Being clear about what your students need in order to make progress

2. Plan the specific learning activities
When planning learning activities you should consider the types of activities students will need to engage in, in order to develop the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate effective learning in the course. Learning activities should be directly related to the learning objectives of the course, and provide experiences that will enable students to engage in, practice, and gain feedback on specific progress towards those objectives.
As you plan your learning activities, estimate how much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended explanation or discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding. Some questions to think about as you design the learning activities you will use are:
What will I do to explain the topic?
What will I do to illustrate the topic in a different way?
How can I engage students in the topic?
What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help students understand the topic?
What will students need to do to help them understand the topic better?
Many activities can be used to engage learners. The activity types (i.e. what the student is doing) and their examples provided below are by no means an exhaustive list, but will help you in thinking through how best to design and deliver high impact learning experiences for your students in a typical lesson.
It is important that each learning activity in the lesson must be
1) aligned to the lesson’s learning objectives,
2) meaningfully engage students in active, constructive, authentic, and collaborative ways, and
3) useful where the student is able to take what they have learnt from engaging with the activity and use it in another context, or for another purpose.
3. Plan to assess student understanding
Assessments (e.g., tests, papers, problem sets, performances) provide opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice the knowledge and skills articulated in the learning objectives, and for instructors to offer targeted feedback that can guide further learning.
Planning for assessment allows you to find out whether your students are learning. It involves making decisions about:
the number and type of assessment tasks that will best enable students to demonstrate learning objectives for the lesson
Examples of different assessments
Formative and/or summative
the criteria and standards that will be used to make assessment judgements
Rubrics
student roles in the assessment process
Self-assessment
Peer assessment
the weighting of individual assessment tasks and the method by which individual task judgements will be combined into a final grade for the course
information about how various tasks are to be weighted and combined into an overall grade must be provided to students
the provision of feedback
giving feedback to students on how to improve their learning, as well as giving feedback to instructors how to refine their teaching
To learn more about designing assessment, click here.
4. Plan to sequence the lesson in an engaging and meaningful manner
Robert Gagne proposed a nine-step process called the events of instruction, which is useful for planning the sequence of your lesson. Using Gagne’s 9 events in conjunction with Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (link) aids in designing engaging and meaningful instruction.

Gain attention: Obtain students’ attention so that they will watch and listen while the instructor presents the learning content.

Present a story or a problem to be solved
Utilize ice breaker activities, current news and events, case studies, YouTube videos, and so on. The objective is to quickly grab student attention and interest in the topic
Utilize technologies such as clickers, and surveys to ask leading questions prior to lecture, survey opinion, or gain a response to a controversial question
Inform learner of objectives: Allow students to organize their thoughts regarding what they are about to see, hear, and/or do.
Include learning objectives in lecture slides, the syllabus, and in instructions for activities, projects and papers
Describe required performance
Describe criteria for standard performance
Stimulate recall of prior knowledge:
Help students make sense of new information by relating it to something they already know or something they have already experienced.
Recall events from previous lecture, integrate results of activities into the current topic, and/or relate previous information to the current topic
Ask students about their understanding of previous concepts
Present new content: Utilise a variety of methods including lecture, readings, activities, projects, multimedia, and others.
Sequence and chunk the information to avoid cognitive overload
Blend the information to aid in information recall
Bloom's Revised Taxonomy can be used to help sequence the lesson by helping you chunk them into levels of difficulty.
Provide guidance: Advise students of strategies to aid them in learning content and of resources available. With learning guidance, the rate of learning increases because students are less likely to lose time or become frustrated by basing performance on incorrect facts or poorly understood concepts.
Provide instructional support as needed – as scaffolds (cues, hints, prompts) which can be removed after the student learns the task or content
Model varied learning strategies – mnemonics, concept mapping, role playing, visualizing
Use examples and non-examples
To find out more about scaffolding student learning, click here
Practice: Allow students to apply knowledge and skills learned.
Allow students to apply knowledge in group or individual activities
Ask deep-learning questions, make reference to what students already know or have students collaborate with their peers
Ask students to recite, revisit, or reiterate information they have learned
Facilitate student elaborations – ask students to elaborate or explain details and provide more complexity to their responses
Provide feedback: Provide immediate feedback of students’ performance to assess and facilitate learning.
Consider using group / class level feedback (highlighting common errors, give examples or models of target performance, show students what you do not want)
Consider implementing peer feedback
Require students to specify how they used feedback in subsequent works
Assess performance: To evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional events, test to see if the expected learning outcomes have been achieved. Performance should be based on previously stated objectives.
