge refers to the basic information learners must understand to progress with the topic at hand—for instance, understanding color theory before painting a canvas.
• Application gives learners real-world instances for applying the knowledge and skills they’ve cultivated, such as using Adobe Photoshop in a design project after a graphic design lecture.
• Integration enables learners to make interdisciplinary connections between the new knowledge and various fields of study or areas of life—for example, a business student applying economic theory to understand market dynamics in biotechnology.
• Human dimension involves personal and social implications of learning, i.e., how the learners see themselves and interact with others in light of the new knowledge.
• Caring challenges learners to develop new feelings, interests, or values aligned with the course outcomes, like fostering a conservation mindset in an environmental science course.
• Learning how to learn encourages learners to become self-directed and resourceful, enabling them to cultivate learning strategies, skills, and habits that make them lifelong learners, such as using reflective journals or peer reviews (Marzano, 2010).

An example of an objective that uses Fink’s framework could be:

“Learners will conduct a small research project about a famous physicist (foundational knowledge), incorporating class teachings (application) and their own interpretations (integration), then present to the class (human dimension), reflecting on how the physicist’s work affects them personally (caring) and how the project grew their understanding of research methods (learning how to learn).”

Why are Learning Objectives Important?

Effective learning objectives serve to streamline the learning process, creating a clear path for both teachers and learners.

The role of objectives in education mirrors the use of a roadmap on a journey; just as marking out stops and landmarks can facilitate navigation, learning objectives can clarify the trajectory of a course or lesson (Hall, Quinn, & Gollnick, 2018).

On a practical level, imagine teaching a course about climate change. Without explicit learning objectives (like understanding how carbon footprints contribute to global warming), learners could easily veer off track, misinterpreting the main focus.

Learning objectives also act as an anchor during assessments, providing a yardstick against which progress and performance can be gauged (Orr et al., 2022). When students are graduating high school, for example, it’s likely they’ll be assessed on some form of standardized testing to measure if the objectives have been met.

By serving as a guide for content selection and instructional design, learning objectives allow teachers to ensure coursework is suitably designed to meet learners’ needs and the broader course’s objectives (Li et al., 2022). In situations where time is crucial, such as military training or emergency medicine, keeping the focus narrow and relevant is crucial.

Tips and Tricks

1. tips on integrating learning objectives into course design.

Learning objectives serve as a foundation in the designing of a course.

They provide a structured framework that guides the incorporation of different course components, including instructional materials, activities, and assessments (Li et al., 2022).

When designing a photography course, for example, learning objectives guide the selection of appropriate theoretical content (like understanding aperture and shutter speed), practical activities (like a field trip for landscape photography), and the assessment methods (like a portfolio submission).

Just like how research objectives shape the methodology a research study will take, so too will learning objectives shape the teaching methods and assessment methods that will flow-on from the path set out in the overarching learning objectives.

2. Tips on Assessing and Revising your Learning Objectives Regularly

Learning objectives are not set in stone; they demand constant review and refinement.

In the light of feedback from learners, instructors or external bodies (like accreditation agencies), learning outcomes, and advancements in pedagogy, learning objectives may need to be revised (Orr et al., 2022).

Think about a programming course where new frameworks or libraries are regularly introduced; in such cases, the learning objectives would need to be updated to reflect these emerging trends. This provides opportunities for continual enhancement of the course design, thus fostering an environment of progressive learning and teaching (Sewagegn, 2020).

Teachers should revise their learning objectives every time they re-introduce the unit of work to a new cohort of students, taking into account the learnings and feedback you acquired last time you taught the unit.

Learning objectives, when effectively formulated and implemented, serve as key drivers of successful instruction.

They underscore the importance of clarity, directness, and depth in the learning process, fostering a learning environment designed for optimal learner engagement, progress tracking, and educational outcome (Hall, Quinn, & Gollnick, 2018).

With their expansive role in the educational journey, educators are encouraged to invest time and resourceful thought in crafting and continually refining their classroom objectives (Doran, 1981). Moreover, the use of established taxonomies and attention to characteristics like SMARTness in this process can greatly facilitate this endeavor.

As the backbone of well-structured courses, learning objectives deserve the thoughtful consideration and continuous improvement efforts of every dedicated educator. It is our hope that this article has provided insights that will help you bring more clarity, coherence, and effectiveness to your educational planning.

Adams, N. E. (2015). Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive learning objectives.  Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA ,  103 (3), 152. doi: https://doi.org/10.3163%2F1536-5050.103.3.010

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’sa SMART way to write management’s goals and objectives.  Management review ,  70 (11), 35-36.

Hall, G. E., Quinn, L. F., & Gollnick, D. M. (2018).  Introduction to teaching: Making a difference in student learning . Sage Publications.

Li, Y., Rakovic, M., Poh, B. X., Gaševic, D., & Chen, G. (2022). Automatic Classification of Learning Objectives Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.  International Educational Data Mining Society .

Marzano, R. J. (2010).  Designing & teaching learning goals & objectives . Solution Tree Press.

Orr, R. B., Csikari, M. M., Freeman, S., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2022). Writing and using learning objectives.  CBE—Life Sciences Education ,  21 (3). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.22-04-0073

Sewagegn, A. A. (2020). Learning objective and assessment linkage: its contribution to meaningful student learning.  Universal Journal of Educational Research ,  8 (11), 5044-5052.

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How to Write Learning Objectives: 35 Examples

How do you write learning objectives? This article defines learning objectives for clarity and gives 35 examples of learning objectives.

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Having clear learning objectives is crucial in conducting effective classes. These objectives serve as a roadmap for both educators and learners, outlining the specific knowledge, skills, and competencies that will be covered during the learning experience.

By clearly defining what students are expected to achieve, learning objectives provide a sense of direction and purpose, ensuring that the teaching and learning process remains focused and meaningful.

By setting clear learning objectives, educators can effectively plan their lessons, select appropriate teaching strategies , and design assessments that align with the desired outcomes. Students, on the other hand, benefit from having a clear understanding of what is expected of them, which helps to enhance their motivation, engagement, and overall learning experience.

In the following sections, we will explore various examples of learning objectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of their importance and how they can be effectively utilized in different educational settings.

But first, let’s look at three different definitions of learning objectives.

Learning Objectives Defined

Among these definitions, the most plausible definition for learning objectives, with my little modification to allow measurement, is the first one. This definition emphasizes the importance of specificity, which is crucial for effective teaching and learning.

I added “positive changes” because I believe that after a learning experience, the student must learn something useful or beneficial to advance his or her knowledge, skills, or attitude.

Specific statements that describe what learners should be able to do or positive changes that can be observed and measured after completing a learning experience. P. Regoniel

Therefore, the first definition aligns well with the purpose and function of learning objectives in educational settings.

Learning objectives play a crucial role in guiding the educational process and ensuring that students achieve the desired outcomes. By setting specific and measurable goals , educators can effectively design and deliver lessons that align with the desired learning outcomes .

In this section, I will provide examples of learning objectives in various subject areas, all of which are aligned with the definition of learning objectives chosen in the previous section. These examples comprise the course and their corresponding learning objectives.

1. Principles and Theories of Language Acquisition and Learning

2. human anatomy and physiology, 3. introduction to construction engineering.

Example Learning Objectives

4. Counseling Psychology

5. nutrition and diet therapy, 6. applied statistics, 7. introduction to earth science.

These examples demonstrate the diverse range of learning objectives across different subject areas. Each objective is specific, measurable, and aligned with the chosen definition of learning objectives. By setting clear expectations for what students should be able to do or understand, educators can guide the learning process effectively and ensure that students achieve the desired outcomes.

You may refer to Bloom’s Action Verbs as your guide in writing measurable learning objectives.

Learning objectives serve as a roadmap for both educators and students, outlining the expected outcomes of the learning process. By setting specific and measurable goals, educators can design and deliver lessons that align with these objectives. This helps to ensure that students gain the knowledge and skills for success.

The examples provided on how to write learning objectives in the previous sections illustrate how learning objectives can be applied in different subject areas. From principles and theories of language acquisition to human anatomy and physiology, construction engineering, counseling psychology, nutrition and diet therapy, applied statistics, and earth science, each objective is specific, measurable, and aligned with the chosen definition of learning objectives.

Start your class with the end in mind.

