Module Learning Objectives

Overview

Similar to course learning objectives (CLO), module learning objectives (MLO) are clear, specific statements of knowledge, skills, or behaviors that students will be able to perform at the conclusion of the module.  Module learning objectives need to be specific and measurable; module learning objectives are more specific than and directly support the course learning objectives. Module learning objectives often break down larger course learning objectives into specific parts. For example, the course objective might be “analyze the impact of price on supply and demand in various markets;” a module objective might be “compare and contrast different types of markets.”

Importance

Clear and measurable module learning objectives outline what students will learn and how they will be assessed. Each module objective helps to define the needed learning content, determine the type of assessments used, and form a guide for the grading criteria or rubrics associated with the assessments. Writing specific module learning objectives hones in on the skill or concept students will achieve. 

Also consider the QM standards that address module learning objectives:

• QM Standard 2.2 states that the inclusion of measurable module or unit learning objectives (in addition to course learning objectives) is important. “They precisely describe the specific competencies, skills, and knowledge that students should be able to master and demonstrate at regular intervals throughout the course. The learning objectives make clear to students the learning expectations and outcomes on a weekly, modular, or unit basis.”
• QM Standard 2.3 states “the course and module-level learning objectives or competencies are stated clearly and prominently in the online classroom. The learning objectives or competencies are written in a way that allows learners, including non-native speakers, to easily grasp their meaning and the learning outcomes expected. The use of educational or discipline jargon, unexplained terminology, and unnecessarily complex language is avoided.”

Finally, module learning objectives allow the students to build understanding to master the larger course learning objectives. To show this relationship, you will align each module learning objective to one course learning objective. Let’s revisit our earlier example and add another objective:

•  CLO1: Analyze the social and cultural impact of the Great Depression.
•  CLO2: Evaluate the legacy of the New Deal. 

For Module 4 the Module Learning Objectives are:

• MLO1: Explain how the Great Depression impacted family structures. (CLO1)
• MLO2: Describe how jobs led to migrations. (CLO?)
• MLO3: Identify legislation included in the New Deal. (CLO2)
• MLO4:  Analyze how the New Deal changed the role of the government. (CLO2)

CLO1 represents alignment back to course learning objective 1, while CLO2 is an alignment to course learning objective 2. In the case of MLO1, there is a clear alignment to CLO1; MLO3 and MLO4 clearly align to CLO2. (Note that you will have more than one module objective aligned to each course objective). However, MLO2 could potentially align to either course learning objective or perhaps neither depending on the learning activities and assessments. In this case the ambiguity indicates a need to make the module learning objective more specific so there is a clear alignment to the course learning objective and a clear indication of what is truly being assessed.

What is the goal of this module learning objective? Are students going to be able to describe how unemployment and the Dust Bowl led to the Great Migration west and unemployment led to a migration from cities to rural areas? Or are students going to be able to describe how new job opportunities from the New Deal led to migrations and increased immigration? By revising the objective to, “Describe how unemployment and the Dust Bowl led to mass migrations,” we can clearly see the purpose of the objective and alignment to CO1. Perhaps, there is a need for a second objective as well: “Explain how the job opportunities presented from the New Deal impacted migration and immigration.” Crafting very specific module learning objectives can help you create a detailed outline for the course and make sure that you are teaching and assessing what you intend.

Module Learning Objectives Tutorial

The following video will provide an overview of how to add module learning objectives. 

Module objectives allow students to build their understanding and mastery, in a scaffolded manner, towards the broader course-level objectives. Course objectives sit at the higher course level, while module objectives are housed within the modules of the course. Because of this scaffolded structure, it is critical that module objectives are directly aligned to course objectives to ensure that materials provided to, and activities completed by, students in support of those module objectives will ultimately demonstrate mastery of course objectives. Course development efforts begin with course objectives. Using those as your starting point, break those broader objectives down into smaller ones – your module objectives. The learning content, activities, and assessments that are added to directly support the smaller module objectives are then assured of being aligned with the overarching course objectives. By going through this alignment process, you are ensuring that assessments measuring mastery of module material will also, in fact, be measuring mastery of the course objectives.