Utilise a variety of assessment methods including exams/quizzes, written assignments, projects, and so on.
Enhance retention and transfer: Allow students to apply information to personal contexts. This increases retention by personalising information.
Provide opportunities for students to relate course work to their personal experiences
Provide additional practice

5. Create a realistic timeline

A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want students to learn in the lesson. Your list of prioritized learning objectives will help you make decisions on the spot and adjust your lesson plan as needed. Here are some strategies for creating a realistic timeline:
Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra time for each
When you prepare your lesson plan, next to each activity indicate how much time you expect it will take
Plan a few minutes at the end of class to answer any remaining questions and to sum up key points
Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
Be flexible – be ready to adjust your lesson plan to students’ needs and focus on what seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan
6. Plan for a lesson closure
Lesson closure provides an opportunity to solidify student learning. Lesson closure is useful for both instructors and students.
You can use closure to:
Check for student understanding and inform subsequent instruction (adjust your teaching accordingly)
Emphasise key information
Tie up loose ends
Correct students’ misunderstandings
Preview upcoming topics
Your students will find your closure helpful for:
Summarizing, reviewing, and demonstrating their understanding of major points
Consolidating and internalising key information
Linking lesson ideas to a conceptual framework and/or previously-learned knowledge
Transferring ideas to new situations
There are several ways in which you can put a closure to the lesson:
state the main points yourself (“Today we talked about…”)
ask a student to help you summarize them
ask all students to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main points of the lesson
During the class: Presenting your lesson plan
Letting your students know what they will be learning and doing in class will help keep them more engaged and on track. Providing a meaningful organisation of the class time can help students not only remember better, but also follow your presentation and understand the rationale behind the planned learning activities. You can share your lesson plan by writing a brief agenda on the whiteboard or telling students explicitly what they will be learning and doing in class. Click on link here for tips and techniques to facilitate an interactive lesson.
After the class: Reflecting on your lesson plan
Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on what worked well and why, and what you could have done differently. Identifying successful and less successful organization of class time and activities would make it easier to adjust to the contingencies of the classroom. If needed, revise the lesson plan.
Steps for Preparing a Lesson Plan
Below are six steps to guide you when you create your first lesson plans. Each step is accompanied by a set of questions meant to prompt reflection and aid you in designing your teaching and learning activities.
1) Outline learning objectives
The first step is to determine what you want students to learn and be able to do at the end of class. To help you specify your objectives for student learning, answer the following questions:
What is the topic of the lesson?
What do I want students to learn?
What do I want them to understand and be able to do at the end of class?
What do I want them to take away from this particular lesson?
Once you outline the learning objectives for the class meeting, rank them in terms of their importance. This step will prepare you for managing class time and accomplishing the more important learning objectives in case you are pressed for time. Consider the following questions:
What are the most important concepts, ideas, or skills I want students to be able to grasp and apply?
Why are they important?
If I ran out of time, which ones could not be omitted?
And conversely, which ones could I skip if pressed for time?
2) Develop the introduction
Now that you have your learning objectives in order of their importance, design the specific activities you will use to get students to understand and apply what they have learned. Because you will have a diverse body of students with different academic and personal experiences, they may already be familiar with the topic. That is why you might start with a question or activity to gauge students’ knowledge of the subject or possibly, their preconceived notions about it. For example, you can take a simple poll: “How many of you have heard of X? Raise your hand if you have.” You can also gather background information from your students prior to class by sending students an electronic survey or asking them to write comments on index cards. This additional information can help shape your introduction, learning activities, etc. When you have an idea of the students’ familiarity with the topic, you will also have a sense of what to focus on.
Develop a creative introduction to the topic to stimulate interest and encourage thinking. You can use a variety of approaches to engage students (e.g., personal anecdote, historical event, thought-provoking dilemma, real-world example, short video clip, practical application, probing question, etc.). Consider the following questions when planning your introduction:
How will I check whether students know anything about the topic or have any preconceived notions about it?
What are some commonly held ideas (or possibly misconceptions) about this topic that students might be familiar with or might espouse?
What will I do to introduce the topic?
3) Plan the specific learning activities (the main body of the lesson)
Prepare several different ways of explaining the material (real-life examples, analogies, visuals, etc.) to catch the attention of more students and appeal to different learning styles. As you plan your examples and activities, estimate how much time you will spend on each. Build in time for extended explanation or discussion, but also be prepared to move on quickly to different applications or problems, and to identify strategies that check for understanding. These questions would help you design the learning activities you will use:
What will I do to explain the topic?
