I created this job aid as the conclusion to my Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Learning Objectives course to help guide learners on applying what they learned in the course to write their own objectives.

The course provides them with the necessary information, interactives and skill checks along the way to build a solid foundation, but in order for the learner to truly prove they met the course objectives, I felt it needed to end with them actually writing learning objectives using the Bloom’s cognitive levels and verbs for a course or lesson of their own.

To do this, I envisioned creating a fillable worksheet series that condensed the key points of the course into a step-by-step guide for writing objectives. I wanted to start with the learner thinking about their course outcomes and assessments first, and then include visual of Bloom’s Taxonomy for them to refer to in deciding what skills and verbs would be appropriate for their objectives.

Then, they would determine their overall course objective, using Mager’s ABCD Model to outline and write it. Working backwards, they would follow the same outline and Bloom’s cognitive hierarchy as they create the lesson objectives their learners would need to meet as they work their way toward the overall course objective.

Lastly, the final page of the worksheet would have the learner finalize and review each of their objectives, using a brief checklist to ensure they are measurable and follow in accordance with the hierarchy of Bloom’s cognitive levels.

I would hope that learners find this fillable PDF outline worksheet to be helpful in planning out course and lesson objectives. Having both Bloom’s Taxonomy and Mager’s ABCD Model structure embedded into the job aid make it easier to compose clear, appropriately leveled objectives than having to cross-reference different sources as they write.

Additionally, the review section at the end provides a chance for the learner to take a close look at their objectives once more through a more cohesive lens and evaluate whether or not they need to make any changes for improvement before continuing on with their course development process.