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Writing Goals and Objectives

“If you’re not sure where you are going, you’re liable to end up some place else.” ~ Robert Mager, 1997

Instructional goals and objectives are the heart of instruction. When well- written, goals and objectives will help identify course content, structure the lecture, and guide the selection of meaningful and relevant activities and assessments. In addition, by stating clear instructional goals and objectives, you help students understand what they should learn and exactly what they need to do.

Course Goals

A course goal may be defined as a broad statement of intent or desired accomplishment. Goals do not specify exactly each step, component, or method to accomplish the task, but they help pave the way to writing effective learning objectives. Typical course goals include a number of subordinate skills, which are further identified and clarified as learning objectives.

A course goal may be defined as a broad statement of intent or desired accomplishment.

For example, an English 102 goal might be to prepare students for English 103. The goal “prepare students” specifies the big picture or general direction or purpose of the course. Course goals often do not specify student outcomes or how outcomes will be assessed. If you have difficulty defining a course goal, brainstorm reasons your course exists and why students should enroll in it. Your ideas can then generate course-related goals. Course goals often originate in the course description and should be written before developing learning objectives. You should also discuss course goals with your colleagues who teach the same class so that you can align your goals to provide students with a somewhat consistent experience of the course.

Course Goal Examples

Marketing course .

Students will learn about personal and professional development, interpersonal skills, verbal and written presentation skills, sales and buying processes, and customer satisfaction development and maintenance.

Physical Geography course

Students will understand the processes involved in the interactions between, spatial variations of, and interrelationships between hydrology, vegetation, landforms, and soils and humankind.

Theatre/Dance course

Students will investigate period style from pre-Egyptian through the Renaissance as it relates to theatrical production. Exploration of period clothing, manners, décor, and architecture with projects from dramatic literature.

General Goal Examples

• Students will know how to communicate in oral and written formats.
• Students will understand the effect of global warming.
• Students’ perspective on civil rights will improve .
• Students will learn key elements and models used in education.
• Students will grasp basic math skills.
• Students will understand the laws of gravity.

Learning Objectives

We cannot stop at course goals; we need to develop measurable objectives. Once you have written your course goals, you should develop learning objectives. Learning Objectives are different from goals in that objectives are narrow, discrete intentions of student performance, whereas goals articulate a global statement of intent. Objectives are measurable and observable, while goals are not.

Comparison of Goals and Objectives

• Broad, generalized statements about what is to be learned
• General intentions
• Cannot be validated
• Defined before analysis
• Written before objectives

Objectives are

• Narrow, specific statements about what is to be learned and performed
• Precise intentions
• Can be validated or measured
• Written after analysis
• Prepared before instruction is designed

Objectives should be written from the student’s point of view

Well-stated objectives clearly tell the student what they must do by following a specified degree or standard of acceptable performance and under what conditions the performance will take place. In other words, when properly written, objectives will tell your learners exactly what you expect them to do and how you will be able to recognize when they have accomplished the task.  Generally, each section/week/unit will have several objectives (Penn State University, n.p.). Section/week/unit objectives must also align with overall course objectives.

Well-stated objectives clearly tell the student what they must do ... and under what conditions the performance will take place.

Educators from a wide range of disciplines follow a common learning objective model developed by Heinich (as cited by Smaldino, Mims, Lowther, & Russell, 2019). This guide will follow the ABCD model as a starting point when learning how to craft effective learning objectives.

ABCD Model of Learning Objectives

• A udience: Who will be doing the behavior?
• B ehavior: What should the learner be able to do? What is the performance?
• C ondition: Under what conditions do you want the learner to be able to do it?
• D egree: How well must the behavior be done? What is the degree of mastery?

Writing a learning objective for each behavior you wish to measure is good instructional practice. By using the model as illustrated in Table 2, you will be able to fill in the characteristics to the right of each letter. This practice will allow you to break down more complex objectives (ones with more than one behavior) into smaller, more discrete objectives.

Writing a learning objective for each behavior you wish to measure is good instructional practice.

Behavioral Verbs

The key to writing learning objectives is using an action verb to describe the behavior you intend for students to perform. You can use action verbs such as calculate, read, identify, match, explain, translate, and prepare to describe the behavior further. On the other hand, words such as understand, appreciate, internalize, and value are not appropriate when writing learning objectives because they are not measurable or observable. Use these words in your course goals but not when writing learning objectives. See Verbs to Use in Creating Educational Objectives (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) at the end of this guide.

Overt behavior: If the behavior is covert or not typically visible when observed, such as the word discriminate, include an indicator behavior to clarify to the student what she or he must be able to do to meet your expectations. For example, if you want your learners to be able to discriminate between good and bad apples, add the indicator behavior “sort” to the objective: Be able to discriminate (sort) the good apples from the bad apples.

Some instructors tend to forget to write learning objectives from the students’ perspective. Mager (1997) contends that when you write objectives, you should indicate what the learner is supposed to be able to do and not what you, the instructor, want to accomplish. Also, avoid using fuzzy phrases such as “to understand,” “to appreciate,” “to internalize,” and “to know,” which are not measurable or observable. These types of words can lead to student misinterpretation and misunderstanding of what you want them to do.

…avoid using fuzzy phrases such as “to understand,” “to appreciate,” “to internalize,” and “to know,” which are not measurable or observable.

The Link Between Learning Objectives and Course Activities and Assessment

After you have crafted your course goals and learning objectives, it is time to design course activities and assessments that will tell you if learning has occurred. Matching objectives with activities and assessments will also demonstrate whether you are teaching what you intended. These strategies and activities should motivate students to gain knowledge and skills useful for success in your course, future courses, and real-world applications. The table below illustrates objective behaviors with related student activities and assessments.

Examples of Linked Instructional Goals, Objectives, and Assessments

Instructional goal .

Students will know the conditions of free Blacks during antebellum south.

Learning Objective

In at least 2 paragraphs, students will describe the conditions of free Blacks in pre-Civil War America, including 3 of 5 major points that were discussed in class.

A traditional essay or essay exam.

Instructional Goal

Students will know how to analyze blood counts.

Given a sample of blood and two glass slides, students will demonstrate the prescribed method of obtaining a blood smear for microscopic analysis.

Instructor observation of student demonstration in a lab using a criterion checklist of critical steps for objective scoring.

Students will understand how to interpret classic literature.

Learning Objective 

Students will compare/contrast Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Marlowe’s Jaw of Malta in terms of plot, character, and social-political themes.

Assessment 

Instructional goals and learning objectives are the heart of your role as a learning facilitator. When written well, goals and objectives will assist you in identifying course content, help you structure your lecture, and allow you to select activities and assessments that are relevant and meaningful for learning. Make sure that you check with your department to determine whether they require certain learning objectives for a course, for example to align courses with Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) requirements for transferrable general education courses (see the current NIU Undergraduate Catalog section on “Illinois Articulation Initiative Core Curriculum).

Several sources are available that you can use to check the accuracy and efficacy of your learning objectives. The sources below provide checklists and other instruments to help you design effective and meaningful objectives.

Mager, R. F. (1997). Measuring instructional results: How to find out if your learning objectives have been achieved. (3 rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CEP Press.

Mager, R. F. (1997). Preparing learning objectives: A critical tool in the development of effective instruction. (3 rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CEP Press.

Penn State University, Schreyer Institute (n.p.). Learning outcomes assessment tutorial. https://sites.psu.edu/loatutorial/

Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., Mims, C., & Russell, J. D. (2019). Instructional technology and media for learning (12 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Selected Resources

Gronlund, N. E., & Brookhart, S. M. (2009). Gronlund’s writing instructional objectives (8 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Suggested citation

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Writing goals and objectives. In Instructional guide for university faculty and teaching assistants. Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

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Writing Measurable Course Objectives

What is a course objective.

A course objective specifies a behavior, skill, or action that a student can demonstrate if they have achieved mastery of the objective. As such, objectives need to be written in such a way that they are measurable by some sort of assessment. Course objectives form the foundation of the class. Everything in the course should work together to ensure students master the course objectives.

What do good course objectives look like?

Good course objectives will be specific , measurable , and written from the learner’s perspective . Here’s a good formula for writing objectives:

Start your course objectives with: By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Choose an action verb that corresponds to the specific action you wish students to demonstrate

Explain the knowledge students are expected to acquire or construct

[Optional]: explain the criterion or level students are expected to reach to show mastery of knowledge

You will also want to make sure that you have thought of a way to assess students’ learned knowledge when writing course objectives. For example, if you always test students’ knowledge of content matter with a multiple choice test, the course objectives cannot ask that students evaluate or create something, as multiple choice tests cannot assess those levels of learning with a high level of accuracy.

