Training program learning objectives

Learning objectives describe the learning outcomes of a training course. It sounds like a straightforward task—and it is. You only have a couple of sentences to sum up the learning outcomes of your course in a way that resonates with employees. But why should you care about learning objectives?

Can a few words really make a difference? Well, yes. Developing learning objectives plays an important role in training and ultimately contributes to the success of your company. Sometimes employees fail to see the point of training. Clear learning objectives are the best way to communicate to employees the tangible benefits of your course and get them on board wholeheartedly.

You create online training to improve employee performance. So, your first step should be to align your training goals with your business objectives. Thinking about your future goals is a great start: What do you expect your company to have achieved in the next X months remember to set a specific number, there? Then, go back to your staff and think about how their training will help your organization achieve its goals.

Remember to keep your learning objectives short and to the point. One or two sentences will do. Meanwhile, try to be as specific as possible. Otherwise, your learning objectives will end up sounding like sales pitches. It helps to write learning objectives following a fixed format. This format should include a timeframe but not necessarily a deadline , an audience, a measurable action verb that describes the learning outcome, and any details necessary to complete the description.

Learning objectives should address a specific pain point, not generic learning goals. Employees like to know what to expect from training. Ideally, it should be something relevant to their needs. You want to increase sales, for example. Your first instinct might tell you that your learning objective is to improve sales skills.

In this instance, to improve sales skills, you need to improve several individual skills. It could be product knowledge or a set of soft skills.

How do you figure out what your employees need? Do you dare to take a lucky guess? The key to identifying knowledge gaps and writing meaningful learning objectives is a Training Needs Analysis. The examples are not meant to be offered as examples to be adopted word-for-word as learning objectives. The topic of the learning objective is included in bolding and italics.

Learning objectives are numbered directly below. Usually, learning builds on learning. It may be useful to learn certain areas of knowledge and skills before learning new areas. Now you're read to write down your learning objectives in the Framework to Design Your Training Plan.

Do the methods match the learners' particular learning styles, for example,, reading, doing or listening? Do the methods stretch their styles, too? Are the methods readily accessible? Do the methods take advantage of real-life learning opportunities, for example,, use on-the-job training opportunities, real-life problems that occur at work, use projects and programs at work?

Note that learning activities do always match learning objectives on a one-for-one basis. The learners will benefit from regularly taking time to stand back and inquire about what is going on in the training, what are they learning and what, if anything, should be changed. Skills in reflection are critical for ongoing learning in life and work. Consider using a private learning journal. Now you're ready to write down your evidence of learning in the Framework to Design Your Training Plan.

Ideally, the learning is evaluated by someone who has strong expertise in the areas of knowledge and skills required to achieve the training goals. It can also be a great way to create a mentorship program. Think management level where employees are tasked with creating lessons and materials for training. This is a great opportunity to have these employees review the LMS reports.

And more importantly, what can be done better. After considering different employee learning levels, shift your focus to create learning objectives that can be evaluated. In order to accomplish this, all objectives must be measurable. Include a timeframe or a way to check that they were obtained when evaluating your LMS effectiveness.

Another way to make learning objectives measurable is to use action verbs when writing them. Use words like: identify, translate, test, and rank. Versus words like capable of, appreciate, be aware of, and know.

When you put your learning objectives into action, it will be easy to see if they are successful or not. Take Dollar Shave Club for example. Plus, their objectives speak to onboarding employees and also the continued education throughout an employee's life at Dollar Shave Club. Their Glassdoor ratings are high with 80 percent of employees saying they would recommend the company to a friend and about the same number approving of the CEO.

Plus, one employee touts the training program even over the free perks! Sure, there [sic] the rad perks like parties and lunches and outings and a great benefits package and this that and the other - but what I love most is how I really feel inspired to learn more and be a better engineer. Learning objectives can mean the success or failure of your LMS! Sales can be tough, but with the right training, we can overcome several sales challenges and boost productivity!

Product knowledge training facilitates continual learning. This guide will help you turn your team into product experts. Product Customers Blog Get a Demo. Sales Training. Companies may think objectives are an unnecessary planning step that wastes time. But in actuality, objectives save time and money. Writing down your training objectives ahead of implementation will give your goal structure. Plus, it will further define what your goal is and prove you have created the correct one for your LMS.

Helps to design training materials. When you know what the objectives are, you can define what materials are needed for your employees. For example, do you need a blended learning environment? Will your training materials be assigned by department, individual or level at the company? What features does your LMS need to have? Gives administrators training roadmap. These objectives will help your program administrators implement the training.

When they know why they are teaching the courses or lessons, it will strengthen their ability to deliver these in an effective way. Let employees know what they will be learning. Sharing your objectives with your employees will let them know why you think your LMS is important. You want motivated employees who take training seriously and think their time away from their job is being well spent.

Helps with analysis. Once your training program is rolled out, you can check each objective against your goal.