"What" are they Learning?

Now that you have determined the most important outcomes for your instruction you can start to break those enduring understandings into specific learning goals. The learning goals are smaller chunks of information that have measurable outcomes.

Ask yourself:

• What stepping stones will learners need to achieve in order to reach the deep understanding and purpose that you have set as your goal?

• What facts or skills will they need to know and demonstrate?

Make a list of all of these learning outcomes. Phrase them in learner friendly ways. It is often helpful to restate each outcome as a “Learners will be able to...” statement. Each learning goal should have an action verb, followed by a measurable outcome.

An example of a bad learning goal is: “Learners will understand email etiquette.” There is no action verb and the requirements are not made clear to the learner. A revised version of this might be, “Learners will write emails that have clear subject lines, use proper salutations, contain no errors, use professional language, and include a signature.”

Writing clear learning goals will ensure that your learners are totally aware of what they should be able to accomplish by the end of a particular lesson.

Here is a great resource for writing effective learning targets:

These learning outcomes will be the frame for your curriculum and instructional plans.