Let's talk about learning objectives....
When designing a course, workshop, or employee training module, we often start with the end goal in mind and then design around it.* The best way to accomplish this is through clear, concise, measurable learning objectives. So, how do we do that? In this post, I will briefly outline the steps to creating quality learning objectives and walk you through two corporate-sector scenarios that illustrate the steps in action.
*By the way, I will be spending more time thinking through learning objectives for undergraduate courses in a future post. The purpose of this post is for Instructional Designers to use good principles of creating learning objectives to work on projects in which you are not a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
Effective learning objects will identify the subject that you want students to learn, use an action verb that correlates with the appropriate level of knowledge you will be assessing, and context where the action will occur or be measured.
When considering the appropriate level of knowledge for a given learning objective, one of the most commonly-utilized models is Bloom's Taxonomy, originally developed by Benjamin Bloom and colleagues in 1956 and updated in 2001 (Armstrong, 2020). As you can see in the graphic below, reprinted under a Creative Commons license from the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching, consists of six major categories, each building upon the category/ies below:
It is important to understand Bloom' Taxonomy when constructing learning objectives because we want to make sure what we are asking learners to do is appropriate for their learning level (i.e, having undergraduate students create new and innovative academic research in an introductory-level course is not only inappropriate for their knowledge base, but can lead to exasperation and student attrition), and that our assessments match the learning level we have identified. In other words, if we are asking participants to apply information in our learning objective, the assessment should not be structured around remembering information or evaluating information.
A basic formula to follow for learning objectives might be to start with an over-arching outcome statement:
"After completing the course/module/training participants will be able to...."
Then:
Identify the content you want students to learn (a theory, a new company policy, new software, etc...)
Determine the appropriate level of learning that you want students to achieve (remember, explain, apply, analyze, or create)
Include additional criteria to help the student identify when the outcome will be assessed.
Now that you have a foundation for understanding learning objectives, let's transition into applying these basic guidelines in two possible scenarios an instructional designer might encounter working for corporate clients.
*This exercise was a part of an Instructional Design Models course offered through the University of Maryland Global on edX. Learn more about this course here.
For this exercise, we will be reflecting on the information on Bloom's taxonomy and creating strong learning objectives and applying these skills to scenarios you might encounter. For each, we will be determining the goal/s, creating learning objectives aligned with the goals, and reflecting on the role of SMEs on the project.
Scenario #1:
Photo by Taylor Friehl on Unsplash
For the past ten years, KawKan has been using a lean manufacturing approach in the assembly of their motorcycles. Over that decade, business has remained strong, but operational costs have continued to increase despite increased sales every year. Management has considered the idea it might be time to switch from the Lean process to a more robust continuous improvement model. Since the company is immersed in the practice of Lean manufacturing model, the management team is not familiar with the basic elements in the continuous improvement model. Management has asked you to prepare a presentation outlining the continuous improvement process and how implementing how it can improve the overall manufacturing output. The designated contacts for this project include the director of supply chain management and the director of continuous improvement for production.
Your role: Assume the role of an instructional designer developing an outline for a training resolution. How would you address the following to correctly identify the learning objectives for this project:
Goal Description:
Implement continuous improvement model to improve the overall manufacturing output for KawKan.
Learning objectives or outcomes:
At the end of the employee training, participants will be able to:
Identify and describe basic elements in the continuous improvement model
Explain how the continuous improvement model can improve manufacturing output
Compare and contrast lean process and continuous improvement models
Collaborate with management to develop a plan to transition from lean process model to continuous improvement model
Identify potential SMEs & define their role in the project:
Prior to the implementation of the training, the instructional designer should reach out to the Director of Supply Chain Management and the Director for Continuous Improvement for Production, as they will be serving as the SMEs on this project. You will likely be relying on the SMEs for specific content related to the current manufacturing operations at KawKan as well as specifics on the lean process and continuous improvement models. When you draft the training prototype, the SMEs will also be an invaluable resource for reviewing the prototype and informing you (the instructional designer) of any inconsistencies, gaps, or incorrect information in the training as well as evaluating whether or not the assessments are sufficient for ensuring adequate employee knowledge moving forward. However, the role of the SMEs is more than their content knowledge, they will also be invaluable resources to gauge the work climate, identify any potential challenges in terms of employee buy-in or employee concerns, which you could incorporate into the training. When a business implements a new model or strategy, this involves a significant amount of change for employees, which means that management needs not only adequate knowledge, but employee buy-in and commitment to carrying out the new initiatives. When the SMEs provide information on employee concerns, current issues, etc..., you can incorporate elements of this into the training to preemptively address potential pushback and assuage employee concerns as they undertake this transition.
Scenario #2:
Photo by Ibrahim Boran on Unsplash
MedPat is a moderate-sized medical device manufacturer with offices, distribution centers, and production facilities scattered across North and South America. The company's growth has primarily been done through the acquisition of smaller and competing business in the same market. Given the degree of displaced locations, different operating procedures, and non-integrated systems, the operations have become too strenuous. One of the larger sites has been chosen as a test site to harmonize the setup and production of the company's new devices. Soon, other sites will be manufacturing this same device too. MedPat needs to remove itself from a paper-based operation because it slows down production, the records are hard to consistently manage, and it leads to communication issues with the site and field reps. The designated contacts for this initiative consist of a process improvement expert and the vice president of production.
Your role: Assume the role of an instructional designer developing an outline for a training resolution. How would you address the following to correctly identify the learning objectives for this project:
Goal Description:
Train employees on the implementation of an electronic-based system that will be adopted on all MedPat sites.
Learning objectives or outcomes:
At the end of the employee training, participants will be able to:
Identify issues with current paper-based system
Detail how current system and current employee skills will translate to new, electronic-based system
Explain rationale of centralized system and its benefits
Describe key components of new system
Demonstrate how to use new system for current job-related duties.
Identify potential SMEs & define their role in the project:
In conjunction with the Process of Improvement expert and the Vice President of Production, the first step is to detail the current paper-based model and the new electronic-based models in-depth. This will be incorporated into the training both for information purposes, but also used for end-of-training assessments where employees will be tasked with inputting information into the new system based on hypothetical workplace scenarios. The SMEs will also be utilized to identify the starting point of employees with regards to technology and their general attitudes toward the transition (including any concerns or questions). These insights can be utilized to ensure that the training is tailored to the current employee skillsets as well as addressing potential questions and concerns with the new model, while providing the rationale and explaining the benefits of the new system. In addition to acting as SMEs during the creation of the training, the VP of Production will also need to identify the schedule for implementation, which will guide the timeline for designing the prototype, testing and reviewing based on SME feedback, and implanting the training for employees.
As you can see from the above scenarios, the instructional designer can utilize their knowledge of creating goals and objectives to create appropriate learning modules and assessments for clients. However, they will need to rely on SMEs for much of the content. In this cases, it is particularly important that the Instructional Designer identifies appropriate SMEs and works to build positive relationships with them, as they will be an invaluable part of the process.
Hopefully the aforementioned information and examples helped you to understand the importance of creating quality learning objectives and how to apply this information in "real life" scenarios that instructional designers may encounter. As I said at the beginning, while there are similarities between instructional design in the corporate sector and instructional design in higher education, there are also differences in terms of timelines, measurable outcomes, and the type of work that the instructional designer might be doing. As such, look for a future post on creating learning objectives in higher education which, given my faculty background, will likely be a much longer post!
Sources:
Armstrong, P. (2020). Bloom's taxonomy. Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/.
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