Clear and Accessible Learning Objectives in Leo

Learning objectives are the most effective when they are centered around student success. They should tell students what they can expect to learn at the end of each class. Effective learning objectives are brief, specific, measurable, and easily accessible for your students. At DaVinci Education, our one-of-a-kind platform, Leo, gives students quick insight into all things course-related, including learning objectives.

But we aren’t just a platform. We are partners here to help in every area of your program. And, since we can all agree that enhancing student success is a top priority, let’s start with some tips for writing clear and effective learning objectives.

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‍Include Specific Takeaways

Students should have a clear goal of what they will learn or be able to do after each course session. Before you write your lesson's goals, ask yourself: What do you want students to be able to do when they leave? More specifically, what skills or knowledge do you want your students to be able to use in a clinical setting?

The AAMC recommends giving students a way to gauge their own progress in terms of what they've learned by giving them specific key points or takeaways from each class session. 

• Write each objective beginning with “After attending this session, students should be able to...” 
• Include specific takeaways from the content. 

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‍Define Appropriate Skills

Great lesson objectives are only effective if they can be observed and measured. In other words, you need to be able to see that students have learned the material, as well as how well they actually grasp it. When planning objectives, think about how you plan to gauge student learning. The AAMC suggests linking each key point to student performance using action verbs. Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, the verbs should describe an action that is:

• Measurable
• Observable
• Specific to the desired level of knowledge or skill

The word "understand" is too broad, whereas words like "describe," "identify," and "demonstrate" are more specific and help to clarify learning objectives. A lesson objective that states, “After this session, students will be able to explain the four parts of the scientific method,” is more effective than, “Students will be able to understand the scientific method.”

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‍Check for Desired Outcome

Once clear objectives are written, it's important to assess whether they are actually being met. This calls for some monitoring and adjustments to each objective. The goal is to fine-tune each session's objectives so that they align with student learning. Try the following:

• Monitor student assessments to ensure learning objectives are being met.
• Adjust each objective and/or lesson to maintain curriculum standards.
• Revisit this process with each course session.

Our experienced team at DaVinci Education designed Leo’s Academic Portrait so you can track student progress in real time. Contact us today so we can help you focus on what you do best—educating the healthcare professionals of the future.

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