If you cannot logically fill in the last blank of this example (assessment), then the objective is not measurable. You won’t include the assessment in the text for your actual course objective that you publish on your syllabus, but you need to know if what you’re asking students to know can be assessed. Otherwise, how can you know or prove that students have learned what they’re supposed to learn in your course?

Difference between Objectives and Assessments:

One thing that can be confusing when creating course objectives is the difference between what students are being asked to know and the assessment that is used to “prove” that students know the information. In the example above, it may be tempting to write something like this: If students have learned U.S. History since 1865, then they should be able to write an essay comparing and contrasting the effect of two immigrant populations on American culture from 1865-1900.

This objective seems measurable, but it’s saying that by the end of the class “students should be able to write an essay”. That makes it sound like one of the objectives of the course is for students to write an essay. What students really need to know though is the effect of immigration on American culture. If you use the assessment in the “course objective slot,” the knowledge students need in order to complete the assessment is assumed rather than explicitly stated.

This could cause issues with the creation of materials and activities in your units because the focus may be on teaching students how to write essays rather than teaching them about the effect of immigration on American culture during a specific time period.

Bloom’s Taxonomy:

Using a taxonomy that explains different levels of learning can be helpful for selecting the appropriate action verbs for your course objectives. These will help prevent you from choosing lower order actions when you really want students to demonstrate higher order thinking.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is broken into six knowledge dimensions: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating and range from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills.

By their very nature, higher order thinking skills are more difficult and build on the previous lower order thinking skills. An oversimplified explanation of this would be the following: A student can not be expected to create a design brief (Creating) if they can’t remember what a design brief is (Remembering).

Traditionally, entry level courses ask students to demonstrate remembering, understanding, and applying thinking skills with a few higher order thinking skills while graduate level courses ask students to demonstrate analyzing, evaluating, and creating thinking skills with a few lower order thinking skills.

How do course objectives differ from module objectives?

Course objectives are much broader in scope than module level objectives. Where module objectives break down skills and knowledge into very specific, discrete skills, course objectives point more to overarching student understanding and higher level thinking skills. In a unit, you may have 10 or more objectives explaining all of the steps/tasks involved in learning a concept. For a course, you will only want 3-6 course objectives.

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Home » Blog » How To Write SMART Learning Objectives & Outcomes

How To Write SMART Learning Objectives & Outcomes

As a methodology first created for business management, SMART has since been adapted across numerous fields, including education. SMART objectives offer a structured framework to help educators design effective learning goals that are clear, focused, and reachable. They ensure that learners can understand what is expected from them, fostering a more efficient and meaningful learning experience.

What are SMART Learning Objectives?

The SMART framework breaks down learning objectives into five key characteristics: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Each characteristic plays a pivotal role in creating a comprehensive learning goal that is practical, attainable, and aligned with overall educational targets.

George T. Doran first proposed the SMART framework in the November 1981 issue of Management Review . In his initial formulation, Doran’s A stood for “assignable,” meaning a task that can meaningfully be given to a specified individual. His R stood for “realistic,” a concept now captured by the latter-day “achievable” component.

In its current form, the framework offers a set of criteria that can be applied to any learning methodology to ensure that its content and assessment systems are fit for purpose.

The learning objective should be well-defined, clear, and unambiguous. Instead of setting a broad or generic goal, educators should aim to specify what the learner will achieve upon successful completion of the course or lesson.

Another way to think of this is to consider what the learner will be able to do or understand, having completed the course, that they couldn’t have done or understood beforehand. How will it change their work life, skillset, or understanding?

The objective must include criteria for measuring progress and outcome. This ensures that the learner’s progress can be tracked, and the effectiveness of the learning process can be evaluated.

With eLearning content , there are numerous ways to measure progress and comprehension, including completion percentages, internal quizzes, and final assessments. Various interactive tools allow for gamifying the process of measurement with puzzles and challenges that can be inserted into the course material to maintain interest and gauge understanding.

The learning objective should be realistic and attainable. While ambitious goals can be motivational, they should not be so challenging as to be unattainable, which might lead to frustration or discouragement.

Stepped courses with modules for complete beginners, intermediate-level learners and experts can help ensure that the student completes a course at a level they can manage. Courses should avoid being too lengthy or complicated, or the end goal can begin to seem unreachable.

Break down your course materials into slides, lessons, and modules to motivate students to persist, and reward completion stages with badges, congratulations, or other markers of success.

The objective should align with the learner’s broader educational or professional goals, ensuring the learning process is meaningful and applicable to their overall development. This is particularly important in mandatory training courses such as fire and safety training, first aid or DEI courses.

By tailoring courses to the day-to-day situations your students and employees will face, you will increase engagement.

If a course has an in-person element, make sure it incorporates time for students to discuss how each lesson relates to their own life or work. Lively discussions will follow, and the relevance of the topic will hit home.

Each objective should have a defined timeline, offering a clear deadline for when the learning goal should be achieved. This enhances motivation and allows progress tracking over time.

Run many trials of your courses and time how long it takes the average student to complete the various modules, then tweak the content and design accordingly. Experience has shown that an individual module should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.

Another good idea is to give students a realistic notion of how long each part of the course will take to finish. This will allow them to allocate sufficient time for completion, without having to interrupt their flow.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing SMART Learning Objectives

Creating SMART learning objectives involves six critical steps – an initial definitional stage and then one step for each concept in the SMART framework. By following these steps methodically, you’ll ensure your courses are well-designed and fit for purpose.

Step 1: Identify Desired Outcome(s)

Before setting an objective, identify the desired learning outcomes of the lesson or course. What should learners know or be able to do by the end? It’s a good idea to specify this up front to set expectations.

When you’ve devised the course, you can run tests and examine the achieved outcomes. Do they match your intentions when designing the course? If not, a rethink may be required.

Step 2: Be Specific

Use action verbs to precisely define what the learner will achieve. Clearly state the scope of the objective to eliminate ambiguity.

Here’s an example of a poorly written course objective:

“Students will gain an understanding of the basics of social media marketing.”

And here’s that objective written with more specificity (with action verbs in bold):

“Students will appreciate the different audiences of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, understand the marketing objectives that can be achieved using each one, and will practise using some marketing techniques to make best use of each medium.”

Step 3: Ensure Objectives are Measurable

Define clear, quantifiable criteria to evaluate progress and success. You might establish various methods of assessment, including quizzes, projects, or discussions.

Be very transparent upfront about what constitutes an excellent, good, or acceptable “pass mark.” While some courses pass or fail only (driver’s tests, for example), others have gradations of achievement.

It can be difficult to quantify comprehension of a complex topic with multiple choice questions, so if it is vital that students gain an in-depth knowledge of a complex subject, then it is better to include a project, in-person assessment or written essay.

Without some sort of measurable outcome, there’s a danger students can complete courses as “lip service” to the notion of education, without really learning anything.

Step 4: Ensure Objectives are Achievable

Consider the resources available and the learners’ current capabilities when setting objectives. This ensures that the goals are challenging but within reach.

It can be helpful to run a “pre-assessment” test or questionnaire to gauge current comprehension level. If you do so, make sure you stress that there is no good or bad level of achievement; you are simply trying to identify a place to begin.

Match your course materials to the age, reading level and/or educational level of your students. Don’t use overly complicated language when simpler terms will do.

Step 5: Ensure Objectives are Relevant/Personalised

Align the learning objectives with the overall goals of the course and the individual learner’s needs. This ensures the learning process is valuable and beneficial for the learner.

Online systems allow for a high degree of learning personalisation of courses, including offering modules in a range of languages or including various optional extras.

As well as making the course content fit students’ needs, you need to make sure the outcomes match what they’ll be able to use in their employment or day-to-day lives.

For instance, if you were teaching a course in beer-making in a microbrewery setting, but most of your students were likely to work in commercial breweries, it would be wise to tailor the outcomes to include those very different environments.

Step 6: Establish Deadlines/Timeframes

Set clear deadlines for each objective. Balance the time constraints with the scope of the objective to ensure it’s feasible within the given timeframe. This may involve a degree of trial and error as you’re designing the course.