Job Aid – Learning Objectives vs. Learning Activities

Learning activities are the actions or assessments that students complete in a course while the learning objective indicates what the students can do or know at the conclusion of instruction. Here are two quick definitions:

• Learning Objective: An outcome statement that captures specifically what knowledge or skills learners should be able to exhibit following instruction. They are specific, measurable, observable, and attainable for the learners within the scheduled time and conditions of the course, relevant to the learner and course, and targeted to the desired level of learning.
• Learning Activity: An activity or set of activities a learner should complete to achieve a learning objective.

Writing Aligned Objectives

If you have a list of assessments and activities, you’d like to use in your course but haven’t yet drafted module objectives, try breaking the activity into relevant objectives for your course.

Use the examples below for guidance:

• Activity: Students complete a multiple-choice and short answer quiz over APA citation styles.
• Objective: Identify the correct APA citation style for a given journal, video, book, or interview resource.

• Activity: Students participate in small group discussions to debate controversial topics in community health.
• Objective: Justify a personal position on a controversial community health issue citing outside research and anecdotal experience.

• Activity: Students design an Earth and Space Science Lesson plan that utilizes an educational technology tool during instruction.
• Objective: Integrate a contemporary educational technology into Earth Science curriculum for an elementary student population.

• Activity: Students create a short video presentation discussing the elasticity of supply and demand.
• Objective: Explain the relationship between elasticity, the cost of taxes, and pricing power.

• Activity: Students complete Java practice project in a virtual lab.
• Objective: Code fluently in an object-oriented paradigm using the programming language Java.

• Activity: Students deliver a 30-minute to one-hour family health education session with a volunteer family of their choice.
• Objective: Deliver health education to a family based on observed behaviors and future trends.

Job Aid – Creating Objectives:

This open source provides an objective builder you may find helpful.

Sample Alignment

Alignment is the relationship between multiple course components from the module objectives (MO) and course objectives (CO) down to the assessments, activities, and content. To most easily illustrate the relationship among modules, you will align each component to module objectives and ultimately course objectives. The key to this is that module objectives can only align with one course objective. If there is a case where a module objective aligns to multiple course objectives, it is best to modify and refine the module objectives, so they align cleanly with one course objective. Let’s look at an example to illustrate this one-to-one alignment:

Course Objectives:

• CO1: Analyze the social and cultural impact of the Great Depression.
• CO2: Evaluate the legacy of the New Deal.

For Module 4 the Module Objectives Are:

• MO1: Explain how the Great Depression impacted family structures. (CO1)
• MO2: Describe how jobs led to migrations. (CO?)
• MO3: Identify legislation included in the New Deal. (CO2)
• MO4: Analyze how the New Deal changed the role of the government. (CO2)

In the example above, MO1 demonstrates a clear alignment with CO1; MO3 and MO4 clearly align to CO2. However, MO2 could potentially align to either CO 1 or 2, or perhaps neither, depending on the learning activities and assessments. In this case, the ambiguity indicates a need to make MO2 more specific so there is a clear alignment with just one CO. As an added benefit to solidifying the module learning objective, this refinement helps provide a crystal-clear indication of what is truly being assessed. With this process, it is important to note that while you cannot align a MO to more than one CO, you can align one CO to more than one MO.

   

In revising the module objective, ask yourself, “What is the goal of this module objective?”

• Are students able to describe how unemployment and the Dust Bowl led to the Great Migration west and unemployment led to a migration from cities to rural areas?
• Or, are students able to describe how new job opportunities from the New Deal led to migrations and increased immigration?

By revising the objective to “Describe how unemployment and the Dust Bowl led to mass migrations,” we can clearly see the purpose of the objective and its alignment now to CO1. There may be a need for a second objective as well, “Explain how the job opportunities presented from the New Deal impacted migration and immigration.” As an added benefit to these refinements, you can more easily and clearly develop assessments to accurately measure achievement of these tighter objectives.

Best Practices:

Creating a one-to-one alignment between Module Objectives and a singular Course Objective will help you to adhere to best practices when mapping and designing your course.

