Learning Outcome Articulation

🎯 Writing Effective Learning Outcomes Have you ever written a learning outcome like “Students will understand…” and wondered if it truly shows what your learners can do? 🎯 Why Verbs Matter in Learning Outcomes The verbs we use determine whether our learning outcomes are measurable or vague. For instance: ❌ Students will understand the present perfect tense. ✅ Students will use the present perfect tense to describe life experiences. The second example doesn’t just test recall — it measures application and communication. Instead, measurable verbs such as list, describe, plan, discuss, and explain make progress observable and assessment meaningful. An outcome like “Students will understand the present perfect” doesn’t tell us much. But “Students will use the present perfect to describe life experiences” clearly shows what success looks like. Verbs like list, describe, plan, discuss, select, predict, explain, organise, and evaluate make learning visible and assessable. Meanwhile, verbs such as know, appreciate, understand, or become aware of sound thoughtful — but are difficult to measure. 🧠 Bloom’s Taxonomy: Climbing the Thinking Ladder Bloom’s revised taxonomy helped me visualise learning as a journey up a pyramid, from simple recall to creativity. Lower-Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) Remembering 🧩 – listing, recalling Analysing 🔍 – comparing, organising Understanding 💬 – summarising, explaining Evaluating ⚖️ – judging, critiquing Applying 🛠️ – using, carrying out Creating 🎨 – designing, constructing As teachers, it’s easy to stay at the bottom of the pyramid — asking learners to remember and apply information. But the real growth happens when we guide them to analyse, evaluate, and create. 🍎 From “Snack Facts” to Deep Thinking One lesson example, called “Snack Facts,” perfectly illustrated this. At first, students worked in pairs to find meanings of unknown words — a lower-order task involving remembering and understanding. Later, they collaborated to find synonyms, analyse collocations, and create dialogues about their own snacking habits — shifting to analysing, evaluating, and creating. This transition showed how a simple vocabulary lesson could turn into a space for critical and creative thinking. 💡 My Reflection Effective outcomes use action verbs we can see and assess. Lessons should integrate different levels of thinking, not just recall. Every learning outcome is a step toward nurturing independent, reflective learners. The next time I write a lesson plan, I’ll pause before typing “Students will understand…” — and instead ask, “How will they show what they know?” #TeachingEnglish #BloomTaxonomy

Struggling to find measurable verbs for learning outcomes? 🤔 It looks like that seems to be a common theme. Choosing the right verbs is crucial when writing learning outcomes. These verbs will impact what practice will look like, what the assessment will be, and whether the skill can be transferred to the workplace. Words like "understand" or "learn" may sound good, but they’re not measurable. Sure, you do want your learners to 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 x, y, and z, but you need to go deeper. Instead, we need verbs that clearly indicate what learners will do after training. Another way to think about it is to ask, “What will it look like if the learner knows this information?” The verbs you use should align with the type of learning. There are three domains: 🟢 cognitive (thinking) 🟢 affective (feeling/social) 🟢 behavioral (doing) So, the verbs you use should measure one of these three domains. (Although, they will usually be translated into behavioral objectives, because behavior is measurable, while learning and feeling are not.) If you don’t have a clear image in your mind of how to assess the learning outcome, you probably need to keep modifying. Here’s a quick breakdown: 👉 Cognitive domain: Focuses on knowledge and mental skills. Examples: analyze, evaluate, identify, explain, choose, differentiate. NOT: learn, understand For example, “Analyze employee feedback to identify improvement opportunities.” 👉 Affective domain: Targets emotions, attitudes, or values. Examples: support, demonstrate respect, advocate, prioritize, resolve. “Respect diverse perspectives” would be accurate, but it’s not measurable. Instead, “Demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives by not interrupting, making eye contact, and paraphrasing what the person said to show you heard and understand them" is better. Behavioral domain: Involves physical actions and skills. Examples: operate, assemble, conduct, perform, create. For example, "Perform a quality check on a product by inspecting for defects." ⬇️ Ask yourself, “What should the learner be able to do after the training?” Choose verbs that reflect observable actions. Remember: strong learning outcomes set the foundation for successful training. ------------------------ Hi! I'm Elizabeth! 👋 💻 I specialize in eLearning development, where I create engaging courses that are designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of the organization. Follow me for more, and reach out if you need a high-quality innovative learning solution. 🤝 #InstructionalDesign #LearningOutcomes #CorporateTraining #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingAndDevelopment #LXD

