Refer to the assigned reading, "Guidelines for Writing Learning Objectives." How do health providers design educational programs to clearly articulate objectives to engage both patients as well as families?
Measurable Behavioral Learning Objectives
Clear and measurable behavioral learning objectives are the foundation for planning an educational activity. Here are some guidelines to assist with this process. Learning objectives use an active verb to specify the behavior change you expect to be able to measure as a
result of the learning. A learning objective is measurable when the participant can perform a task (list) identified in the learning objective.
An example of a clear and measurable learning objective is:
The participant will: "List two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis".
An example of an unmeasurable objective is:
The participant will: "Increase his/her knowledge of anti-inflammatory agents used in the treatment of arthritis."
"Increase knowledge" can not be directly demonstrated, therefore it is not a measurable objective. The words "know" and "understand" are not measurable verbs.
When planning how to achieve the purpose of the class, ask yourself:
1. What do I want the participants to accomplish/learn?
2. How will the participants demonstrate that the desired information has been learned?
3. What verb (see samples listed below) will I use in the objective to indicate what the participant will do to demonstrate information learned?