What are learning objectives?
Learning objectives are a concise description of what learners will be able to do at the end of a learning activity, such as a pathway, on LabXchange. (You can learn more about learning objectives here.)
Well-defined and articulated learning objectives are important because they:
- provide learners with a clear purpose, which helps focus their learning efforts
- guide a pathway creator’s choice of assets to combine into a pathway
- inform assessment strategies
Where do I find learning objectives?
Learning objectives are an important component of pathways on LabXchange. If a pathway creator has assigned learning objectives to their pathway, you will find them on the main pathway page, underneath the list of assets that compose the pathway.
What is a well-defined learning objective?
A well-defined learning objective is specific and measurable. It uses verbs categorized in Bloom's Taxonomy to measure how closely learners have achieved the learning objectives.
Modeled after Bloom’s Taxonomy, courtesy of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University.
The verbs in Bloom’s Taxonomy are organized in categories of descending complexity and abstractness.
To measure whether the learning objectives were achieved, you may want to add question sets to your pathways.
How do I write learning objectives for my pathway?
LabXchange offers a simple way to designate effective learning objectives when creating a pathway.
1. When creating a pathway, you will be prompted to enter a learning objective.
2. Choose a verb from the dropdown menu that describes a measurable action, and enter a specific learning objective.
3. You can select additional learning objectives by clicking "Add learning objective." Depending on your pathway, we recommend writing three or four learning objectives.