The Best Piece of Advice I Was Given About Course Design.   In 2015, Sharon Bowman gave me an unforgettable piece of advice.   I was just starting to design my own courses. I'd been struggling to build effective courses that covered the content I wanted to share. But, like most beginners, I was making these mistakes:   - Starting with the slides. - Cramming in too much content. - Making it all about me (the trainer).   Until one day, during a class I attended, Sharon said:   "Begin with the end in mind."   That day, my whole approach to course design changed.   It seems obvious that we should focus on the outcome we want to achieve. Yet many of us begin this same way: slides, content, trainer. The problem with slides, content, trainer is that it drives trainers to be the star of the show. The trainer presents the slides. The trainer must skip activities to get through the content, so lectures instead. And if it is all about me … well, it’s all about me, right? I mean, people just love to hear what I’ve got to say. Don’t they? 🙄🤦♂️   When you begin with the end in mind, you focus on the learners and the output, not the trainer and the input. To begin with the end in mind, start with these 3 key pieces of information about your course:   1) The topic. 2) The audience. 3) The learning outcomes.   When we’re starting out, most of us get as far as number 1 and then get lost along the way.   When you think about your audience, you start to think about the learner rather than the trainer. Your focus shifts. Well-formed, learner-centric, observable learning outcomes then help you filter your content. You can decide whether a piece of content fits or is a “nice to have”. Ask yourself this question:   “Is this piece of content essential to meet the learning outcomes?”   If the answer is “No”, then you know what you need to do. That's right! Ditch your favourite hilarious anecdote that doesn't meet the outcomes. 😱   So, in future, when you want to design a course:   1) Start with the topic. 2) Clarify who the audience will be – and be as specific as possible! 3) Write well-formed, learner-centric learning outcomes (use Sharon Bowman’s secret formula below).   That way, you will focus on the learner and begin with the end in mind.   **************************   Sharon Bowman’s Secret Formula for Learning Outcomes (taken from Sharon's book, "Training from the BACK of the Room!")   Observable Action Word + Concept or Skill = Learning Outcome   For example, once readers have read this post, they will be able to:   - Explain common mistakes people make when they first design courses. - List 3 key pieces of information required to begin with the end in mind when designing courses. - Describe and apply Sharon Bowman’s secret formula for creating observable learning outcomes. The carousel is a little bonus if you want to dive deeper into creating well-formed, learner-centric learning outcomes. #TrainTheTrainer #Training #TFTBOTR #TrainingFromTheBackOfTheRoom

Crafting Effective Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) Writing clear and measurable CLOs is essential for impactful teaching and learning. Here's how to improve them: Use learner-focused, measurable action verbs (e.g., analyze, design, evaluate). Avoid vague terms like "understand" or "learn." Align CLOs with Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). Address multiple learning domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. Link CLOs to specific assessments for clear evaluation. Example of improvement: 📌 Before: "Understand project management principles." (Vague and not measurable) 📌 After: "Apply project management principles to design and execute a project plan using appropriate tools." (Clear, actionable, and assessable) Strong CLOs ensure better guidance for both educators and students, driving meaningful outcomes! #Education #LearningOutcomes #TeachingExcellence

𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 & 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. In the realm of Learning and Development, the principle remains consistent: 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨. Effective learning and development initiatives translate technical delivery into measurable business impact. When presenting training programs, shift the conversation from what the course contains to what the participants can achieve. That is the real game changer. 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 (𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚): When you say, "This module covers 'Advanced Excel Tables,'" you are describing the training activity or the feature of the course. This way of talking is focused internally on the learning and development department (we call this L&D-centric), emphasizing how the training is delivered rather than addressing the actual need or problem the employee is trying to solve. Is the participant aware of the WHY ? 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚-𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 (𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩):  Reposition the initiative by saying, "Enable your finance team to reduce monthly reporting time by four hours, using advanced data analysis techniques." or "Help your team to increase their focus and attention to detail and reduce errors upto 75% ! This highlights the direct business benefit and performance improvement, demonstrating customer centricity by focusing squarely on solving a core operational problem for the finance team. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 & 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚: To secure buy-in and demonstrate Return on Investment, trainers/ facilitators must articulate how training translates into improved efficiency, reduced risk, or increased revenue. We must operate with a customer-centric mindset, always leading with the answer to the stakeholder's primary question: "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨?"

Most L&D professionals design courses backwards. We start with content. Then hope it connects to business results. Here's a better way 👇 Program Performance Path (PPP) flips the script. It's a simple 4 column table that does what Kirkpatrick can't... Explicitly connects learning to business outcomes before you build anything. The 4 columns: 1️⃣ Learning Outcomes ↳ What participants will know or do? 2️⃣ Moments-That-Matter ↳ What are specific work scenarios where new skills must be applied successfully? 3️⃣ Performance Outcomes  ↳ What are measurable results achieved in the workplace after applying the learning 4️⃣ Business Rationale ↳ What is business justification for the learning and desired outcomes? Here's the great thing: Read left to right? You get the HOW. ↳ How learning leads to results. Read right to left? You get the WHY. ↳ Why this training matters. The PPP isn't just a design tool. It's a stakeholder management tool. When a sponsor asks "Why are we doing this training?" Show and discuss the table. Read right to left. When your team asks "What should this course include?" Show and discuss the table. Read left to right. No confusion. No misaligned expectations. No scope creep. One table. Two conversations. Complete alignment. Have you tried designing with the end in mind? Answer in the comments or connect and send a DM Bojan Savic ♻️ Repost if you believe training should start with business outcomes, not content. #elearning #learningdesign #LearningAndDevelopment #InstructionalDesign #LearningImpact #transitioningteachers

Many L&D professionals grapple with demonstrating how growth in knowledge and capabilities translates into tangible improvements in KPIs and business impact. What if there was a simple tool to bridge this gap? I’ve been using a learning strategy tracking document for a while now to help me connect the dots between my learning initiatives and business outcomes. I thought this might be a useful tool to share! Here’s how to get started… Select a program you are currently working on or have recently completed. Open excel and write the following titles in Columns A-E: Column A: Program Name Column B: Target Audience Column C: Capability Growth Goals Column D: Short-term Performance Growth Goals (aka relevant KPIs) Column E: Longer-term Business Growth Goals Here’s an example: Program Name: New Sales Leader Onboarding Target Audience: Newly hired sales leaders Capability Growth Goals: Demonstrate 80% or higher competency practicing the sales closing process Short-Term Performance Growth Goals: Close 15% of sales calls within their first 90 days Longer-Term Business Growth Goals: 100% of new sales team members achieve a 90-day time to value (consistently closing 15% or more of all sales calls). Ideally, you’ll input these data points for all your flagship and regularly occurring learning initiatives. The value of this tracking document is that you can sort by KPIs (short-term outcomes) and business outcomes to easily see what programs are aligned with different business goals and strategies. When goals and strategies change, you can quickly find the programs that need to be adapted or sunset. And … this helps me easily identify what performance and business metrics I should be tracking alongside training completion and competency growth. The one challenge you might discover in doing this exercise is that your capability goals need to be more clearly refined in order to make the dots between learning, capability growth, short and long-term outcomes make sense. What tools or strategies do you use to create your hypothesis of how learning influences performance and business goals? What challenges do you face in demonstrating L&D's impact? Share your thoughts in the comments! *** If you’re looking for help identifying any piece of the learning strategy puzzle, join Deb Arnold and me for our Winning Fundamentals LinkedIn Audio Series - unpacking the fundamental practices of award winning learning teams. Our first session begins this Thursday at 10 am EST. Mark your calendar here: https://lnkd.in/gKcjWWAs *** #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingImpact #OrganizationalLearning #LDStrategy