There’s little more frustrating than being told a course must be completed in one hour, only to find that its quizzes are so lengthy and challenging that it takes twice as long to finish.

Examples of SMART Learning Objectives

Here are examples of SMART objectives in different settings:

Classroom Setting

“In this semester, students will improve their writing skills by composing and revising at least three essays, with each essay receiving a score of 70% or higher.”

Note that there is room for variation in this objective – some students may complete three essays while others may do more. 70% is an ambitious but not unrealistic goal if your student intake has been pre-selected for basic literacy.

Online Courses

“By the end of this 20-hour online photography course, participants will produce a portfolio of ten high-quality photographs demonstrating mastery of advanced lighting techniques.”

This course may use advanced photo analytics to judge whether specific lessons about dynamic range, composition, colour, focus and subject choice have been adhered to and demonstrated.

What’s especially good about this objective is that it specifies the completion time (20 hours) and work volume (ten photos) very precisely.

Professional Development

“Within six months, team members will complete an advanced project management course, implement new strategies in their work, and show a 20% decrease in project overruns.”

Although the 20% overrun reduction may prove ambitious, it’s likely that the course organisers have researched the difference between the effect on deadlines of trained versus untrained teams.

“Within six months” is time-bound, but allows some wriggle room, for learners who can complete their coursework more quickly. The objective promises real professional and personal development.

Each of the above examples is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Benefits of Using SMART Learning Objectives

Enhanced focus and clarity.

SMART objectives provide clear and concise goals, aiding learners in understanding exactly what is expected. They ensure that a higher percentage of learners engage with course materials and see courses through to completion.

Improved Measurement and Assessment

Because they’re measurable, SMART objectives make progress tracking and outcome assessment easier and more effective. It becomes easier to demonstrate the efficacy of a course, and to identify places where materials can be improved in future iterations.

Increased Motivation and Engagement

Achievable and time-bound objectives motivate and engage learners by providing clear goals and a sense of urgency. They can foster a spirit of friendly rivalry too, as team members compete with one another to gain the best completion scores.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing SMART Objectives

Here are some of the frequent pitfalls course creators face:

• Avoid vague or overly broad objectives that fail to clearly state what is expected from the learner. These will not inspire excitement and may lead to students feeling adrift as they work through the course materials.
• Avoid objectives without measurable criteria that offer no way to evaluate success. Neither the course creator nor the student is well-served by a course with no objective measure of achievement.
• Avoid irrelevant content that students won’t be able to incorporate within their lives or working environment. If elements add to completion time but don’t contribute to course objectives, the content should be left out.
• Lastly, steer clear of unattainable or unrealistic goals that may frustrate or discourage learners. This will reduce engagement and can cause you to receive poor reviews of your courses.

Strategies for Implementing and Monitoring SMART Objectives

Methods for effective implementation include:

• Incorporating objectives into lesson planning and making sure they are at the forefront when designing a course.
• Tracking progress and adjusting as necessary. Run numerous trials of your courses in the design stage, including participants at various levels of prior subject knowledge.
• Providing regular feedback and support to learners. Take stock at various points during your course, either with recaps (for an online course) or in-person discussions of “what we’ve learned so far.” This helps learners feel they’re keeping up.

SMART is Objectively Better

Creating SMART learning objectives plays an important role in enhancing educational effectiveness. It enables learners to understand expectations, focus their efforts, and measure their progress.

As an eLearning company , Skillshub is committed to creating efficient and impactful learning experiences.

We incorporate these principles into our learning modules, providing a well-rounded eLearning platform and approach that caters to each learner’s unique needs and abilities.

Join us today to elevate your learning experience!

Sean McPheat

Sean is the CEO of Skillshub. He’s a published author and has been featured on CNN, BBC and ITV as a leading authority in the learning and development industry. Sean is responsible for the vision and strategy at Skillshub, helping to ensure innovation within the company.

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Updated on: 6 September, 2023

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5 Steps to Writing Clear and Measurable Learning Objectives

Learning objectives aren’t just a list of what you’re covering in class. Good learning objectives are what you want your students/trainees to learn or achieve (“by the end of this course, you will be able to...”). If you don’t know the end goal—and you don’t have certain measurable checkpoints—you can get lost along the way. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1.   Identify the Level of Knowledge Necessary to Achieve Your Objective

Before you begin writing objectives, stop and think about what type of change you want your training to make. In other words, what do you want your participants to do differently when they return to work? The domains of learning can be categorized as affective (attitude), psychomotor (skills), and cognitive (knowledge). An easy way to remember this is with the acronym ASK : 

• A ttitude — Changes how a learner chooses to act. Compliance training is a good example of when you will have to teach to this domain. It’s usually the hardest to craft objectives for this, since it’s dealing with feelings, emotions, and attitudes.
• S kills —This domain focuses on changing or improving the tasks a learner can perform.
• K nowledge — This domain focuses on increasing what participants know. Learning safety rules, troubleshooting, and quoting prices from memory are all examples of this level of learning.

2. Select an Action Verb

Now that you’ve identified what domain you intend to focus on for your objective, it’s time to start crafting your objective. To do that, it’ll help to have an action verb to describe the behavior at the appropriate level of learning. Here’s a list of action verbs, separated by domain. Avoid having more than one action verb for each level of learning, and make sure it’s a verb that can be measured. “Understand” is too vague, but “complete,” “identify,” or “recognize” are specific.

KNOWLEDGE 

SKILLS 

3. create your very own objective.

Now it's your turn to give it a whirl. 

4. Check Your Objective

Make sure your objectives include four pieces: audience, behavior, condition, and degree of mastery. For every one, identify and label the component. Here are the  A, B, C, D's every objective should contain: 

Audience: 

Behavior: , condition: , degree of mastery: .

Try labeling each of the four components in your objectives to make sure you didn't forget anything. In the following examples,  the audience will be italicized,   the behavior will be underlined,  the condition will be in regular type, and  the degree of mastery will be bolded.

Given an expense report, the  learner  will  complete the company form   with no errors .

After completing the three-day design training, the  learner  will be able to  list the 8 steps in the design process   in order .

5 .  Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Go through this process for each objective. Don’t stop until you feel that you have enough objectives to effectively measure your performance. Remember, objectives work as checkpoints that lead to a completion of a goal. It’s important you have enough of them to keep yourself from getting lost. Start with what you want to achieve and work backwards.  

If you'd like to up your game creating objectives or designing a class, check out one of our courses , particularly the workshop on  Instructional Design.

Need help with virtual training or learning? Take a look at the Interactive Virtual Trainer workshop. 

Published originally by Jordan Meyers, adapted from Becky Pluth’s session on writing objectives at the 2014 Creative Training Techniques conference.

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How to Write Objectives | A Step-to-step Guide | 2024 Updates

Astrid Tran • 22 April, 2024 • 7 min read

Objectives are needed for every aspect of life, work and education. 

Whether you are setting objectives for academic research, teaching and learning, courses and training, personal development, professional growth, a project, or more, having clear objectives like having a compass to help you stay on track.

So, how to write objectives? Check out this article to get a complete guide on writing realistic and impactful objectives.

Table of Contents

How to write objectives of a project

How to write objectives for a presentation, how to write objectives for lesson plan, how to write objectives for a research, how to write objectives for personal growth.

More tips on how to write objectives

Frequently Asked Questions

Project objectives often focus on tangible results, such as completing specific tasks, delivering products, or achieving certain milestones within a defined timeframe. 

Writing project objectives should follow these principles:

Start early : It is important to set your project objectives at the beginning of your project to avoid unexpected situations and employees misunderstanding. 

Changes : Project objectives can be determined to address challenges of previous projects experience and seek to minimize potential risks prior to the project begins.

Achievement : An objective of a project should mention what success is. Different success is measured by specific and measurable objectives. 

OKR : OKR stands for "objectives and key results," a managerial model that aims to set goals and identify metrics to measure progress. Objectives are your destination, while key results contribute to the path that will get you there. 

Focus : Different project objectives might consist of related issues such as:

• Customer satisfaction
• Turnover and Retention
• Sales and Revenue
• Return on investment (ROI)
• Sustainability
• Productivity

For example : 

• The goal of the campaign is to improve the traffic by 15% before the end of the first quarter. 
• This project aims to produce 5,000 units of products in the next three months.
• Add five new methods for clients to seek the feedback form in-product within the next three months.
• Increase click through rate (CTR) engagement on email by 20% by the end of the second quarter.