What will I do to illustrate the topic in a different way?
How can I engage students in the topic?
What are some relevant real-life examples, analogies, or situations that can help students understand the topic?
What will students need to do to help them understand the topic better?
4) Plan to check for understanding
Now that you have explained the topic and illustrated it with different examples, you need to check for student understanding – how will you know that students are learning? Think about specific questions you can ask students in order to check for understanding, write them down, and then paraphrase them so that you are prepared to ask the questions in different ways. Try to predict the answers your questions will generate. Decide on whether you want students to respond orally or in writing.
Going back to my list of learning objectives, what activity can I have students do to check whether each of those has been accomplished?
An important strategy that will also help you with time management is to anticipate students’ questions. When planning your lesson, decide what kinds of questions will be productive for discussion and what questions might sidetrack the class. Think about and decide on the balance between covering content (accomplishing your learning objectives) and ensuring that students understand.
5) Develop a conclusion and a preview
Go over the material covered in class by summarizing the main points of the lesson. You can do this in a number of ways: you can state the main points yourself (“Today we talked about…”), you can ask a student to help you summarize them, or you can even ask all students to write down on a piece of paper what they think were the main points of the lesson. You can review the students’ answers to gauge their understanding of the topic and then explain anything unclear the following class. Conclude the lesson not only by summarizing the main points, but also by previewing the next lesson. How does the topic relate to the one that’s coming? This preview will spur students’ interest and help them connect the different ideas within a larger context.
6) Create a realistic timeline
GSIs know how easy it is to run out of time and not cover all of the many points they had planned to cover. A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want students to learn. Instructors also agree that they often need to adjust their lesson plan during class depending on what the students need. Your list of prioritized learning objectives will help you make decisions on the spot and adjust your lesson plan as needed. Having additional examples or alternative activities will also allow you to be flexible. A realistic timeline will reflect your flexibility and readiness to adapt to the specific classroom environment. Here are some strategies for creating a realistic timeline:
Estimate how much time each of the activities will take, then plan some extra time for each
When you prepare your lesson plan, next to each activity indicate how much time you expect it will take
Plan a few minutes at the end of class to answer any remaining questions and to sum up key points
Plan an extra activity or discussion question in case you have time left
Be flexible – be ready to adjust your lesson plan to students’ needs and focus on what seems to be more productive rather than sticking to your original plan
Presenting the Lesson Plan
Letting your students know what they will be learning and doing in class will help keep them more engaged and on track. You can share your lesson plan by writing a brief agenda on the board or telling students explicitly what they will be learning and doing in class. You can outline on the board or on a handout the learning objectives for the class. Providing a meaningful organization of the class time can help students not only remember better, but also follow your presentation and understand the rationale behind in-class activities. Having a clearly visible agenda (e.g., on the board) will also help you and students stay on track.
Reflecting on Your Lesson Plan
A lesson plan may not work as well as you had expected due to a number of extraneous circumstances. You should not get discouraged – it happens to even the most experienced teachers! Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on what worked well and why, and what you could have done differently. Identifying successful and less successful organization of class time and activities would make it easier to adjust to the contingencies of the classroom. For additional feedback on planning and managing class time, you can use the following resources: student feedback, peer observation, viewing a videotape of your teaching, and consultation with a staff member at CRLT (see also, Improving Your Teaching:
To be effective, the lesson plan does not have to be an exhaustive document that describes each and every possible classroom scenario. Nor does it have to anticipate each and every student’s response or question. Instead, it should provide you with a general outline of your teaching goals, learning objectives, and means to accomplish them. It is a reminder of what you want to do and how you want to do it. A productive lesson is not one in which everything goes exactly as planned, but one in which both students and instructors learn from each other.
What does a good lesson plan look like?
Earlier, we mentioned that good lesson plans, regardless of subject, grade level, school, teacher or class, share some common components. In this section, we dive deeper into what those components are, and what teachers should include in each.
1. Lesson objectives
Each lesson plan should start by considering what students will learn or be able to do by the end of class. The best objectives are action-oriented and focus on the most important and essential learning needs of the class. They should be measurable, so teachers can track student progress and ensure that new concepts are understood before moving on, and achievable considering the time available.
2. Materials
What supplies and resources are required to support the lesson? In this section, list everything needed to deliver on the lesson objective. Identifying these items upfront makes sure teachers can gather everything ahead of time so they’re not caught short during the lesson.
