Lesson 3: Set Goals
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Workshop Scenario:
Please think of yourself in the following scenario as you complete this workshop.
You are recently hired by a company specializing in online learning platforms. As part of your onboarding process, you must take an introductory learning experience design course to familiarize yourself with the principles and practices of designing effective online courses.
After completing the course, you are assigned to write a content development plan for an online cooking course promoting healthy eating habits. The course aims to teach participants, both teens, and adults, about nutritious ingredients, cooking techniques, and meal planning for a balanced diet. The course should follow the learning experience design steps.
In the last lesson, you identified why it is important to align your training to the organizational goals and needs of the learners.
In this lesson, you’ll explore how to design engaging learning experiences with the learner in mind. You’ll adapt to different learning styles and preferences to help the learner achieve the desired goal.
Your objective for today is:
Set goals around specific job behaviors by evaluating a training program based on the New World Kirkpatrick Model.
Important Questions to Consider While Reading:
In order to be successful in this lesson, you must be able to answer these important questions.
How does aligning your training program to the organizational goals help you get to know your learners better? Provide examples of specific learning objectives and activities that can be implemented at each level of the Kirkpatrick Model to achieve both objectives.
3.1 Set Impact Goals
Utilizing the Kirkpatrick Model for goal setting is important to align your training program with organizational goals. The Kirkpatrick Model for Training Evaluation consists of four levels, each representing a different aspect of the evaluation process.
Level 4: Results - At this level, the focus is on identifying the specific activities, behaviors, and knowledge necessary to achieve organizational goals. Determining the behaviors and work products contributing to larger goals is essential. To ensure clarity for learners, these goals should be broken down into smaller competencies and clearly defined. Providing examples of exemplary demonstrations can further enhance understanding and implementation.
Level 3: Behavior - This level involves setting goals for job-related behaviors or work products that support the overall organizational objectives. Defining these goals clearly and linking them to desired outcomes is important. Breaking them into manageable competencies enables learners to understand and achieve them effectively.
Level 2: Learning - Level 2 focuses on assessing the degree to which participants have acquired the intended knowledge, skills, attitude, confidence, and commitment through their participation in the training. Evaluating learning outcomes allows trainers to gauge the effectiveness of the training program in meeting its objectives.
Level 1: Reaction - Level 1 evaluations assess participants' reactions to the training experience. While these evaluations are commonly used, it is crucial to remember that the ultimate priority should be the achievement of organizational outcomes. Rather than solely focusing on learner impressions, it is essential to align training efforts with organizational goals and measure the impact of those goals.
3.2 Set “Doing” Goals
Creating bite-sized learning experiences through modules or lessons is important to get to know your learners. Each module or lesson should have specific learning objectives that define the purpose and outcome of the experience. It is recommended to have a smaller number of learning objectives per module to increase the likelihood of achieving them. However, related objectives can be incorporated into a single lesson, such as utilizing clear speaking practices and applying active listening. This approach allows for a better understanding of learners' needs and facilitates effective learning experiences.
Designing authentic deliverables, such as performance reviews, meeting agendas, or applying new communication skills, can help learners feel that the learning experience is an extension of their job.
3.3 Writing Action Verbs
Writing action verbs is essential in creating clear, actionable statements describing the desired learner behavior. Action verbs communicate the specific actions or tasks learners should be able to perform or demonstrate after completing a learning experience. They provide a measurable and observable focus, allowing instructors to assess learners' progress and achievement.
Some examples of action verbs include: identify, apply, compare, assess, and design.
You will learn more about action verbs in the next lesson.
3.4 Write a Problem Statement
Writing a problem statement is a precise way of summarizing a project. If you define your mission, you can plan the route you need to take for success and plan a timeline.
The formula for a problem statement looks like this:
The purpose of this learning experience design project is to [verb: assess, understand, evaluate, improve, etc.] the [topic, effect, result] for [participants/students] at [site].
Example: The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate a video-based instructional module for orienting students to online learning at a virtual high school.
Learning Checkpoint:
Write a problem statement for your Online Cooking Class project in the form below.
Closing Assessment:
Select the Assessment button below to answer the following questions:
How does aligning your training program to the organizational goals help you get to know your learners better? Provide examples of specific learning objectives and activities that can be implemented at each level of the Kirkpatrick Model to achieve both objectives.
Discussion Questions:
1. Please answer the following questions in the comment section below and interact with learners from around the world.
"How can the Kirkpatrick Model for training evaluation, which includes four levels of assessment (reaction, learning, behavior, and results), help organizations assess the effectiveness and impact of their training programs?
Discuss the significance of designing bite-sized learning experiences with distinct learning objectives to get to know your learners better. Provide examples of how incorporating related learning objectives within a module or lesson can enhance their understanding and application of skills.
2. Please read and reply to other learners’ answers in the forum. Your replies should offer new substantiated ideas or thoughtful questions.
or try a prompt below!
