Using Bloom's Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives: The Abcds of Writing Learning Objectives: A Basic Guide

Virtually all instructors have learning objectives in mind when developing a course. They know the skills and knowledge that students should gain by the end of each instructional unit. However, many instructors are not in the habit of writing learning objectives, and the objectives remain implicit. The full power of learning objectives is realized only when the learning objectives are explicitly stated. Writing clear learning objectives is therefore a critical skill.To sharpen this skill so that your objectives are consistently precise, measurable, and student-centered, we recommend that you follow the audience, behavior, condition, degree (ABCD) method. Every learning objective must have an audience and a stated behavior. The condition and degree are not applicable to every learning objective, but they can make your objectives more precise as long as they are not forced into place.Learning objectives help anchor assessments and activities in evidence-based course design. By aligning