3. Learning activities
This is the heart and soul of a lesson plan: the step-by-step walkthrough of the lesson itself. In this section, teachers break down the lesson into individual learning activities – the mechanisms through which they deliver the lesson – and describe what will happen in the classroom during each one.
To help pick the right activities for each lesson (and there are a lot of possibilities out there), consider:
How they align with the learning objective, along with other standards or requirements students need to meet
Whether it’s a meaningful and engaging way for students to learn
The amount of time the activity will take
Since activities make up the bulk of learning time, it’s important to incorporate a variety of them within a single lesson plan. Giving students new ways to explore and use their knowledge helps solidify their learning while providing valuable experience that carries forward into other areas of their lives.
Time requirements
It’s helpful to pair learning activity with a timeline to help keep the class on schedule. It’s also a great way to figure out if the lesson is realistic given the class time available.
Start by estimating how many minutes will be spent on each learning activity and include that information alongside the description. Adding a bit of extra time to this estimate will provide some flexibility in case students have questions or need additional help along the way. Planning a bonus activity near the end of class helps fill in any gaps should the lesson go by more quickly than expected.
At the end of each lesson, teachers can compare their estimates to actual class time spent on each activity for more accurate preparation in the future.
5. Related requirements
In addition to the lesson’s objectives, teachers can include broader objectives that extend beyond a single lesson, but to which the lesson contributes, like writing or comprehension skills. This helps tie learning into other requirements, such as grade-level standards.
In some cases, administrators will require this to happen; in others, it may be voluntary for the teacher to do so. In either case, make sure the lesson plan aligns with expectations in the school.
6. Assessment
Did the lesson meet its objectives? Teachers can find out by including some form of assessment – or a check for student understanding – into each lesson. If the objective was about understanding a concept, the teacher might ask students to complete an activity around explaining or using that concept. If the objective was to learn a new skill (or even strengthen an existing one), the assessment might require students to perform that skill to demonstrate their proficiency. This step is made easier if the objective itself is a measurable one.
7. Evaluation and reflection
Once the lesson is over, teachers can step back and take a few notes about both their observations during class and their own thoughts about the lesson. This component is all about continuous improvement, identifying gaps in learning and building stronger lessons in the future.
Planning with a sequence in mind
When planning, teachers need to consider the sequence of the lesson (and ideally, this sequence is repeatable across the many lessons they teach). For that, learning activities can be split into phases:
An introduction that explains the lesson’s purpose, objectives and the core concepts students will learn. To make this engaging and exciting, teachers can try an ice-breaker activity, share an anecdote, tell a story, play a video or present a quick survey to kick things off.
A foundational review of what students have previously learned, reinforcing details that will be needed for the current lesson. This will help frame new concepts and content in something already familiar to the class.
Brain activation that primes students for the main concepts they’re going to learn in this lesson. This is a great time to ask early questions, gauge students’ prior knowledge and clarify misconceptions students may have before diving in.
New information explained in a variety of ways, from assigned reading and teacher presentation to digital lessons. Teachers lead the way in this phase, helping students actively engage with the material.
A check for understanding that surfaces questions or challenges students have with the new information. This may follow an initial period of practice or sample problems completed as a class.
A review of new learning that gives students a chance to explore the concepts and information just taught in more depth, still guided by the teacher. The students and teachers work together to sort out areas of confusion or correct mistakes.
Practice that splits students into small groups or allows them to practice on their own. In this phase, teachers make sure students are prepared to use the new knowledge or skills on their own.
A conclusion that summarizes the lesson and discusses how it fits into the bigger picture of their learning within the unit, the subject or even their lives. This is a teacher’s chance to encourage retention before students walk out the classroom door.
Comparing: a good vs bad lesson plan
What makes a lesson plan stand out? What makes it fall flat? We combed through dozens of examples to find out what takes planning to the next level.
A good lesson plan…
A bad lesson plan…
Has a clear objective stated at the beginning to keep the learning activities focused Is planned around a topic only, without student learning objectives in mind
Outlines learning activities in a thoughtful flow Is a laundry list of activities in no particular order
Is easy to scan and read for easy reference during class, using headings, color, etc. Is a collection of paragraphs or bullet points, without visual organization
Pairs each activity with a time allocation to keep the class on pace Lists activities without indicating how long each will take
Uses a variety of activities to support the lesson objective and keep students engaged Uses just one or two activities to deliver the lesson, or uses activities that aren’t well suited to the material
Anchors learning in relevant, real-life ways that students experience, like current events or topics of particular interest Doesn’t consider the broader context around learning and its connection to students’ everyday experiences
Includes a plan for assessment to measure progress toward the lesson objective Lacks a method to check in on student learning in a measurable way
Provides space for self-reflection so teachers can make continuous improvements .