• Specific Module Objectives can help create a detailed outline for the course to help ensure that you are teaching and assessing what you intend.
• Specific Module Objectives dictate the learning content, helping you to eliminate superfluous content.
• Specific Module Objectives directly drive what learning activities and assessments are needed and help to create space for more practice opportunities within an online course so that each module objective is addressed.
  • For example, “Locate the organs of the digestive system on the human body” could be a practice quiz with a diagram to help students assess their understanding after consuming learning content while “Explain how nutrients are processed through the digestive system” will require a more comprehensive assessment such as a short presentation.
• Alignment to only one Course Objective will allow you to determine how often each is discussed and assessed. This can help determine if all the course objectives carry equal weight or if you need to rebalance the content and assessments within the course or across a program.

Creating One-to-One Alignment Between MOs and COs 

1. Be specific. Specificity in objectives is key to clean course alignment.
   • If you find that a MO aligns with multiple COs, consider revising the objective to be more specific. MOs should be very specific to not only the content but also to the skill that you are building. For example, “List the organs of the digestive system” is the first step as students’ progress toward “Explain how nutrients are processed through the digestive system.”
   • If you can revise COs, consider making these more specific as well. Often course objectives are so broad that they create significant overlap across an entire course. As an example, consider the objective “Use research skills.” This objective is so broad that in a research-based course almost anything could, in theory, align with the objective. If the objective is revised and broken into relevant segments such as “Write a research paper using appropriate and reliable sources” and “Use APA citations for sources within a research paper,” you can see how MOs would sort into these two very different categories.
2. Start with the Course Objectives. Start with a CO and break this one objective into specific topics and areas you need to cover for students. Then, organize the order and flow of these topics across your course. Finally, for each topic or group of topics, consider what the student needs to do to show appropriate mastery. Follow this process to develop your MOs. By breaking down one CO into smaller components, each MO you have listed should align back with a singular CO.
3. Select the best match. Sometimes a MO can truly align to two or more course objectives, especially with specialized content. For example, “Describe symptoms of diseases that are related to the digestive system” could align to two course objectives:
   • Analyze the impact of the digestive system on overall health of the human body.
   • Evaluate diseases that impact the digestive system.

For the sake of a clean one-to-one alignment, one course objective needs to be selected. In this case, consider what your goal is for the module objective. Do you want students to be able to relate the diseases and the symptoms to overall health, or should students be able to relate these diseases and symptoms to the impact they have on the digestive system? Perhaps they need to do both, but you are addressing these in different modules, so they can become distinct and specific module objectives. For example, “Describe symptoms of diseases that are related to the digestive system and how they impact the overall health.”

Why Are Module Objectives Needed

Module learning objectives often break down larger course learning objectives into specific parts. Specific and measurable module learning objectives can help you determine what types of assessments to incorporate and can form the basis of assignment grading criteria or rubrics. Acevedo, M. M. (2014) discusses the importance of collaboration between faculty and instructional designers to compose student-centered learning objectives. This paper addresses some common obstacles to this type of collaboration and offers strategies and solutions. Fink, L. D. (2003) offers a relational, integrated model for course design which prioritizes clear and measurable learning objectives. All course design models are undoubtedly influenced by the work of Gagné, R. M. (1965) who developed a nine-step model to designing course curriculum that mirrors the information processing model of mental events. Raible, J., Bennett, L., & Bastedo, K. (2016) provide information on areas in which faculty could improve their module learning objectives such as making sure that the action verb selected for the objective matches the associated assessment. Seery, Barreda, Hein, & Hilller (2021) provide a comprehensive review of factors impacting retention and strategies for increasing student persistence and motivation, and note how connecting curriculum to past experiences and future learning goals is a common course development strategy to support persistence among learners.

References

Acevedo, M. M. (2014). Collaborating with faculty to compose exemplary learning objectives. Internet Learning, 3(1), 5-16.

Fink, L. D. (2003). A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning. University of Oklahoma, 27(11), 1-33.

Gagné, R. M. (1965). The analysis of instructional objectives for the design of instruction. Teaching machines and programmed learning II: Data and directions, 21-65.

Gagné, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1992). Principles of instructional design (4th ed.). Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.

Raible, J., Bennett, L., & Bastedo, K. (2016). Writing measurable learning objectives to aid successful online course development. Int. J. for Scholarship of Technology Enhanced Learning, 1(1).

Seery, K., Barreda, A. A., Hein, S. G., & Hiller, J. L. (2021). Retention strategies for online students: A systematic literature review. Journal of Global Education and Research, 5(1), 72-84. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/2577-509X.5.1.1105.