Presentation objectives outline what you intend to accomplish with your presentation, which might involve informing, persuading, educating, or inspiring your audience. They guide the content creation process and shape how you engage your listeners during the presentation.

When it comes to writing presentation objectives, there are some notes to look at:

The questions "Why" : To write a good presentation objective, start with answering why questions, such as Why is this presentation important to your audience? Why should people invest time and money to attend this presentation? Why is your content important to the organization?

What do you want the audience to know, feel and do ? Another important of writing objectives for a presentation is considering the comprehensive impact your presentation has on the audience. This pertains to the informational, emotional, and actionable aspect.

Rule of three : When you write your objectives in your PPT, don't forget to express no more than three key points per slide. 

Some examples of objectives: 

• Ensure the managers understand that without additional funding of $10,000, the project will fail.
• Get commitment from the director of sales to a three-tier pricing proposal for customer Prime.
• Get the audience to commit to reducing their personal plastic usage by signing a pledge to avoid single-use plastics for at least a week.
• Participants will feel empowered and confident about managing their finances, replacing financial anxiety with a sense of control and informed decision-making.

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Learning objectives, often used in education and training, specify what learners are expected to gain from a learning experience. These objectives are written to guide curriculum development, instructional design, and assessment.

A guide on writing an objective for learning and lesson plan described as follows:

Learning objectives verbs : There is no better way to have learning objectives start with measurable verbs collected by Benjamin Bloom based on level of cognition.

• Knowledge level: tell, uncover, show, state, define, name, write, recall,...
• Comprehension level: indicate, illustrate, represent, formulate, explain, classify, translate,...
• Application level: perform, make a chart, put into action, build, report, employ, draw, adapt, apply,...
• Analysis Level: analyze, study, combine, separate, categorize, detect, examine,...
• Synthesis Level: integrate, conclude, adapt, compose, construct, create, design,...
• Evaluation Level: evaluate, interpret, decide, solve, rate, appraise, verify,...

Student-centered : Objectives should reflect the unique aspirations, strengths and weaknesses of each student, emphasize what students will know or be able to do, not what you will teach or cover. 

Learning Objective Examples:

• To recognize the power of different types of language
• By the end of this course, students will be able to identify and develop data collection instruments and measures for planning and conducting sociological research.
• By the end of this course, students will be able to identify their own position on the political spectrum.

The purpose of research objectives is congruent with research study outcomes.They articulate the purpose of the research, what the researcher intends to investigate, and the expected outcomes.

There are severals principles to follow to ensure a well-written research objectives:

Academic language : It is important to note that research writing is strict on the use of language. It is held to a high standard of clarity, precision, and formality.

Avoid using first-person references to state the objectives. Replace "I will" with neutral phrasing that emphasizes the research's intention. Avoid emotional language, personal opinions, or subjective judgments.

Pinpoint the Focus : Your research objectives should clearly articulate what your study aims to investigate, analyze, or uncover.

Specify the Scope : Outline the boundaries of your research by specifying the scope. Clearly delineate what aspects or variables will be examined, and what will not be addressed.

Maintain Consistency with Research Questions : Ensure your research objectives align with your research questions.

Frequently used phrases in research objectives

• ...contribute to the knowledge of...
• ...search for...
• Our study will also document....
• The primary objective is to integrate...
• The purposes of this research include:
• We attempt to...
• We formulated these objective based on
• This study searches for
• The second gold is to test

Objectives for personal growth often focus on individual improvement on skills, knowledge, well-being, and overall development.

Personal growth objectives encompass various aspects of life, including emotional, intellectual, physical, and interpersonal dimensions. They serve as roadmaps for continuous learning, growth, and self-awareness.

• Read one non-fiction book each month to expand knowledge in areas of personal interest.
• Incorporate regular exercise into the routine by walking or jogging for at least 30 minutes five times a week.

Tips to write objectives for personal growth from AhaSlides.

💡 Development Goals For Work: A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners with Examples

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How to write objectives in general? Here are common tips for setting objectives of any field.

#1. Be concise and straightforward

Keep the words as simple and straightforward as much as possible. It is much better to remove unnecessary or ambiguous words that might lead to misunderstanding.

#2. Keep your number of objectives limited

Don't confuse your learners or readers with too many objectives. Concentrating on a few key objectives can effectively maintain focus and clarity and prevent overwhelming. 

#3. Use action verbs

You can start each objective with one of the following measurable verbs: Describe, Explain, Identify, Discuss, Compare, Define, Differentiate, List, and more.

#4. Be SMART

SMART objectives framework can be defined with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These objectives are clearer and easier to understand and achieve.

⭐ Want more inspiration? Check out AhaSlides to explore the innovative way to get presentations and lesson engaging and fun!

What are the 3 parts of an objective?

According to Mager (1997), objective statements contain three parts: behavior (or, performance), conditions, and criteria.

What are the 4 elements of a well-written objective?

The four elements of an objective are Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree, called A-B-C-D method. They are used to identify what a student is expected to know and how to test them.

What are the 4 components of objective writing?

There are four components of an objective include: (1) the action verb, (2) conditions, (3) standard, and (4) the intended audience (always the students)

Ref: Indeed | Batchwood | 

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How to Write Well-Defined Learning Objectives

Writing effective learning objectives is a necessary skill in academic medicine. Learning objectives are clearly written, specific statements of observable learner behavior or action that can be measured upon completion of an educational activity. They are the foundation for instructional alignment whereby the learning objectives, assessment tools, and instructional methods mutually support the desired learning outcome. This review article describes the essential components of a learning objective and provides practical tips on writing well-defined learning objectives.

Introduction

An anesthesiologist starts his grand rounds presentation on the topic of malignant hyperthermia (MH) with the following learning objectives:

• Understand the pathophysiology of MH.
• Review the clinical presentation of MH.
• Discuss the treatment of MH.
• Become familiar with caffeine-halothane contracture testing for MH.

This list informs the attendees about the topics covered during the presentation. However, do they know what is expected of them when they apply this content in their own clinical practice?

We have all seen learning “objectives” mentioned, such as the ones above, at the beginning of a presentation or workshop. But is what we see actually a learning objective ? Learning objectives are often confused with learning goals; the example above is such a case in point. Learning goals are related to—but different from—learning objectives. A learning goal is a broad statement of an expected learning outcome of a course or curriculum. Learning goals provide a vision for the future and often summarize the intention or topic area of several related learning objectives. Learning objectives are drawn from the learning goals. They are guiding statements for each learning encounter, and they connect intention with reality within the learning experience as well as to the assessment planned. In keeping with the Roman philosopher Lucius Seneca, who said, “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable,” this review article describes the essential components of learning objectives and provides practical tips on writing well-defined learning objectives.

Defining “Learning Objective”

A learning objective is a description of what the learner must be able to do upon completion of an educational activity. A well-written learning objective outlines the knowledge, skills and/or attitude the learners will gain from the educational activity and does so in a measurable way.

An effective learning objective should include the following 5 elements: who, will do, how much or how well, of what, by when. 1 The mnemonic SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound—can be used to describe the elements of a well-written learning objective. 2 One example of a SMART objective for an airway conference is: “Upon completion of the difficult airway workshop, participants should be able to formulate an accurate algorithm for the management of an obese adult patient with inadequate face mask ventilation, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists difficult airway algorithm.”

Practical tips for writing learning objectives are summarized in Table 1 . Since the point of a learning objective is to describe the intended outcome for learning, begin the learning objective with: “Upon completion of this educational activity, learners should be able to . . . .” The next step is to identify the concepts the learners need to learn and how they will demonstrate their understanding. It is recommended that the instructor choose one action verb that is measurable and observable. Verbs such as understand , know , learn , appreciate , believe , be familiar with , comprehend , and so on, are not observable or measurable and should be avoided. Each learning objective must be separate; two actions (such as diagnosis and management ) or topics (such as bronchospasm and hypotension ) must not be combined. It is also important that the action verb identify the level and cognitive domain at which the learner is expected to perform. Bloom's Taxonomy connects the depth of learning with action verbs that may be used when writing learning objectives.

Practical tips for writing effective learning objectives.