Lifelong learning is invaluable, but without something to show for it, how can we prove its impact? Often, after completing a training course or seminar, participants receive a certificate. This great, but often it just looks pretty, it does little else To make these learning footprints last, it's essential to identify and document the Aims, Skills, and Outcomes of any educational experience: Aims: What are the goals of the training? Knowing this sets the direction and purpose of the learning journey. Skills: What capabilities does the training develop? Detailing these skills helps solidify the professional growth that occurs. Outcomes: What results or changes does the training aim to produce? Outlining these outcomes shows the practical application and effectiveness of the learning. Open CPD certificates are unique to include this information, they transform from simple acknowledgments of attendance into powerful tools for career development that can be shared on social media. They are also secure and tamper-proof.. This is how we turn footprints into cornerstones. As we continue to learn and grow throughout our careers, we haven't really got time to stop and and think "Now what as that about?...." We want it there, clear and simple.

Clear articulation of how actions translate into meaningful change is essential for effective planning monitoring and evaluation across development and humanitarian programmes. Distinguishing between what a programme delivers and what it ultimately changes helps organisations strengthen results orientation improve learning and demonstrate accountability for outcomes rather than activities alone. This resource brings together the following core elements related to outputs outcomes and logical models: – Conceptual distinctions between inputs activities outputs outcomes and impacts – Definitions and characteristics of outputs as immediate deliverables and outcomes as changes in behaviour knowledge skills or conditions – The structure and function of logical models as visual tools to map causal pathways and assumptions – Guidance on developing clear and coherent results chains that link activities to short medium and long term outcomes – Practical considerations for using logic models to support programme design monitoring evaluation and learning The document supports practitioners in applying logical models as analytical and communication tools to clarify programme intent test assumptions and strengthen evidence based decision making. It reinforces outcomes focused thinking as a foundation for more coherent programme design more meaningful performance measurement and improved use of evaluation findings.

𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 : When we think about the flow from Aims of School Education to Learning Outcomes, every step needs to resonate with coherence, alignment, and relevance to the lives of our learners. Here’s how we can approach this down flow effectively: ➡️Aims of School Education At its heart, education aims to shape students into thoughtful, empathetic, and capable individuals who contribute positively to society. For instance, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and compassion is as important as mastering academic subjects. Example: At our school, we focus on embedding values like empathy and sustainability into the curriculum, ensuring students develop not just intellect but character. ➡️Curricular Goals The next step is translating these broad aims into specific goals that guide teaching. These goals act as the bridge between institutional culture and the classroom experience, reflecting what we hope students will achieve by the end of their school years. Example: A curricular goal for us is to integrate project-based learning that emphasizes collaboration and real-world problem-solving. ➡️Competencies Competencies are the building blocks—skills, abilities, and dispositions—that students need to succeed. They should be illustrative and adaptable, addressing both academic and life skills. Example: For a competency like “Effective Communication,” students might work on delivering a persuasive speech on climate change, aligning with both classroom content and real-world relevance. ➡️Learning Outcomes Finally, learning outcomes are the measurable results of the competencies being taught. They must be contextual and responsive to the needs of the students and their environment. Outcomes should not just be about “what students know” but also “how they apply it.” Example: A contextualized learning outcome might be: “Students will analyze their community’s waste management system and propose actionable solutions during a class presentation.” Aligning Activities with Culture and Pedagogy They must be: - Connected to institutional culture: Reflecting shared values like collaboration, creativity, and responsibility. - Rooted in pedagogical practices: Using methods like inquiry-based learning, storytelling, or Socratic dialogue to make learning engaging and effective. - Aligned with content and syllabus: Ensuring relevance to subject matter while sparking curiosity and deep thinking. Example: When teaching about historical events, students could role-play as decision-makers, analyzing the ethical and societal implications of those events in group discussions. This integrates collaboration (a competency), critical thinking, and communication into the lesson. So how does your school align aims with outcomes? I’d love to hear your experiences! #HolisticEducation #LearningStandards #CompetencyBasedEducation #LearningOutcomes #StudentCenteredLearning #EducationalLeadership #21stCenturySkills