Personal development is starting to become an increasingly important part of the professional setting these days. The world is changing faster and faster, which means that as a professional in the modern job market, you need to develop new skills at an increasingly rapid pace. To make this development measurable, you can formulate learning objectives for yourself. But what is a learning objective and how do you formulate a learning objective? Stuvia gives you tools for formulating learning objectives and helps you on your way with tips and examples.

What are learning objectives?

A learning objective is an objective that you formulate because you want to develop yourself further by learning certain knowledge or skills. Formulating learning objectives gives you insight into your development. Good learning objectives focus on the learning process rather than the outcome. Working on learning objectives not only makes your development measurable, but also provides motivation: by formulating learning objectives for yourself, you keep challenging yourself in work, internship, and private life. As a bonus, you often discover what you like or would rather not do in the future.

Formulating learning objectives: Step-by-step plan/checklist

Now that you know what a learning objective is, it's time to start formulating your learning objectives. The following five steps will help you get started:

• Quality over quantity
  Try to focus on just one or a few learning objectives that you care about at the moment. This is because by focusing on one or a few learning objectives, you can get the most out of them. If you do decide to formulate multiple learning objectives, chances are you will lose focus and overview of your learning process. And that's a waste of motivation, right?
  
• Focus on positive behavior
  Learning something new is easier than unlearning something. Focusing on positive behavior when formulating your learning goals will automatically increase your motivation. In your learning objective, focus on what you can do instead of what you cannot (yet) do. This is for a very simple reason: if you are told "Don't think of a pink elephant", you will do just that and it will only hinder your development.
  
• Divide your learning objective into sub-objectives
  It is always good to look to the future and have a specific learning objective. However, dreaming too big can also be counterproductive: achieving your learning objective could then take too long, damaging your motivation. If you have a big learning objective, always formulate sub-learning objectives for yourself. This way, you work towards your final learning objective step by step and maintain your motivation.
  
• Make your learning objectives SMART
  SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Formulating your learning objectives SMART makes them easier to achieve.
  
• Measure your progress
  Setting a learning objective helps you prioritize. Therefore, two things are important when working on a learning objective: viewing your progress and measuring it. So after formulating your learning objective, regularly check your progress and whether you are any closer to your final objective. Still not quite where you need to be? Then adjust your learning objective. Doing this will keep you focused and motivated!

Tips for setting learning objectives

Learning objectives should always be about your process and about a skill you want to develop yourself. Do you still find formulating learning objectives difficult after the step-by-step plan? Stuvia has several tips for formulating learning objectives. So please keep reading!

Do not formulate too many learning objectives

Always start with formulating a few learning objectives. Not only is working on multiple learning objectives at the same time a frustrating process, but it also makes your learning process take longer. So also try to start with a few learning objectives. By keeping this number small, you can better focus on the development of specific skills and also keep your overview and motivation. Of course, after achieving a learning objective, you can always replace it with a new one.

Keep your learning objective short and sweet

When formulating your learning objectives, make sure you don't use too much wordy language and don’t formulate difficult sentences. A useful tool here is ‘SMART’ learning objectives. They give you specific directions on how to formulate your learning objectives.

Formulate learning objectives that are personal

Choose learning objectives you want to achieve yourself. So look for skills that will take you further as a professional. After all, working on learning objectives is much easier when they are objectives you want to achieve yourself. Did you receive a learning objective from your manager? Then ask what the added value is for you and why it will bring you further. This has a positive effect on your motivation.

Discuss your learning objectives

Have you formulated your learning objectives? Then discuss them with your manager, a colleague, or even someone outside the organization. By showing your formulated learning objectives to someone else, you take a fresh look at them and find out whether your learning objectives are clear. In addition, it may help to discuss them internally within the organization. They can help you check whether your learning objectives are achievable.

Learning objectives: examples

Now that you know the definition of a learning objective, have gone through the steps, and read our tips, it's time to see what learning objectives look like. Below, we have listed several examples of learning objectives:

• I want to study productively and divide my time into study blocks in advance;
• I want to increase my work pace and work more efficiently;
• I want to develop basic Python skills and will take a course to do so;
• I want to develop my leadership skills and have ownership of a (large) project.

Looking for examples of personal learning goals for your studies or private life? Then read our article on personal learning objectives.

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