A great course that provides value to its learners is the dream of any course creator who wishes to make an impact, right? A combination of a validated course idea and a value-adding syllabus is a win-win situation for both course creators and their learners.
But what makes a course great? What are the elements that determine if a course adds the value a learner is looking for? Is it just the years of experience the instructor has about the teaching subject? The course idea per se? Or something more practical, like a clear definition of the learning goals and objectives that prepare the ground for an effective lesson plan of a course?
In this article, we are going to explore in-depth the role of Learning Goals and Objectives in course design and how to prepare a lesson plan based on them.
What are Learning Goals
Learning goals are broad, general statements of what we want our students to learn and provide:
Direction,
Focus, and
Cohesion
Setting goals gives us a real road map to where we want to go. The same when we provide goals to learners. Learning goals are the heart of a course design and need to be made clear at the planning stage.
An instructor can use those goals as a roadmap to prepare an online class. In this article, we are going to explore in-depth the role of Learning Goals and Objectives in course design and how to prepare a lesson plan based on them.
What are Learning Objectives
The best way to use goals as a roadmap for a course design is to make them more clear and concise by determining specific learning objectives.
Learning Objectives are measurable subgoals of a lesson and inform particular learning outcomes.
Writing learning objectives keeps you focused and helps you in planning. This is easily achieved with the use of action verbs that describe learner capabilities at the end of a course.
From the learners’ point of view, objectives help them understand what the instructor expects of them and what they must expect of themselves.
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What is the Difference Between Goals and Objectives?
Many people confuse the definitions of goals and objectives and often confuse the terms.
Learning goals are long-term, broad, and achievable, but not necessarily measurable.
On the other hand, learning objectives are also referred to as learning outcomes because they are immediately linked to the expected outcomes; what we can expect learners to be able to do by the end of the course.
Learning objectives can then be broken down into small learning activities, or assessments.
Goals Objectives Activities
Breaking down Goals into Objectives and then into Activities (Assessments)
Changing one of these three components greatly affects the other two. So, this process is dynamic while planning course content. The table below can help you understand how goals differ from objectives:
Goals and Objectives
Express Your hopes and values regarding the overall educational experience. Your choices on learning strategies, lesson material, and instructional activities.
Represent Your perspective on the course, describing what the course will do. What your learners will be capable of by the end of the course.
Describe Your long-term aims that are not directly measurable. The assessments (questions, assignments) with which you evaluate your learners.
Convey The kind of experience you want to create for your students. What your standards and expectations are for the course.
Is it clear enough yet?
Now, let’s see a real example of an instructional goal vs. the objectives in an Art course and Photoshop course:
Art Course Photoshop course
Learning Goal Learners will know everything about art printing. Learners will learn how to use Photoshop CS5.
Learning Objectives Learners will be able to identify whether a print is a woodcut or a lithograph.
Learners will be able to justify this identification.
Learners will be able to manipulate layers.
Learners will be able to correct colors.
Learners will be able to paint.
Learners will be able to create special effects.
Why is it Important to Set Objectives?
When setting Learning Objectives:
You can adequately organize the course material because you can establish a logical sequence of learning milestones.
You can immediately align objectives with evaluation methods.
You communicate expectations to your learners, so you help them evaluate themselves.
Finally, learners can interconnect goals through your courses.
Objectives tell the learner how they will be able to know, not merely guess, whether or not they have learned and understood the lesson.
How Should Objectives be Formed?
Objectives should be specific, concise, observable, and measurable. Each learning objective should target one particular aspect of student performance and be expressed with a single action verb.
There is a specific order according to which learners process information in a course. Bloom’s taxonomy helps understand this natural order. What Bloom did is describe the levels of student learning, that could help a designer set the right objectives:
Recall
Comprehension application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation.
Following this taxonomy is the most surefire way to boost learning to a higher level. The following table depicts everything we are talking about. In it there are examples of verbs and activities you can use to formulate your course objectives. Take a look!
Domains Sample Verbs for Writing Learning Objectives Sample activities.
