How to define course objectives for digital curriculum's meant for an incarcerated audience
Edovo helps create focused, impactful digital curricula for incarcerated learners by emphasizing clear, actionable objectives that guide course design, ensuring learners achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes.
Creating a digital curriculum for incarcerated learners starts with one key question: What do I want learners to understand, know, and be able to do by the end of the course?
If you’ve already got videos, PDFs, audios, and images ready to go—great work! Now it’s time to align those materials with clear objectives that serve as a roadmap for your course.
Why Define Course Objectives?
Clear course objectives ensure learners know what to expect and what they’ll gain. Without them, learners might enter with unclear or overly broad expectations, making it harder for them to engage effectively.
For example, imagine you’re developing a course on entrepreneurship. Without goals, a learner might expect everything from financial management tips to branding advice. Defining your objectives creates clarity for the learner and ensures your course content is focused and actionable.
Sample Objectives for an Entrepreneurship Course:
- Discover how to turn ideas into actionable plans.
- Identify personal resources and evaluate their usefulness in achieving goals.
- Create a personalized plan for personal and professional growth.
- Think beyond circumstantial limitations to uncover true aspirations.
Now learners know exactly what they’ll accomplish by the end of the course. These objectives also act as your guiding post, helping you decide how to structure your content and assess whether your materials align with your goals.
How to Align Content with Objectives
As you build your course, regularly ask yourself:
- Does this content help learners achieve the goals I’ve identified?
- How does this activity or section reinforce those objectives?
For example, when adding a summary or inserting a question, ensure it directly ties back to one of your objectives.
Tips for Writing Strong Course Objectives
1. Write from the Learner’s Perspective.
Frame objectives as what learners will achieve. For example:
- By the end of this course, you will…
- Learners will be able to…
2. Use Actionable Verbs
Select verbs that reflect specific actions learners will demonstrate. Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to match the verb to the desired knowledge or skill level. Example:
WRONG: Students will read and write with a critical perspective.RIGHT: Students will read from a critical perspective.
3. Keep Objectives Specific and Measurable
Focus on one specific outcome per objective.
WRONG: Students will learn to communicate effectively and solve problems.RIGHT: Students will develop strategies for effective communication.
A Simple Formula for Writing Objectives:
- Start with: By the end of this course, learners will be able to…
- Choose an action verb that matches your goal.
- Clearly state the knowledge or skill learners will acquire.
BONUS: Create a Strong Course Introduction
Now that you’ve defined your objectives, it’s time to design the first page of your course. This page should give learners a clear sense of what to expect and why the course matters.
Include these key elements:
- Overview: A brief summary of the course’s big-picture purpose.
- Primary Goals / Learning Objectives: The objectives you’ve just written!
- Benefits: What’s in it for the learners? How will this course serve them?
Use bullet points and concise text to keep it easy to digest. Don’t forget to infuse your unique tone and style—this is your chance to make a great first impression!
By taking these steps, you’ll create a curriculum that’s focused, impactful, and tailored to meet the needs of incarcerated learners. Their success starts with your clarity.