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=Learning objectives support student outcomes beyond the recall of information.=

Evidence
Bloom’s taxonomy of learning objectives (1956) distinguishes three domains of learning, the affective, the psychomotor and the cognitive. Within the cognitive domain there are six ‘levels’ in the taxonomy. From ‘lowest’ to ‘highest’ these are: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation. For truly effective learning, learning objectives should be aiming to support outcomes at the Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation end of this taxonomy.

The nub of the idea of engaging ‘active learning’, which features in the CanREGS (Barker, 2002) and  Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles, concerns learning with and through experiencing. This notion can be traced back to Chickering’s (1976) contributions to experiential learning, which he defined as ‘learning that occurs when changes in judgments, feelings, knowledge, or skills result for a particular person from living through an event or events’ (p. 63).

Deep and Surface are two approaches to study (see Marton & Säljö, 1976). Deep learning is generally preferred to surface learning. Surface learning may be able to be reduced by decreasing the factual orientation of a course, avoiding reproductive assessment, didactic teaching, and an overly formal academic department. The inclusion of project work seems to encourage students to work longer and harder without perceiving increased workload (Kember & Leung 1998). Action learning rather than traditional classes may also help  (Wilson & Fowler 2005). However  Struyven et al. (2006) found the opposite.

Kember et al. (1995) found that use of a surface approach to learning (deduced from the Study Process Questionnaire) was related to high attendance at class and greater hours of individual study. This suggests that poor grades and an inefficient study process resulting in high workload may need to be amended by individual study counseling. Clear learning objectives that target deep learning may also encourage students to delve beyond factual recall in their study.

Resources
Florida State University uses different verbs (6 levels) which correspond to Blooom’s (1956) hierarchy of cognitive levels of learning objectives. It is also noted that learning objective domains can include cognitive, psychomotor and affective outcomes. Details and examples of some Florida State learning objectives, and the process by which they are created, can be found here:

http://med.fsu.edu/education/FacultyDevelopment/PDF/writingobjectives.pdf