Knowledge or Remembering Recall, tell, show, match, list, label, define, cite, name, brainstorm Test, worksheet, quiz, labeling, table
Comprehension Compare, contrast, demonstrate, identify, report, outline, summarize, review, explain, catalog Outline, summary, test, identifications, review, compare and contrast exercise
Application Develop, organize, use, select, model, choose, construct, translate, experiment, illustrate Report, diagram, graph, illustration, project, video, case study, journal
Analysis Analyze, categorize, classify, distinguish, dissect, examine, differentiate, calculate, solve, arrange Model, report, project, solution, debates, case-study solution
Synthesis Combine, compose, solve, formulate, adapt, develop, create, validate, design Article, report, essay, experiment, composition, essay audio or video product, drawing, graph, design
Evaluation Assess, evaluate, determine, measure, select, defend, score, rank, discriminate, judge, justify, conclude, recommend Peer and self-evaluations, charts, critique
Examples of how to use the listed verbs:
– Learners will be able to use a rule to determine if a sentence is grammatically correct.
Learners will be able to classify foods according to their origins.
Learners will be able to discriminate the program’s peculiar features.
See how it goes? You may struggle at first to apply this method, but it provides an analytical design, worthwhile to try out!
You will see how much more your learners will engage in your course.
While designing your objectives, it is optimal to follow Bloom’s hierarchical order of objectives and not dismiss lower levels as unworthy so that learners have all the requirements regarding previous knowledge to proceed.
Important tips:
Consider developing 2-3 learning objectives for each section of your course.
If the objectives are several, organize them into subcategories.
Use simple language, speak personally (ex. ‘You will be able to’), and keep objectives short.
Don’t use more than one sentence to express your objectives.
Don’t list multiple verbs in one objective – since every action will be measured and assessed differently, each verb should be in a separate objective.
Communicate your objectives through your course page, your welcoming video, or discussion with your learners.
Designing Your Course Using Learning Objectives
Let’s suppose you have chosen your topic and you are determined about what to teach in your course. When in the process of completing these steps, it is optimal either to use a pen and paper or a concept map application to create connections between your ideas.
1 Imagine your course
Brainstorm a list of all the possible things you want to teach and might include in your course.
2 Draft your course goals
Write at least 2-3 goals to shape your ongoing course design. Here, we give you some questions that will help you plan your course goals:
“In this course, I will emphasize in…”
“The main themes learners will go through are…”
“The big picture I want to promote through this course is…”
Suitable verbs to use to set goals are shown below. “Through this course, you will…”
✔️ Know
✔️ Enjoy
✔️ Understand
✔️ Appreciate
✔️ Grasp the significance of
3 Design Learning Objectives
Using the table above, design your Learning Objectives. Break down your goals to form more specific and measurable learning objectives. Link those objectives to the corresponding sections.
Consider: For whom are you writing your learning objectives? Analyze your target audience and their pre-existing knowledge.
Keep overall course objectives to no more than a dozen—this will keep you focused on the essentials.
Don’t exaggerate trying to write even more precise learning objectives—the main point is to express as clearly and plainly as possible.
4 Write the Activities
For each objective of the course, write down some corresponding activities that you are planning to use to accomplish that objective. Through these activities, students will achieve the objectives you set for them. Other activities not mentioned above are:
Reading a text
Reading worked-out example problems
Answering short objective questions
Discussing issues with other learners
Conducting research
5 Develop Assessments
Ideally, as you are drafting course goals and learning objectives, you are also beginning to develop the assessments for the course. Decide which questions you will include in your questionnaires or exams (as well as the type of questions you will use) or the content of your assignments based on the objectives you have set.
Align your assessment activities with your objectives. This way you can be sure that your learners have the desired progress.
6 Reflect
Reflect on your objectives and consider the following:
Are your course objectives achievable given the available resources?
Are your course objectives in agreement with the course goals?
Can learners’ performance on the objective be measured?
Are there real measures stated (rate numbers, percentages, or frequencies)?
When do you want learners to accomplish the objective?
Are you attempting too much so that your objectives are not achievable?
Is the objective adding value for the learner?
What if I Have Already Created My Course?
You may argue with the above if you have already created your course without having formed clear goals and objectives. But imagine how much you could improve your material by reviewing what you want to achieve and also how happy your old or new learners will be if you add this information to your course.
How to update a course using learning goals and objectives:
Review all of the material of your course thus far.
Identify any patterns in themes, content, hopes, objectives, and activities.
Group similar items together.
Give titles to each group of items. You automatically see what your objectives are.
Identify the most important things you hope learners will take away from the course and what you want their learning experience to be. These are your course goals!
Then, you can create a great lesson plan based on the learning objectives, goals, and activities you have decided on.