Delineate Clear and Aligned Learning Objectives

The new-to-many learning modality during the pandemic highlighted the importance of clear guidance and learning objectives.

In many of our focus groups, students said that they felt they were completing tasks without knowing the purpose behind them and sometimes even felt that they were not learning anything. As one student put it, “right now online I'm reading the same paragraph over and over again….And then I'm like, what did I just read? And I read it again and pick a little more up, but then I have to read it again.”

Another student shared that her professor would primarily present PowerPoint slides for her three-hour class and that it felt repetitive and pointless. While the teaching method certainly had something to do with it, not knowing what one should get out of a lecture can make it difficult to find meaning in a lesson. For both of these situations, clear learning objectives could have helped students see the purpose behind a task and be better able to focus and retain information.

Designing a course with clearly defined learning objectives that are aligned with each class meeting and task is important for all courses, but especially when they are online. Learning objectives help students learn material better and stay engaged and motivated. One study showed that a clear grasp of learning objectives before starting to read made it easier for students to understand the purpose of a piece and in turn look for relevant information that supported their learning and comprehension.¹ Students can learn more of the right content and skills when they know what to look for.

In a digital space, opportunities for informal conversations between peers and faculty are limited. That makes clear and aligned learning objectives essential for students’ engagement and motivation, too.² Without that interaction, students could have a difficult time understanding and achieving the learning goals for the class. Research has shown that learning objectives can improve students’ motivation and performance.³ In one study, students expressed increased motivation to learn and engage with course content when instructors had clear learning objectives.⁴ Students also told us that staying engaged and remembering prior class content was even more difficult during online learning. One student said, “I feel like [it] has to do with the motivation part of it, and especially being around other people in a social setting….I feel like my brain's working at like 60 percent or less of the capacity when I'm working online and through a screen. In-person was easier for me to learn and retain information.” A course designed around learning objectives can help students retain information, feel more motivated, and learn better despite the challenges of online learning.

A couple of practices can help students know what the class learning objectives are and how to engage with them. Chunking course content into smaller sections and breaking down main concepts helps students make meaning of information, retain it better, and meet learning objectives. Being clear on how students will be assessed and designing courses in ways that validate students’ diverse perspectives and learning styles are ways to support them in meeting learning objectives.⁵