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=Course documentation includes a clear statement of learning objectives.=

Evidence
When clearly defined objectives are lacking, there is no sound basis for the selection or designing of instructional materials, content, or methods. With clear objectives in view, students at all levels are better able to decide what activities on their part will help them get to where it is important for them to go (Mager 1984).

If course documentation includes clear learning objectives then evaluation of the students’ attitudes and competence with respect to the objectives can be made at the course outset this can guide course refinement (Combs et al. 2008).

Resources
Quality learning objectives clearly and explicitly specify both pedagogical approach and content, are accompanied by a flexible and responsive teaching attitude to diverse learning processes and styles, and assess authentic practice, which engages learner ownership (Harden, 2002).

Good documentation of learning objectives is explicit about pedagogical strategies, ideals, and values, looks for learning processes rather than testing for content knowledge, accepts interdisciplinary work and diverse outcomes, and considers team as well as individual achievement (Salmon, 2000).

However, the writing of learning outcomes must relate generically and specifically to the level of the programme or course, and achievement is assessed to be either complete, or not, but grades may provide feedback on the quality of work. Outcome statements constitute an active verb and its object in a contextual or conditional phrase and describe either declarative knowledge, or performative skill/knowledge synthesis capability, which are categorised as ‘knowledge and understanding’ or ‘skills and other attributes’ (Holmes, 2004, p. 14). According to Mager (1984), vague verbs such as "understand," "know," or "learn about" should be replaced with more specific active verbs.

Also, a clear statement of learning objectives will be explicit about instructional strategies employed in order that the objective be achieved.

Mager (1984) explains that useful objectives contain an Audience, Behavior (performance), a Condition, and a Degree (criterion). An instructional objective describes an intended outcome of instruction rather than an instructional procedure. An objective always states a performance, describing what the learner will be doing when demonstrating mastery of the objective. It is important not to confuse outcomes or goals with the set of objectives to get there. An objective is a statement that describes the main intent or performance you expect of the student. If the performance happens to be covert, add an indicator behavior to the objective by which the main performance can be known. Make the indicator the simplest and most direct one possible.

Many web resources offer guidelines to writing good instructional objectives based on Mager’s (1984) and Bloom’s (1956) work, e.g.:

http://www2.gsu.edu/~mstmbs/CrsTools/Magerobj.html

http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/develop_objectives.htm