Blooms' Taxonomy and Action Verbs

When writing learning objectives, educators leverage Bloom's Taxonomy 3 ( Table 2 ). Bloom's Taxonomy describes 6 levels of hierarchy in the cognitive domain: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. This taxonomy was revised in 2001 4 ( Figure 1 ). Each level of the hierarchy correlates to action verbs that educators use within learning objectives. To help anesthesia educators apply Bloom's Taxonomy more readily to their own learning, we will briefly review what each level of the hierarchy means to learning.

Original and revised versions of Bloom's Taxonomy (Reprinted with permission from Wilson LO. http://thesecondprinciple.com )

Revised Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Objectives

(Adapted from http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/education/degree_programs/MDProgram/administration/curriculumoffice/Documents/CUSOM_Learning-Objectives-Guidelines.pdf )

Knowledge “involves the recall of specifics and universals, the recall of methods and processes, or the recall of a pattern, structure, or setting.” 3 This category appreciates and distinguishes factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge as separate elements of “knowledge.” In anesthesia teaching, we frequently use the first 3 types. For example, we provide factual knowledge (eg, lecture to undergraduate medical learners), procedural knowledge (eg, teaching in simulation or during an operation), and conceptual knowledge (eg, case-based learning, principles of anesthesia). Metacognitive knowledge is often applicable when giving feedback to learners; for example, when helping learners understand their competency in communication with patients and families.

Comprehension “refers to a type of understanding or apprehension such that the individual knows what is being communicated and can make use of the material or idea being communicated without necessarily relating it to other material or seeing its fullest implications.” 3 Application refers to the “use of abstractions in particular and concrete situations.” 3 Analysis represents the “breakdown of a communication into its constituent elements or parts such that relative hierarchy of ideas is made clear and/or the relations between ideas expressed are made explicit.” 3 Synthesis involves “putting together of elements and parts so as to form a whole,” 3 and evaluation includes “judgments about the value of material and methods for given purposes.” 3

All educators should make the important connection between the intended learning depth (eg, comprehension) and the action verbs that reflect that intended learning outcome within the learning objective. Action verbs guide the learner about the intended outcome; for example, “critically appraise the evidence related to rapid sequence induction for airway management in pregnant patients.”

Incorporating Bloom's Taxonomy and SMART for Effective Learning Objectives

Both Bloom's Taxonomy and SMART are necessary for writing effective learning objectives that communicate the intention for the learner with the intended learning outcomes. Examples of weak learning objectives and suggestions for better wording, based on incorporating Bloom's Taxonomy and SMART, are listed in Table 3 .

Examples of weak learning objectives and suggestions for SMARTer learning objectives. All of the learning objectives are written for an hour-long grand rounds presentation and begin with “Upon completion of the grand rounds presentation, participants should be able to:”

When faculty are leading sessions on writing SMART objectives, the authors often hear participants challenge that SMART objectives are longer and very detailed—consequently, will learners even follow them? The counterargument is that any objective worded too broadly, with no measurable standard that is attainable and repeatable for the learner in the given time frame, leads to confusion about “what to study” or “what performance is expected.” The value in writing SMART objectives includes helping educators focus and specify what they intend to teach, assess, and offer as feedback for the learner. This shapes the learning session's scope, the method of instruction, and the type and quality of the assessment.

Do Learning Objectives Add Value to Curriculum and Assessment?

For many, writing out the learning objectives appears to be an effort to its own end. However, learning objectives are the foundation for instructional alignment. Instructional alignment means that learning objectives, assessment tools, and instructional methods mutually support the same educational outcome. 5 This is known as the Golden Triangle 5 ( Figure 2 ). Well-defined learning objectives outline the desired outcome for learners, which will help specify the instructional method. For example, if we want the learners to demonstrate correct intubation procedure in a normal adult 100% of the time, we need the instructional method to involve some sort of hands-on experience so that learners can demonstrate their skills. In contrast, if the teacher lectures about correct intubation without the opportunity for learners to complete hands-on skills, the learning activity is not aligned with the stated learning objective.

Instructional alignment of learning objectives, assessment and instructional methods.

Likewise, learning objectives guide the assessment method. Taking the above example: If the objective is for learners to be 100% successful in normal adult intubation, assessing their skill using a written exam would misalign the objective and assessment method. As educators, we would miss the accuracy of the skill! Instead, the assessment method needs hands-on performance.

Constructive alignment underscores what learning objectives contribute towards achieving the intended educational outcomes. Learning objectives also contribute to shaping expectations, preparing learners for the educational activity and the standard by which their performance will be measured; the objectives also define faculty and learner responsibilities towards achieving the intended learning outcomes. Learning objectives may also guide teaching, by defining and limiting content or activities.

Are SMART Learning Objectives a Required Component of Medical Education?

Learning objectives are a required component in the planning of all medical education curricula. At the undergraduate level, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) requires that “the faculty of a medical school define its medical education program objectives in outcome-based terms that allow the assessment of medical student's progress in developing the competencies that the profession and the public expect of a physician.” 6 At the graduate medical education level, one of the common program requirements from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) states that each program must distribute competency-based goals and objectives for each assignment at every educational level. 7 Even for continuing medical education (CME), both the American Medical Association (AMA) and Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) require that a CME activity has learning objectives to qualify for category 1 credit. 8 Consequently, writing effective learning objectives is a core skill that every academic anesthesiologist should master.

Writing effective learning objectives is a necessary skill in academic medicine. Well-defined learning objectives describe what the learner must be able to achieve upon completion of the educational activity. Bloom's Taxonomy and SMART are two tools that educators may leverage towards writing learning objectives that effectively relate the intended outcomes to the learners, simultaneously setting up the educators to successfully attain the learning outcomes within the time and resources provided. The successful academic anesthesiologist can align the instructional method, assessment, and intended learning outcome by using SMART learning objectives rather than learning goals. In closing, we revisit the learning goals in the opening anecdote of this review article.

Upon completion of the grand rounds presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe at least 3 intracellular mechanisms within the muscle cells during an episode of malignant hyperthermia (MH). The description must include: unregulated calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum, sustained muscle contractures, and the resulting hypermetabolic response.
• Relate the 4 most common clinical signs of MH (hypercarbia, tachycardia/tachypnea, generalized muscle rigidity, and hyperthermia) to the underlying physiological mechanisms in the muscle cells.
• Summarize, in order, the critical steps in the intraoperative management of an MH crisis according to recommendations from the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States.
• Formulate an anesthetic plan for management of a MH-susceptible patient that must include the use of: non-triggering anesthetic agents, monitoring for signs of MH, and preparedness to treat acute MH.
• Critically appraise the role of caffeinehalothane testing for MH including indications, location, sensitivity, and specificity.

rrh: Learning Objectives

Financial Disclosures: None.

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Author Contributions: Debnath Chatterjee, MD, wrote the manuscript and reviewed the final draft before submission. Janet Corral, PhD, reviewed the initial and final draft and contributed to the content.

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TeachCatalystAI is a professional teaching assistant tool designed to help teachers create lesson plan, teaching materials, and many more with ease. Our AI-powered tool will help you streamline your classroom management, making it easier to keep track of students, assignments, and behavior. Our AI-powered tools and templates are great and configured to make you effective in teaching.

Tips for Creating Lesson Objectives

Creating effective lesson objectives is a crucial part of educational planning that significantly impacts student engagement and learning outcomes. Utilizing the SMART criteria —Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—educators can formulate objectives that clarify expectations and enhance assessment practices.

Understanding the target audience and aligning objectives with educational standards are also vital steps that are often missed. As we examine these strategies in more detail, it becomes clear that the subtleties of crafting objectives can greatly influence the classroom environment.

Educators should consider various factors, such as student interests, learning styles, and available resources, to optimize their effectiveness in lesson planning .

Understand Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for effectively developing lesson objectives . Gaining insight into student demographics allows educators to adjust their instructional strategies to accommodate the diverse needs of their learners. Recognizing aspects such as age, cultural background, and prior knowledge leads to a more responsive teaching approach, which ensures that all students feel valued and included.

Moreover, acknowledging different learning preferences plays a significant role in enhancing the educational experience. Some students excel in collaborative settings, while others thrive with independent work or hands-on activities. Identifying these preferences enables educators to design lesson objectives that cater to various learning styles, which fosters engagement and motivation among students.

Use SMART Criteria

One effective method for crafting clear and achievable lesson objectives is to apply the SMART criteria, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This structured approach ensures that your objectives are not only well-defined but also actionable, fostering meaningful learning experiences for your students.

