Learning Objectives

"Clear and explicit learning objectives will be an important component of every syllabus in years 3 & 4 of the CPC curriculum." Peter Dane, D.O., Assistant Dean for Curriculum

What is a learning objective?

"A statement of what students ought to be able to do as a consequence of instruction". (Goodlad, in Popham et al., 1969)

"What the students should be able to do at the end of a learning period that they could not do beforehand". (Mager, 1962)

"A description of a performance you want learners to be able to exhibit before you consider them competent. An objective describes an intended result of instruction, rather than the process of instruction itself". (Mager, 1975)

What are the qualities of good learning objectives?

Good learning objectives are clearly stated, realistic and doable. They are also appropriate for the learner's stage of development, (Westberg and Jason, 1993).

Good learning objectives are relevant, observable, and measurable (Guilbert, 1984).

What is an example of a learning objective?

The student will be able to develop a plan of therapy for a patient diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

What are the three domains in which learning objectives should be written?

Cognitive - refers to intellectual learning and problem solving

Affective - refers to the emotions and value system of the student

Psychomotor/Procedural - refers to movement characteristics and capabilities

How will these learning objectives help in teaching my Year 3 and 4 CPC students?

Learning objectives will help you focus your teaching efforts. They will also guide the feedback you give to the student as that feedback should be given with reference to the student's progress toward accomplishing the objectives. They will also guide students relative to where to place their study efforts as well as help them in assessment of their own knowledge and skills.

How will I use these learning objectives when I teach my Year 3 and 4 CPC students?

A list of learning objectives will be an integral component of your clerkship/course. Learning objectives will guide you with regard to:

• Providing direct instruction to the learner using patient cases seen in the office or hospital.
• Giving and discussing assigned readings
• Formulating questions to ask of the student
• Providing feedback to the student
• Encouraging self-assessment by the student
• Helping the student to direct his/her own learning.

How do I evaluate a learning objective?

Peter Dane, D.O., OU-COM Assistant Dean for Curriculum, offers the following insights.

Ask: "Does this statement/objective effectively communicate to the student exactly what s/he is going to be held accountable for?" The answer will confirm whether or not the wording needs to be modified. 

Another criterion that helps to evaluate the utility of an objective is the question, "How will mastery of this objective be assessed?" In other words, "How will the instructor know whether or not the student has met the criteria described in the objective?" 

What are some examples of learning objectives?

Here are some examples of learning objectives written in general terms and more specific terms: 

General: The learner will be able to orally present a new patient case. 

More Specific: The learner will be able to orally present a new patient case in an efficient, logical manner, developing chronologically the present illness, summarizing the pertinent positive and negative findings, identifying the differential diagnoses and constructing a plan for further testing and treatment. 

General: The learner will be able to interpret lung sounds.

More Specific: The learner will be able to describe and identify on patients, the following abnormal lung sounds and explain the pathophysiology associated with each: ronchi, wheezes, crackles. 

General vs. Specific 

Learning objectives that are stated in more specific terms are more useful to teachers and learners. They provide more guidance and they make it easier for the teacher to evaluate whether or not the student has accomplished the objective. 

How do I know a student accomplished a learning object?  

The "more specific" learning objective listed above addressing the presenting of a case enables the instructor to evaluate the student's mastery of the objective after s/he examines the patient & orally presents the case.  Having the specific/ explicit criteria in the learning objective that include a chronologically appropriate outline of the present illness, summary of pertinent positives and negatives, etc., makes it easier to determine if the student has accomplished the objective. This, in turn, makes it easier for the instructor to give feedback to the student. 

The same line of thinking applies to the "more specific" objective about lung sounds. Since it is more specific it is easier to determine if it has been accomplished by the student.