Learning Objectives

Measurable course learning objectives precisely describe what students are to gain from instruction, and then guide instructors to accurately assess student accomplishment. Objectives should describe student performance in specific, observable terms. If this specificity is not possible (e.g., internal cognition, affective changes), check for clear indications that the learning objective is meaningfully assessed. Note that at some institutions, learning objectives may be referred to as learning outcomes.

Quality Matters Examples of Measurable Objectives:

1. Select appropriate tax strategies for different financial and personal situations.
2. Develop a comprehensive, individualized wellness action program focused on overcoming a sedentary life-style.
3. Describe the relationship between the components of an ecosystem.
4. Explain the factors that contribute to economic inflation.

Special situations: In some cases (check the Instructor Worksheet), the course objectives are institutionally mandated and the individual instructor does not have the authority to change them. If the institutionally-mandated learning objectives are not measurable, then please be sure to make note of this in the comments box. If the course objectives are institutionally mandated, then the reviewer may need to consider Standard II.1 in conjunction with Standard II.2 as follows:

Standard II.1 is NOT MET under the following circumstances:

1. there are no course-level objectives.
2. there are course-level objectives that are not institutionally-mandated and that are not measurable.
3. the institutionally-mandated course-level objectives are not measurable, and the faculty-driven module/unit objectives are either not measurable or are not present.
4. there are no institutionally-mandated course-level objectives, and the faculty-driven module/unit objectives are either not measurable or not present.

It is especially important to assess the presence of measurable course and module/unit-level learning objectives, as their effect on course design and the review process is wide-ranging. Learning objectives form the base of the Alignment concept and are used to assess Standards II.1-II.5, III.1, IV.1, V.1, and VI.1. Therefore, if course and/or module/unit learning objectives are not found, reviewers should communicate with the instructor to gather more information.

Alignment: This standard is included in Alignment. (Critical course components work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes.)

Measurable module or unit-level learning objectives are important. They precisely describe the specific competencies, skills, and knowledge that students should be able to master and demonstrate at regular intervals throughout the course. They provide students with greater focus and clarity of learning expectations and outcomes on a weekly, modular, or unit basis.

Module- or unit-level objectives may be written by the instructor or come from the textbook. Module/unit learning objectives guide instructors to accurately assess student accomplishment. Objectives should describe student performance in specific, observable terms. Note that at some institutions, learning objectives may be referred to as learning outcomes.

The module/unit-level objectives should be consistent with the course-level objectives. The module/unit objectives may either be implicitly or explicitly consistent with the course-level objectives. For example, the module/unit objective Students will write sentences that demonstrate correct usage of commas, semicolons, and periods. is implicitly consistent with the course objective Students will demonstrate correct writing skills.

It is especially important to assess the presence of measurable course and module/unit-level learning objectives, as their effect on course design and the review process is wide-ranging. Learning objectives form the base of the Alignment concept, and are used to assess Standards II.1-II.5, III.1, IV.1, V.1, and VI.1. Therefore, if course and/or module/unit learning objectives are not found, reviewers should communicate with the instructor to gather more information.

Alignment: This standard is included in Alignment. (Critical course components work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes.)

CVTC Examples:

• Learning Objectives - Julie Cross
  • Julie identifies the specific competency and the corresponding learning objectives that students should be able to demonstrate upon completion of one of her Marketing Research units.
•  Learning Objectives - Marian Smith
  • Marian identifies four learning objectives for week one of two in a learning plan.  

The learning objectives are stated clearly in the online classroom for all course delivery formats. The learning objectives are written in a way that allows students to easily grasp their meaning and the learning outcomes expected of them. The use of educational jargon, confusing terms, unnecessarily complex language, and puzzling syntax is avoided. The learning objectives are clearly stated by the instructor both verbally (during face-to-face meetings) and electronically in the online classroom.

As a reviewer, consider both the course and module/unit learning objectives in your assessment of this standard.

CVTC Examples:

• Learning Plan - Brenda Thalacker
  • For each unit of her online accounting course, Brenda includes a Learning Plan that identifies the course competency and the corresponding learning objectives.
• Learning Objectives - Julie Cross
  • In this example, you can see that Julie identifies the learning objectives for this competency in a clear and concise manner.

Instructions may take various forms (e.g. narratives, bulleted lists, charts) and may appear at different levels within the course, such as module-based or weekly assignment sheets. Instructions are stated clearly, are complete, and are provided electronically in the online classroom.

As a reviewer, consider both the course and module/unit learning objectives in your assessment of this standard.

1. Module-based or weekly assignment pages in narrative, bulleted list, or chart form indicate a list of steps that guide the student to meet learning objectives for each week.
2. Information indicates which learning activities, resources, assignments, and assessments support the learning objectives.

CVTC Examples:

• Instructions for Meeting Learning Objectives - Linda Oliver
  • In her Legal Terminology course, Linda lists the unit overview, learning objectives, activities, and assessments for each unit. Within each unit folder, she provides a consistently organized set of subfolders.
• Instructions for Meeting Learning Objectives - Julia Raehpour
  •   Julia provides a narrative description for each of the activities.

Examine the course and module/unit learning objectives as a whole for all three types of skill. All three types of skills need not be present in both the course-level and module/unit-level objectives, nor in every single objective.

Content mastery should be appropriate for the type and level of the course. Decisions on this aspect of the standard may be particularly difficult for individual reviewers whose expertise is not in the course discipline. Reviewers should consult with the SME (subject matter expert).

Core learning skills, including critical thinking, are typically those that transcend an individual course and are integrated across the curriculum. Core learning skills are sometimes called core competencies.

Core learning skills may include:

1. Written and oral communication skills
2. Ability to compute and process mathematical information
3. Manipulation and organization of information in various ways or using different tools
4. Understanding what one knows and how one knows it, and also understanding what one does not know and what one needs to find it out

Critical thinking skills may include the ability to:

1. Distinguish between fact and opinion
2. Distinguish between primary and secondary sources
3. Identify bias and stereotypes
4. Evaluate information sources for point of view, accuracy, usefulness, timeliness, etc.
5. Recognize deceptive arguments