Event 2: Inform Learners of Objectives

Setting the Mental Roadmap

Imagine driving to an unfamiliar destination without GPS or directions. You'd be uncertain at every intersection, unable to distinguish progress from wandering, anxious about whether you're even going the right way.

Learning without clear objectives produces the same experience. Learners don't know what to focus on. They can't distinguish essential information from interesting tangents. They have no way to gauge their own progress or know when they've succeeded.

The cognitive purpose of this event is expectancy—activating the brain's executive control functions to prepare for goal-directed processing. When learners know what they're supposed to learn, remarkable things happen:

• Attention becomes selective: The brain can filter incoming information, focusing on what's relevant to the objectives.
• Organization becomes automatic: Information is processed in relation to the stated goals, creating coherent mental structures.
• Self-monitoring becomes possible: Learners can assess their own understanding and identify gaps.
• Motivation increases: Clear, achievable goals create a sense of purpose and anticipated satisfaction.

Research shows that clear learning goals can improve achievement by 34-39 percentile points. This is not a small effect. It represents the difference between average and excellent performance, achieved simply by telling learners what they're trying to learn.

---

Writing Effective Objectives

Not all objectives are equally useful. The classic mistake is writing objectives that describe what the teacher will do ("We will cover...") rather than what learners will be able to do. Effective objectives follow principles:

Use Performance-Based Verbs

Objectives should specify observable actions. Bloom's Taxonomy provides a useful vocabulary:

Lower levels (necessary but insufficient alone):

• Define, identify, list, name, recall, recognize

Higher levels (where real competence lives):

• Analyze, compare, contrast, evaluate, justify, create, design, synthesize

Avoid verbs that describe internal states impossible to observe: "understand," "appreciate," "know," "learn about." These cannot be assessed and don't guide the learner's effort.

Specify Conditions and Criteria

Complete objectives include:

• What the learner will be able to do (the performance)
• Under what conditions (with or without resources, time limits, contexts)
• How well (the standard or criteria for success)

Weak: "Understand linear equations" Better: "Solve two-step linear equations" Best: "Given novel two-step linear equations, solve them correctly in under 2 minutes, showing work that demonstrates balance reasoning"

Align to Assessment

If you can't assess it, it's not a useful objective. Before finalizing objectives, ask: "What would learners do to demonstrate this? How would I know if they achieved it?"

Limit the Number

Working memory constraints apply to objectives too. Three to five objectives per session is typically optimal. More than that creates overwhelm; fewer may indicate insufficient challenge.

---

Communicating for Maximum Impact

Writing good objectives is only half the battle. They must be communicated in ways that actually activate expectancy.

Use Learner-Friendly Language

Curriculum standards are written for educators, not students. Translate objectives into language learners understand and find meaningful.

Curriculum language: "Apply rhetorical analysis to evaluate argumentative texts" Student language: "Spot the tricks writers use to convince you of their arguments"

Frame as Accomplishments

Present objectives as achievements learners will be proud of, not hoops to jump through.

Bureaucratic: "Learning objective 2.3: Identify three types of feedback" Achievement-focused: "By the end of today, you'll be able to give feedback that actually helps people improve"

Connect to Real-World Value

Answer the implicit "Why should I care?" question.

Isolated: "Calculate compound interest" Connected: "Calculate compound interest—the skill that lets you know whether that credit card deal is actually a trap"

Present Success Criteria

Go beyond objectives to show what success looks like. Checklists, rubrics, and "I can..." statements help learners self-assess.

Objective: "Write an effective CER paragraph" Success criteria:

• My claim directly answers the prompt
• I include at least two pieces of relevant evidence
• My reasoning explains WHY the evidence supports the claim
• My paragraph follows logical order

Allow Questions

After presenting objectives, invite clarification. "Is it clear what we're trying to accomplish? Any questions about what success looks like?" Confusion at this stage compounds throughout the lesson.

---

Context-Specific Examples

Corporate Onboarding

"Welcome to Acme Inc. By the end of today, you will be able to:

1. Explain our company's mission in your own words to a customer
2. Navigate the employee portal to find your benefits information in under 2 minutes
3. Identify your go-to person for HR questions

You'll know you're ready when you can do all three without looking at notes."

K-12 Math (5th Grade)

"Our Goal Today: We will add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.

You'll know you've got it when you can:

• Find a common denominator without being told what it is
• Solve problems like 1/4 + 2/3 correctly
• Explain WHY we need common denominators (not just how)

Real world: This is the math you need to double a recipe or split a pizza fairly."

eLearning Software Training

"Module Objectives: In the next 15 minutes, you will learn to:

• Generate a lead-tracking report by date, geography, and source
• Export reports to PDF and Excel formats
• Schedule automatic weekly reports

Assessment: You'll complete a practice task generating a real report before moving to the next module."

Higher Education Medical

"Today's session objectives—by the end, you will be able to:

1. Explain the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes to a patient using non-technical language
2. Differentiate between three major classes of oral hypoglycemic agents based on mechanism of action
3. Select appropriate initial therapy for a patient case, justifying your choice

These directly prepare you for the clinical decision-making assessment next week."

---

Common Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake: Activity Descriptions Instead of Outcomes

"We will discuss climate change" describes what happens in class, not what learners will be able to do afterward.

Fix: Always use learner-centered language. "You will be able to..." not "We will cover..."

Mistake: Too Vague to Guide Attention

"Understand marketing principles" could mean anything. Learners don't know what to focus on.

Fix: Get specific. What exactly will they be able to do? In what context? How well?

Mistake: Too Many Objectives

A list of 12 objectives overwhelms working memory and dilutes focus.

Fix: Prioritize ruthlessly. What are the 3-5 most important outcomes? Save the rest for other sessions.

Mistake: Objectives Hidden or Ignored

Objectives flash on a slide, never to be mentioned again.

Fix: Return to objectives throughout instruction. "We've now covered objective 1. Let's move to objective 2." This reinforces the roadmap.

Mistake: Mismatch with Assessment

Objectives emphasize analysis and application; the test asks for recall and recognition.

Fix: Design objectives and assessments together. If objectives can't be assessed, rewrite them.

---

Key Takeaways

• Clear objectives activate expectancy—the brain's preparation for goal-directed learning.
• Effective objectives describe observable performance, specify conditions and criteria, and align to assessment.
• Communicate objectives in learner-friendly language that connects to real-world value.
• Include success criteria so learners can self-assess progress.
• Return to objectives throughout instruction; they're a roadmap, not a formality.