First Things First….The Right Learning Objectives Matter

It is often that learning solutions are needed in a hurry.  Training needs are driven by either a new initiative about to be launched or a re-occurring problem that causes a loss in productivity.  The sense of urgency can cause a rush to solution.

We often hear:

• “The launch date is two weeks away, and we need to get our folks trained.”
• “We need to train our customers on the updates.”
• “We are losing productivity.  Let’s communicate and train the staff on new procedures immediately.”

The most experienced training professionals know that clearly identifying the need will assist when building the appropriate learning solution.  In many cases, subject matter experts have become a company’s trainer, because they are the most knowledgeable on a product or procedure.  A rudimentary step in developing training solutions includes setting learning objectives.  Trained educators and learning professionals complete full college courses focused specifically on Bloom’s Taxonomy and writing learning objectives.  Individuals new to the training world may view this as a philosophical approach and not necessarily a required element.

Aligning the right objective to the training need will help tremendously in hitting the target.  It’s wise for all training pros to review Bloom’s Taxonomy and understand the various levels of writing objectives.  “What do you want the learner to achieve upon completing the lesson?”

There are six levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy – moving through the lowest order to the highest:

Before jumping straight to the Training ADDIE model, it is best to start simple by answering the following questions:

1. What is the need?
2. Why does the need exist?
3. What would we want the learner to achieve?
   1. “To demonstrate a thorough approach to uncovering customer needs.”
   2. “To produce an insurance quote by using the quoting system accurately and effectively.”
   3. “To assess the customer’s situation, determine the correct solution and respond with a customer-centric, approved script.”
   4. Align the right training solution.

After determining the level of objective involved, the training professional can begin to determine the training solution needed.  Identify the best medium to produce the desired result.  Is it instructor-led classroom?  Is it virtual classroom?  Are role-plays and interactivity needed?  Can a baseline of e-learning modules for repeatable elements be included?  Where is the budget?  Training solution selection is as unique as aligning the learning objectives.  Therefore, the learning designer must first understand the level of learning knowledge, comprehension or critical thinking that will be required by the learner.