Forum Discussion
Learning Objectives for "Informational" Courses
I had a conversation about this very thing the other day and a friend shared a video that challenges some conventional wisdom on learning objectives. It differentiates different objectives for different audiences (designers, sponsors, learners, etc.) and whether or not there's benefit to putting the "...after completing this course you will be able to..." wording in courses. I liked the pragmatic perspective. See what you think Who Are Objectives For?
I think info dumps dumps are a fact of life for developers. I like SydneyClifton 's positive take on how to make the most of them! 😊
Yep, I’ve been there. Sometimes you're handed something that’s really just an info dump, but it still needs to live in a course shell or get built out in Rise. And while it’s easy to roll your eyes at that, I actually think there’s still a way to make it meaningful, if you shift "how" you frame it.
The question I always come back to is: what do we want people to do with this information? Even something like org history can be positioned to build context, connection, or alignment. That might mean reframing the objective from “describe our history” to something like “recognize how our past shapes current priorities” or “identify where our values came from and how they show up now.” That’s not revolutionary, but it helps move the content from trivia to something that supports the bigger picture.
Not everything has to ladder up to a skill or behavior. Sometimes the job of the content is orientation, or storytelling, or reinforcing identity. That still matters. So if the content is going to exist no matter what, I’d rather see it in Rise with some intentional design than buried in a SharePoint folder or lost in a PDF.
I don’t worry too much about hitting Bloom’s taxonomy in those cases. I just try to be honest about the purpose. Is it about building understanding? Helping people feel part of something? Giving them a way to talk about the work? Then say that. Design for that.
So no, you’re not wrong. And yes, I’ve had that same “OY” moment more times than I can count. But with a few intentional shifts, even a pure info piece can earn its place.
Thank you for the very thoughtful response. We did land on the objectives as you described them...so thank you. And I also appreciate the shared "OY"!