Engineers at larger companies will sometimes be paired with a learning content creator to construct lessons for fellow engineers. The engineers are expected to provide the material that the trainer will formulate into lessons, usually a variation of a slide deck.
In most instances the trainer is not an engineer and will have a hard time understanding the technical concepts. Conversely the engineer is not a trainer and might have a hard time breaking down a complex topic into manageable parts.
In most cases the learning content creator will ask for a list of training objectives. This guide will help the engineer write clear training objectives to assist the trainer in creating the lesson.
Difference between Goals and Learning Objectives
Goals:
Goals are written from the instructor’s perspective.
They are the instructor’s desires and aims for the course.
Learning Objectives:
Learning objectives are written from the learner’s perspective.
They are specific and measurable. They are items the learner will be able to do after completing the training. Remember that for adult learners it is especially important that the learner knows the purpose of the course, what is expected of them and what they must be able to do at the end of each lesson.
Components of a Learning Objective (ABCD Model)
Audience: (Learners) – Who will be performing the behavior?
Behavior: (Performance) – What the learner should be able to do. It should be observable and measurable. It often uses verbs from Bloom’s Taxonomy (see below).
Condition: (Optional) – Under what conditions should users demonstrate mastery.
Degree: (Criterion) – How well must the behavior be performed. Might include speed, accuracy, quality, quantity, etc.
Examples:
- The [Dev Ops Engineer] should be able to [name] the main datacenters for their [country].
- An [Engineer] must be able to [explain] the difference between a Docker container and a Docker image at a [theoretical level].
- Each [IntelliJ user] must be able to [configure] their proxy settings, so IntelliJ access the internet [securely].
- Each [team member] must be able to [add stories] that [include] both story points and acceptance criteria, to the feature.
- Each [Mac user] should be able to [create] an environment variable on their local machine, [both] on the command line and during the execution of a startup file [in a terminal session].
- Each [Engineer] should be able to [create a Pull Request] that [adheres to company coding standards], [from the command line].
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy is often used for the behavior part of each learning objective. It talks about the various levels of cognitive learning, from lower to higher order complexities.
I like this explanation of Bloom’s Taxonomy: https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/
| Cognitive Level | Verb Commonly Used in Cognitive Objectives |
| Remember | define, describe, identify, label, list, memorize, name, recall, recite, select |
| Understand | Classify, distinguish, explain, express, illustrate, infer, interpret, summarize |
| Apply | Apply, calculate, choose, diagnose, estimate, execute, implement, organize, prepare, produce, show, solve |
| Analyze | Analyze, classify, compare, differentiate, distinguish, examine, find, infer, modify, organize, point out, prioritize |
| Evaluate | Argue, assess, compare, consider, evaluate, judge, qualify, recommend |
| Create | Construct, create, design, formulate, invent, produce, propose |