Integrating effective social-emotional learning strategies can enhance the clarity and relevance of your lesson objectives by linking them to students’ emotional and social development.

Focus on Measurable Outcomes

Measurable outcomes play a crucial role in developing lesson objectives, as they establish a clear framework for assessing student progress and achievement. Focusing on measurable indicators enables educators to formulate objectives that support outcome-based assessment, leading to a more organized approach to teaching and learning.

Establishing measurable outcomes ensures that both educators and students have a clear understanding of expectations and success criteria. This clarity supports targeted instruction and allows for effective evaluation of student performance, ultimately enhancing the overall learning experience.

Align With Standards

Aligning lesson objectives with established standards is vital for effective teaching . Understanding the required standards and integrating relevant frameworks enables educators to ensure that their objectives fulfill educational expectations . This alignment fosters clear objectives that set expectations for students and guide lesson planning.

Using tools such as rubrics aligned with the standards can help in measuring student progress effectively. This approach not only enhances lesson planning but also contributes significantly to the overall learning experience, making it more relevant and impactful for students.

Understand Required Standards

Here are some significant points to consider when understanding required standards:

Understanding these standards not only supports effective lesson planning but also promotes a structured approach to teaching that benefits both educators and students.

Integrate Relevant Frameworks

Integrating relevant frameworks is crucial for ensuring that lesson objectives align with established standards , thereby enhancing the overall educational experience . The process begins with a clear understanding of the specific standards that dictate educational goals. Careful selection of frameworks that align with these standards allows educators to ensure that lesson objectives are not only pertinent but also effective.

The next phase involves integrating the selected frameworks into lesson plans in a seamless manner. This integration ensures that the frameworks align with both educational objectives and assessment strategies, resulting in a cohesive learning experience .

Assess Learning Outcomes

This approach not only enhances the educational experience but also promotes accountability and supports student growth, making it a vital aspect of teaching and learning.

Keep It Clear and Concise

The importance of clear and concise lesson objectives can be demonstrated through the following table:

Review and Revise Regularly

Moreover, establishing clear learning objectives enhances alignment with assessments and boosts student engagement. To support this ongoing development, consider the following strategies:

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Evaluating the SEND eHealth Application to Improve Patients’ Secure Message Writing

• Open access
• Published: 02 September 2024

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• Jordan M. Alpert   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7066-4748 1 ,
• Tithi B. Amin 2 ,
• Zhang Zhongyue 3 ,
• Merry Jennifer Markham 4 ,
• Martina Murphy 4 &
• Carma L. Bylund 2  

Secure messaging (SM) is an important aspect of communication for patients with cancer. SM fosters patient-clinician communication and helps patients with symptom management and treatment support. However, patients are uncertain about how to phrase messages appropriately and have expressed the need for guidance. In response, we designed a user-centered, web-based application named SEND The application focuses on specificity, expression, needs, and directness through interactive video tutorials and quizzes. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate SEND based on its levels of engagement, satisfaction, acceptability, and appropriateness. We recruited 101 patients with various cancer diagnoses to use SEND and then fill out a survey 1 to 2 weeks later about their experience. Patients’ mean age was 64 years; most were male (55%), white (83%), diagnosed with cancer in 2020 with high levels of self-efficacy, and 51% had a bachelor’s degree or higher. 65% were engaged in the application, and respondents spent an average of 15 min interacting with SEND Satisfaction was 90.4%, 85.4% found it acceptable, and 88.6% appropriate. There were no statistically significant differences across age, sex, race, education, or year of diagnosis. Results underscore the potential of eHealth interventions, like SEND, in enhancing patient-clinician communication in cancer care. By empowering patients with effective message-writing techniques, SEND has the potential to improve the quality of SM, which can lead to faster response times and more patient-centered responses.

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Introduction

High-quality patient-clinician communication enables access to care, increases patient knowledge and shared understanding, enhances therapeutic alliances, empowers patients, and contributes to higher-quality medical decisions [ 1 ]. Secure messaging (SM), asynchronous electronic communication between patients and clinicians, enables patients with cancer to easily interact with clinicians [ 2 , 3 ]. It allows patients to be involved in their care and can strengthen the patient-clinician relationship [ 4 , 5 ]. SM is particularly advantageous for symptom management. Patients with cancer receiving treatment report that they appreciated the ability to contact clinicians easily and felt encouraged, supported, and more aware of symptoms [ 6 ].

Patients with cancer prefer to communicate with clinicians via SM rather than on the phone [ 7 ], and the utilization of SM has grown exponentially [ 8 ]. Typically used for non-urgent medical questions, patients value SM communication replies from clinicians that are inclusive of support, partnership, and information [ 9 ]. However, patients are uncertain about how to phrase their questions and concerns to enable such replies [ 10 , 11 ]. Clinicians have cited difficulties interpreting patients’ secure messages [ 12 ] and as a result, patients have expressed the need for guidance about specific techniques to craft messages to clinicians [ 7 , 10 ]. Therefore, using a user-centered design approach, we developed a web-based application to educate patients about message-writing techniques that would be more likely to achieve the kind of replies they preferred. The application, named SEND, focused on four areas: (1) s pecificity, or narrowing the range of topics patients inquire about, (2) e xpressing concerns and questions, (3) articulating the main n eed or goal of the message, and (4) d irectness, in which messages are succinct and focused.

The application could be used on a computer or smartphone and was intended to be brief (around 10 min) to sustain users’ attention and engagement. It included a video narrated by an oncologist who explained that SM should be used mainly for mild symptoms or questions related to a diagnosis. The oncologist then reviewed each of the four areas, followed by a “knowledge check” multiple-choice question after each section. For instance, after reviewing the importance of including the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “when” in the specificity segment, participants chose a sample message they believed to be most effective at being specific (Fig.  1 ). Feedback about the users’ answer selection was provided after each question. After completing the application, patients could download a tip sheet that highlighted the main points. The objective of this study was to evaluate patients’ satisfaction, engagement, acceptability, and appropriateness of the SEND application.

Example of Knowledge Check question

Study Setting

This study took place between October 2023 and February 2024 in coordination with the University of Florida Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) and was approved by the University of Florida Institutional Review Board (IRB202201138). All procedures were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations.

Participants

Patients were eligible to participate if they were (1) 18 years or older, (2) in active treatment, (3) enrolled in the patient portal (MyChart), (4) fluent in English, (5) able to provide informed consent, and (6) diagnosed with one of the most prevalent cancers at UFHCC (breast, lung, prostate, head and neck, and hematological malignancies). A list of eligible patients was generated, and after random selection, patients were contacted via MyChart with a summary of the study’s requirements. We oversampled non-white patients to expand representation.

Interested patients clicked a link to a REDCap questionnaire to confirm their age, cancer diagnosis, status of treatment, and email address to receive the SEND application. Patients with confirmed eligibility received a link to access the application. Upon receipt of the participant clicking the link to view the application, we sent a REDCap survey link to evaluate SEND 1 to 2 weeks later. Two follow-up messages were sent if there was no response. As an incentive, participants received a $25 gift card after completing the survey.

Survey Development

The survey included a screening question to confirm that the application was viewed. In addition to demographic questions, such as age, sex, education, race, and year of cancer diagnosis, we included five measures.

Communication and Attitudinal Self-Efficacy Scale for cancer ( CASE-cancer ) [ 13 ]. CASE-cancer contains 12 items to measure patients’ self-efficacy toward communicating with clinicians and beliefs about managing their disease. For example, “It’s easy for me to ask nurses questions” and “It’s easy for me to share my feelings about having cancer.”

Digital Behavior Change Intervention (DBCI) Engagement Scale [ 14 ] : Ten items assessing behavioral and experiential aspects related to the intervention, such as “How much time (in minutes) did you spend using the tool?” “Which components did you use?” and “How strongly did you experience interest, inattention, enjoyment, intrigue…etc.?” There is no standard threshold of DBCI engagement [ 15 ], and total scores on the scale are only meaningful to the particular intervention tested [ 16 ].

Website User Satisfaction Questionnaire (WUS) [ 17 ] : A measure to investigate the effectiveness of web applications in supporting users’ goals, dividing into three components: (1) information (relevance, accuracy, comprehensibility, and comprehensiveness), (2) connection (ease-of-use, entry guidance, structure), and (3) layout.

Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) [ 18 ] : Four items to measure the perceived fit of the application, asking whether the application was suitable, fitting, applicable, and a good match.

Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) [ 18 ] : Four items to gauge approval, appeal, likeability, and agreeableness.

Analysis Plan

We described the survey results for each measure using frequencies and percentages. CASE-cancer was calculated by summing responses to questions, ranging from scores of 12–48, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy. DBCI is the percentage of aggregated positive experiences, ranging from 0 to 100%. Three questions were reverse-coded to enable proper calculation. We stratified survey respondents into two groups: “not at all” and by combining “moderately” and “extremely.” WUS is the percentage of aggregated agreement, ranging from 0%-100%. Three questions were reverse-coded for consistent calculation. AIM and IAM are the aggregated agreement among the four questions, ranging from 0%-100%. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to identify if there were significant differences in the mean responses across demographic groups. R version 4.3.2 was used to conduct the analysis.

Of 1,610 eligible patients, all were contacted and sent an invitation to view SEND and take the survey. 111 clicked the link to view SEND, and 101 viewed SEND and completed the survey. Respondents’ mean age was 64 years (range: 21–86), 55% were male, 83% were White, 51% completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 66% were married. The median year of diagnosis was 2020, and most patients had prostate cancer (36%), breast cancer (25%), or a hematologic cancer (23%). According to CASE-cancer, respondents had high levels of self-efficacy. The mean overall score was 43.5 out of 48. 96% were confident in their ability to understand cancer materials; 96% agreed that it was easy to ask their doctor questions; 93% found it easy to participate in treatment decisions actively. A full summary of patient characteristics is in Table  1 .

Overall engagement of SEND measured by DBCI was 65%. Respondents spent an average of 15 min interacting with SEND and 100% were interested in using it, 91% enjoyed it, and 76% did not experience negative associations with the application, such as annoyance. Overall mean satisfaction, measured by WUS, was 90.4/100. Respondents found SEND relevant (98%), clearly presented (96%), easy to understand (94%), accurate (89%), and helpful (82%). The mean AIM score was 85.4/100, with 90% approving of it and 86% liking it. The mean IAM score was 88.6/100, and 88% rated it as suitable and 93% applicable.

When comparing differences across the demographic categories, we found that patients without a bachelor’s degree had significantly higher self-efficacy scores compared to those with a bachelor’s or more, and patients with a diagnosis prior to 2023 had higher self-efficacy than patients diagnosed in 2023.

Female respondents overall, as well as those diagnosed with breast cancer, had slightly higher levels of engagement, acceptability, and appropriateness than males, and patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Adults 65 and older had higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and appropriateness than adults younger than 65. Those without a bachelor’s degree had higher engagement, acceptability, and appropriateness than respondents with a bachelor’s degree or more. Non-white respondents were more engaged and viewed SEND as acceptable at higher rates than white respondents. Those with a diagnosis date before 2023 had higher satisfaction, acceptability, and appropriateness than respondents with a diagnosis year in 2023. Table 2 summarizes the overall scores of each measure by demographic category.

We evaluated a web-based, interactive application to assist patients with cancer in writing effective secure messages to clinicians. The SEND application focused on writing specific messages, expressing concerns and questions, addressing the main need, and being direct. Quiz questions embedded in the application were included with feedback, along with a downloadable summary of the program. Overall, SEND was well-received and rated high in engagement, satisfaction, acceptability, and appropriateness. There were no significant differences related to SEND across age, sex, race, education, or year of diagnosis categories, indicating that the application appealed to a broad range of groups.

eHealth tools like SEND are frequently utilized for cancer care. A review of 24 randomized clinical trials of eHealth applications for people with chronic disease found that the applications improved knowledge, perceived social support, health behaviors, clinical outcomes, and had a positive effect on self-efficacy [ 19 ]. However, users typically do not find eHealth and mHealth apps very engaging, resulting in abandonment [ 20 ]. According to the results of the DBCI Engagement Scale, SEND was found to be very engaging. Few patients cited inattention or distraction while using the application, while nearly all patients enjoyed using it. The average time spent with the application was almost 15 min, and results from WUS confirmed that SEND was easy to understand, presented clearly, and the information was reliable. Our mean of the raw WUS scores was 4.4/5.0. An eHealth intervention for breast cancer survivors that included patient education, feedback, and physical activity support had an average website user satisfaction of 3.8 on a 5-point scale [ 21 ].

Although it is difficult to compare engagement and satisfaction to other interventions since those attributes are specific to the intervention being evaluated, we believe SEND’s high ratings are validated by constructs from Bandura’s social cognitive theory [ 22 ]. SEND incorporated various aspects of social cognitive theory. For instance, we included observational learning by modeling how to craft specific types of messages, and reinforcements, or responses, to the patient’s behavior by including feedback after quiz questions.

Another aspect of our study related to social cognitive theory is self-efficacy. Patients’ high levels of self-efficacy may have contributed to their belief that they were successfully able to learn from the application and write more precise messages. However, patients had statistically significant lower self-efficacy levels if they were diagnosed with cancer in the current year compared to those diagnosed earlier. Since most cancer diagnoses require patients to learn a lot of information quickly, information overload may occur. Information overload is when highly arousing content strains already limited storage and processing capabilities, triggering negative reactions [ 23 ]. Although recently diagnosed patients’ self-efficacy levels were lower than those of more experienced patients, patients of all self-efficacy levels rated SEND highly and believed it was appropriate and acceptable. Therefore, SEND can be an important tool to help enhance patients’ self-efficacy when communicating with clinicians about their cancer. If patients can communicate more confidently using SM, clinicians may be able to respond faster and include relevant information in a patient-centered manner.

We did not find any statistically significant differences related to SEND’s functionality for race, education, age, sex, and year of diagnosis. It is not uncommon for interventions to benefit some groups more than others due to factors such as health literacy, eHealth literacy, the digital divide, technology acceptance, and access to reliable broadband service. Our results demonstrate that SEND may apply to various types of patients with diverse backgrounds. In the future, we will expand our evaluation to specifically measure the impact of health literacy, eHealth literacy, and access to the Internet. We will also assess how SEND influences patient behavior, such as the quality of message writing and other information-seeking and communicative habits with clinicians. It will also be valuable to understand whether patients who incorporate SEND into messages are more satisfied and receive quicker replies than patients who did not use the application. We plan to widely implement SEND and include additional components to the application, such as clarifying the most appropriate uses for SM and how artificial intelligence can assist with message development.

Limitations of our study include it taking place at one cancer center and a large portion of our sample being highly self-efficacious patients. Patients with lower self-efficacy levels may have different expectations or uses of SEND. We also did not collect patients’ stage of cancer. It is worth exploring whether patients with advanced stages are more receptive than patients in earlier stages. Our sample was also mostly white and mainly 60 years or older. It is important to understand the perspective of patients from different races, and younger adults may have a different experience using SEND. Furthermore, it is critical to determine SEND’s acceptability among patients who require technological support or are uncomfortable with technology. We did not monitor how many times patients used the SEND application or the frequency with which the downloadable tip sheet was accessed. Perhaps repeatedly using the application and tip sheet assisted patients more so than those who only used it once. We also were unaware of patients’ message-writing habits. Frequent message writers with experience using SM may have different needs than patients who utilize SM less often. Another limitation is that DBCI scores were only collected from 40 respondents due to a programming error.

We tested the engagement, satisfaction, appropriateness, and acceptability of the SEND web-based application to educate patients about secure message-writing techniques. The application included video tutorials with an interactive quiz and a downloadable tip sheet. Overall, patients rated SEND very highly, signifying that patients embraced the application and desired to improve their messaging skills. As secure messaging continues to be a valued tool for communication among patients and clinicians, it is important to enhance patients’ comfort and confidence when utilizing the tool.

Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

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This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under Award Number 5R03CA273617-02. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Research reported in this publication was also supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under University of Florida Clinical and Translational Science Awards UL1TR000064 and UL1TR001427.

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Jordan M. Alpert

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Tithi B. Amin & Carma L. Bylund

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Zhang Zhongyue

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Alpert, J.M., Amin, T.B., Zhongyue, Z. et al. Evaluating the SEND eHealth Application to Improve Patients’ Secure Message Writing. J Canc Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-024-02491-0

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-024-02491-0

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