Of all the criteria for high quality learning objectives, appropriate alignment is worth extra attention. According to the online course evaluation standards set by Quality Matters™, alignment means:

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"Critical course components—Learning Objectives, Assessment and Measurement, Resources and Materials, Learner Engagement, and Course Technology—work together to ensure that students achieve the desired learning outcomes. When aligned, each of these course components is directly tied to and supports the learning objectives."

Quality Matters™ notes that learning objectives at the course- and module- level are critical to student learning because they ensure that the core elements of the course reinforce each other. To reinforce each other and “work together,” learning objectives need to follow three basic principles of alignment:

  1. The learning objectives are written so they scaffold the learning activities from the least to the most complex tasks and concepts.
  2. The content and context of learning objectives for activities directly relates to the content and context of the module objectives and broader course objectives. The objectives should be "aligned" across activities, modules, and the course overall.
  3. The learning objectives describe skills, knowledge, and concepts that directly relate to the learners' ability to complete the course assessments.

Notice how the first two dimensions of alignment signal a need for instructors and course designers to understand the learners involved. Learning objectives should be informed by a realistic appraisal of what a range of students can accomplish with the available supports along the way.

stencils and blueprints

An Alignment Example


Imagine that it is your first week in AD 100: Introduction to Architectural Design. The first module’s only learning objective states: "The student will draw architectural plans to build a house." The objective is clearly written and it tells the student what to do to be successful. However, many interim steps must first be mastered in order to perform that activity. To correct this situation, this module-level objective might be divided into various objectives, such as the following:

 

At the end of this module the student will:

 

  1. Identify blueprint symbols on an architectural plan for a home.
  2. Distinguish between line weights and line types used in architectural blueprints.
  3. Calculate correct scale measurements.
  4. Draw room measurements to scale on an architectural plan for a home.

Good alignment of objectives provides instructors with a tool to evaluate their decisions about the relevance of course activities, content, and assessments. For students, well-aligned learning objectives are important because they clearly communicate expectations and demonstrate how discrete knowledge chunks fit together as a whole.