Writing Effective Learning Objectives

In partnership with Model Teaching, an industry leader in supporting educators, this course teaches you how to create well-structured learning objectives, emphasizing the benefits of the Backward Design Model. Model Teaching's Mission is to improve student performance by directly supporting teachers with quality content and resources. It covers the components of objectives and provides tools and planning documents to help you align your objectives with state standards, leaving you with a unit plan of objectives for upcoming lessons.

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3 Months / 12 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
Offered in partnership with your preferred school

Department of Continuing Education/Simsbury Public Schools

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Writing Effective Learning Objectives

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Course code: T14766

This teacher professional development course will teach you what a well-structured learning objective is and how to create one. You will learn about different types of lesson planning and explore the benefits of the Backward Design Model. You will analyze the behavior, condition, and criterion of a lesson objective and explore how to write objectives using those components. You will build your lesson objectives by analyzing and "unpacking" your state standards so that you can be assured that every lesson plan you create starts with an objective well-aligned with expectations for your content area and grade level.

You will receive planning documents to help you create your objectives and leave the course with a unit plan of objectives you have built for upcoming lessons.

What you will learn

  • Review the components of an effective learning objective
  • Analyze and unpack your state standards
  • Construct your own learning objectives for an upcoming unit plan

How you will benefit

  • Your students will know the exact expectations that you have for them for each lesson
  • Your lessons and activities will be clearly designed to support the expectations you have outlined in your lesson objectives
  • Student learning will improve, and your assessments will become more accurate as you start all lessons and assessment design with effective learning objectives

How the course is taught

  • Self-Guided, online course
  • 3 Months access
  • 12 course hours
  1. Section 1 – Overview of Effective Learning Objectives
    1. The difference between traditional planning and planning using backwards design
    2. The three stages of planning using backwards design
    3. The difference between a learning objective and a learning goal
    4. The importance of having learning objectives, both for students, as well as teachers
  2. Section 2 – The Parts of a Learning Objective
    1. The Behavior
    2. The Condition
    3. The Criterion
  3. Section 3 – How to Write a Learning Objective
    1. How to "unpack" the standards
    2. How to write an effective learning objective
  4. Section 4 – Using a Taxonomy Table
    1. What is a taxonomy table?
    2. How do we use taxonomy tables when developing learning objectives?
  5. Section 5 – Writing Your Own Learning Objectives
    1. The importance of writing effective learning objectives
    2. How to determine if the objective is well written
  6. Putting it All Together
    1. Using the sample provided, build a series of objectives for your upcoming lessons.
  7. Applying What you Have Learned
    1. Get ideas on how to implement the concepts into your classroom, find a list of online resources that feature ideas in backward lesson planning and lesson objective design, and read the research that supports these course concepts.
Self-Study

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 10 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word Online
  • Editing of a Microsoft Word document is required in this course. You may use a free version of Microsoft Word Online, or Google Docs if you do not have Microsoft Office installed on your computer. Model Teaching can provide support for this.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Your course begins immediately after you enroll.​

You have 3 months of access to the course. After enrolling, you can learn and complete the course at your own pace, within the allotted access period. You will have the opportunity to interact with other students in the online discussion area.

There is no time limit to complete each lesson, other than completing all lessons within the allotted access period. Discussion areas for each lesson are open for the entire duration of the course.

Because this course is self-guided, no extensions will be granted after the start of your enrollment.

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Fundamentals
Building Effective Writing Prompts for All Students
Fundamentals
Building Reading and Writing Fluency
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Classroom Writing Strategies for ELL Students
Fundamentals
Expository Writing & Embedded Grammar Instruction
Fundamentals
Measuring Growth in Writing Using Rubrics
Fundamentals
Writing Support for English Language Learners