Breaking Down Competencies: The Power of Learning Objectives

Complex competencies can feel overwhelming to learners. Learning objectives solve this problem by breaking down big skills into smaller, specific components that students can actually achieve.

Learning Objectives: Start Small to Achieve Big Things

Learning objectives present a clear map of smaller, achievable components that lead to big skills and complex competencies.  Learning objectives help students:

• Feel that a competency is manageable
• Identify their strenghts and learning gaps through formative assessments

Craft effective learning objectives with this essential checklist.  

Breaking Down the Big Picture

Even though you’ve developed a solid competency, your learners may still need a clear roadmap to success. What specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes must they develop? Learning objectives help by breaking down major competencies into smaller, achievable components. This breakdown serves two crucial purposes:

• First, it makes intimidating competencies feel manageable—once learners see the individual components, the entire skill becomes less daunting.
• Second, it enables targeted formative assessments that help learners identify their strengths and knowledge gaps.

Crafting Effective Learning Objectives

Well-written learning objectives share the same characteristics as strong competencies but focus on supporting rather than major skills. Here's your essential checklist:

Learning Objectives:

• Reflect what learners must deomonstrate to achieve the realted competency
• Begin with clear action verbs
• Represent observable and measurable behaviors
• Provide clear, concise descriptions of specific skills, knowledge, or attitudes
• Focus on single performances rather than combinations
• Describe learner performance, not instructor activities or teaching strategies

The Sweet Spot: Each competency should contain 2-10 learning objectives. Fewer than two suggests your competency may be too narrow, while more than ten indicates it might be too broad in scope.

For Example:

Competency: Prepare for a Job Interview

Learning Objectives:

1.      List three facts about the company's mission, values, and recent news

2.     Identify five key qualifications from a job posting

3.     Write three responses to common interview questions

4.     Organize a complete interview portfolio with resume, references, and work samples

5.     Create five questions to ask during the interview

6.     Complete a 10-minute mock interview demonstrating prepared responses

Each objective focuses on a specific preparation task that contributes to interview readiness. Together, these components build toward the learner achieving the competency.

The Bottom Line

Learning objectives transform complex competencies into concrete, achievable steps. They provide learners with a clear roadmap for success while giving instructors precise targets for assessment and instruction. When learners understand exactly what components they need to master, achieving competency becomes a manageable, step-by-step process rather than an overwhelming challenge.

WIDS (Worldwide Instructional Design System) is a nonprofit organization that provides curriculum design software, consulting, and training services.