Learning outcomes or learning objectives?

Distinguishing between a learning outcome, a learning objective and an activity is something many trainee teachers find challenging, along with how to write a good learning objective. It takes practice, and with 20 years in teaching I still take my time to write good learning objectives. So I wasn't surprised to receive this email from a student (I've slightly altered it and removed the student's name to protect her and the school). 

This post links to my article in the next Teach Design magazine.

Hi Alison, 

I am still having difficulty writing learning objectives, without it being an activity. What I find more confusing is, when I am looking in books to try and help me, many of their examples are what I would class as an activity.  

For example, 'Pupils will be able to select and safely use appropriate equipment'. Is that not an activity? 

I have taken over a Year 8 class that are in the process of making a cushion, so every lesson is a practical lesson. These are the lessons I am particularly struggling to write learning objectives for. On the odd occasion I am demonstrating how to apply bondaweb or appliqué, so when it comes to writing the objectives, I am ok with this. But the majority of the time they are applying previous knowledge to make their cushion. 

Any help would really be appreciated. 

Many thanks, 

PGCE student

Dear student,

This is quite a long response but I hope it helps. I've quoted some parts of your email so you can see my response.

'Pupils will be able to select and safely use appropriate equipment'. - I would say this is an outcome, they will be able to do this at the end of the lesson. 

'Every lesson is a practical lesson' - always a tricky one this but I think its useful for you to remember that the cushion cover is an application of their related learning about joining, combining, finishing. The cushion cover is a product to facilitate learning not the main purpose of the D&T lesson.

Developing their skills is where I would focus on the learning in these lessons. So some learning objectives might be:

• learn how to assemble textile products using hand and machine techniques

• learn a range of joining techniques and how to use them consistently and with precision

• investigate and develop their skills in basic surface decoration

• apply their knowledge of textiles equipment 

• priortise their decisions about time and production order

By making a cushion cover they learn to make judgements and decisions about how and why they are using certain techniques rather than others in textiles, e.g why use a 2.5mm stitch length on a finished product rather than a 5mm?  Another example is they not only have to know how to make sure the seams are straights/curved/ accurate by using the markers on the guide plate they have to know why they are using it and why this accuracy is important. Learning objectives for these might be:

• learn how to use a sewing machine to accurately and appropriately join fabric

Fitness for purpose is another learning activity when making a cushion cover. To be able to decide something is fit for purpose pupils need to understand the criteria used to make this judgement, e.g. withstand the agitation in the washing machine, .... (I'm not a textiles expert so flounder here a bit). You may need to spend sometime in the lesson developing this criteria which might already exist in their specification. If you plan some learning activities about creating fitness for purpose criteria for a cushion cover they can then use this to make judgements; therefore the learning criteria for these lessons could be:

• analyse the work of others to develop fitness for purpose criteria

• understand the criteria used to judge the fitness for purpose of a seam/ joining technique and/or decoration technique

• apply their knowledge of [a particular] fabric/ decoration technique to make a product which is fit for purpose

I hope this helps,

Alison

PS I've used a lot of existing resources, including the SoW written by Sarah and me, to help me write these objectives. In other words - there's nothing wrong with using the work of others to give you sentence starters.