Sharing Learning Objectives: Think Like a Marketer, Not an Instructional Designer--Part 1

By Tracy Wright, MAED | July 6, 2016
Project Director, ETR

Do you design or deliver trainings? Then try something with me. Think about your answers to these two True/False questions.

 

1. When designing a learning opportunity, the first thing you should do is construct your learning objectives. This best-practice step guides effective training design. (T/F)
2. When promoting the learning opportunity or delivering the training, best practice calls for sharing these same learning objectives with participants. (T/F)

And the Answer to Question 1 Is...

Last February, I authored a blog post about writing healthy learning objectives. In that post, I suggested we should begin all learning designs with well-written, clearly articulated learning objectives. I would consider this a best-practice step.

And I also believe it’s useful to think of these initial objectives as tools for “internal use.” They’re sometimes referred to as “instructional design objectives.” They have a specific purpose—they guide the designer to create learning processes that will lead to achievement of intended outcomes.

What do you want learners to know, feel and be able to do after engaging with the learning opportunity? Spell it out in your learning objectives.

Many people in the instructional design field agree that it’s a sound strategy to start with the end in mind and then develop the training by planning backwards. Use these processes for internal stakeholders—for example, your instructional designers, subject matter experts and funders.

What’s That Look Like?

What does a well-constructed, backwards-planned learning objective look like? It’s clear, specific and achievable. Like this:

And the Answer to Question 2 Is…

Now for Question #2—the focus of this post: Do you share these same learning objectives with your participants or audience when you’re promoting the learning opportunity? Do you mention them when potential participants contact you with questions about the event? Do you review them when you’re actually delivering the training?

Maybe not. Think back to a training you’ve delivered, or one you’ve attended, where the agenda included a review of the bulleted list of learning objectives. This is usually done right at the beginning of the event. How did that go? Were people paying attention? Jotting notes? Nodding in agreement? Raising their hands to add points or ask questions?

Or were they staring blankly at their handouts or checking their mobile devices? Whether you’re a participant or a trainer, that can be an excruciating moment in any training.

Why do we take valuable time to share learning objectives with our intended participants or audience? Before reading on, take a moment to jot down a short list of reasons to do this.

(jot…jot…jot)

Let's Compare Lists

Okay. See if your list includes some of the points I think are most important. I believe we share learning objectives in a training:

1. To describe what the event is about.
2. To focus learners’ attention on the critical content.
3. To motivate people to act (e.g., register for the event, attend the event, change their behavior as a result of the event).

Those clear, specific and achievable learning objectives you constructed so carefully to guide your training design may not be the best means to achieve these goals when delivering your training

In Part 2, we’ll explore these three purposes further. As we go along, I’m going to encourage you to think more like a marketer and less like an instructional designer. You’ll see why as we take a look at some alternative ways to present learning objectives.

Tracy Wright, MAED, is a Project Director at ETR. She is a skilled distance learning, eLearning and professional development specialist. She has also served as a health education teacher in both middle and high schools. She can be reached at tracy.wright@etr.org.