Continuing Education and Professional Development Learning Objectives Guide

Purpose

Learning objectives are the foundation of an effective educational activity. Well-written objectives:

• Align with the identified professional practice gap
• Address the educational need
• Support desired learner, team, and patient outcomes
• Guide educational strategies and content development
• Inform evaluation and outcomes measurement

Learning objectives should be clear, measurable, and focused on what learners will be able to do following participation in the activity.

The Educational Planning Framework

Before writing objectives, planners should follow the educational planning process:

Step 1: Identify the Professional Practice Gap

What is the difference between current practice and desired practice?

Step 2: Determine the Educational Need

Why does the gap exist?

Examples:

• Knowledge deficit
• Competence deficit
• Skill deficit
• Performance deficit
• Team performance issues
• System barriers

Step 3: Determine the Desired Outcome

What do you want to change?

Step 4: Develop Learning Objectives

What should learners be able to do after participating?

Step 5: Select Educational Strategies

How will the content be taught?

Step 6: Evaluate Outcomes

How will success be measured?

Linking the Practice Gap, Educational Need, and Learning Objective

Example

• Practice Gap: Developmental screening rates are below organizational goals.
• Educational Need: Providers need support applying current screening recommendations.
• Desired Outcome: Performance
• Learning Objective: Participants will be able to implement developmental screening recommendations during routine patient encounters.

Start with the Desired Outcome

Before writing objectives, determine the outcome level the activity is intended to address.

Note: An activity may address more than one outcome level. Select the primary outcome the activity is designed to achieve and build learning objectives, educational strategies, and evaluation methods around that outcome.

How Do I Know Which Outcome to Select?

Use the following questions to help identify the primary outcome of your educational activity:

If learners need new information → Knowledge

If learners need to know how to apply information → Competence

If learners need to demonstrate a skill → Skill

If learners need to change professional practice → Performance

If healthcare teams need to improve collaboration or communication → Team Performance

If patient care, quality, or safety should improve → Patient Outcomes

If workflows, processes, or organizational systems should improve → System Factors

Planner Tip: Start by asking, "What do I want learners to do differently after this activity?" The answer often helps identify the most appropriate outcome level.

Components of an Effective Learning Objective

Well-written objectives answer four questions:

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Example:

• Participants will be able to implement evidence-based communication strategies to improve care coordination and patient safety.
• Participants will be able to integrate family-centered communication techniques into clinical encounters to support shared decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

Outcome Selection Quick Reference

Example

Knowledge vs. Competence vs. Performance

Understanding the difference between Knowledge, Competence, and Performance helps ensure the correct outcome level is selected.

• Knowledge focuses on acquiring and understanding information.
• Competence focuses on the ability to apply knowledge and skills in practice.
• Performance focuses on implementing changes in professional practice and behavior.

Common Learning Objective Mistakes

Mistake #1: Focusing on Content Instead of Learners

❌ This presentation will review current best practices.

✅ Participants will be able to apply current best practices in clinical decision-making.

Mistake #2: Using Non-Measurable Verbs

❌ Participants will understand patient safety.

✅ Participants will implement patient safety strategies in practice.

Mistake #3: Objectives Not Aligned with Outcomes

Knowledge Outcome

✅ Describe current evidence-based recommendations.

Performance Outcome

✅ Implement evidence-based recommendations in practice.

✅ Apply current best practices in clinical decision-making.

Align Objectives with Evaluation Methods

The desired outcome should guide both the learning objectives and the evaluation strategy.

Knowledge, Competence, Skill, Performance, Team Performance, Patient Outcomes, and System Factors

Knowledge Objectives

Does the learner know?

Focuses on acquiring new information, evidence, guidelines, or best practices.

Examples

• Describe current evidence-based approaches for managing pediatric feeding disorders.
• Identify early indicators of hearing loss in infants and young children.
• Explain current recommendations for pediatric behavioral health screening in primary care settings.
• Describe the role of Child Life Specialists in reducing procedural distress during hospitalization.
• Identify the diagnostic criteria used to recognize pediatric rheumatologic conditions.

Common Action Verbs

• Describe
• Explain
• Identify
• Define
• Discuss

Competence Objectives

Does the learner know how?

Focuses on a learner's ability to apply knowledge and clinical reasoning.

Examples

• Apply trauma-informed care principles when interacting with children and families experiencing psychological distress.
• Differentiate between developmental delays and age-appropriate developmental variation during pediatric assessment.
• Evaluate nutrition interventions appropriate for medically complex pediatric patients.
• Implement evidence-based communication strategies when discussing new diagnoses with families.
• Assess opportunities to improve medication safety in pediatric outpatient clinics.

Common Action Verbs

• Apply
• Assess
• Differentiate
• Evaluate
• Implement
• Analyze

Skill Objectives

Can the learner demonstrate the skill?

Focuses on performing technical, procedural, or communication skills.

Examples

• Demonstrate age-appropriate communication techniques when preparing pediatric patients for procedures.
• Perform a standardized developmental screening assessment.
• Utilize pediatric medication dosing resources to accurately calculate weight-based medications.
• Demonstrate proper collection and handling of pediatric laboratory specimens.
• Conduct a bedside swallowing assessment using evidence-based techniques.

Common Action Verbs

• Demonstrate
• Perform
• Conduct
• Utilize
• Execute

Performance Objectives

Is professional practice changing?

Focuses on actual changes in workplace behaviors and clinical practice.

Examples

• Integrate developmental screening into routine outpatient pediatric visits.
• Utilize evidence-based sedation safety practices during pediatric imaging procedures.
• Implement family-centered rounding practices in the inpatient setting.
• Incorporate social determinants of health screening into patient assessment workflows.
• Apply standardized pain assessment tools consistently across pediatric care settings.

Common Action Verbs

• Integrate
• Utilize
• Incorporate
• Implement
• Apply

Team Performance Objectives

Is the healthcare team performing differently?

Focuses on communication, collaboration, care coordination, shared decision-making, and team-based care.

Examples

• Collaborate effectively with pharmacists, nurses, and physicians to improve medication reconciliation during patient transitions.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary discharge planning for children with complex medical needs.
• Improve communication among behavioral health, medical, and social work teams caring for pediatric patients in crisis.
• Facilitate collaborative care planning among rehabilitation professionals, physicians, and families.
• Integrate family perspectives into interprofessional care discussions to improve shared decision-making.

Common Action Verbs

• Collaborate
• Coordinate
• Facilitate
• Communicate
• Integrate

Patient Outcome Objectives

Are patient outcomes improving?

Focuses on measurable improvements in patient care, safety, quality, and experience.

Examples

• Implement interventions that improve timely identification of pediatric hearing loss.
• Apply evidence-based asthma management strategies to reduce emergency department utilization.
• Utilize family-centered communication practices to improve patient and family experience scores.
• Implement fall prevention strategies designed to reduce inpatient pediatric fall rates.
• Improve adherence to developmental screening recommendations to support earlier intervention services.

System Factors Objectives

Are organizational systems and processes improving?

Focuses on workflow improvement, system redesign, quality improvement, and organizational change.

Examples

• Develop standardized referral pathways for pediatric behavioral health services.
• Implement a multidisciplinary workflow to improve coordination of care for children with complex medical conditions.
• Evaluate barriers contributing to delays in outpatient specialty referrals.
• Design processes that improve communication of critical laboratory results.
• Improve system-wide access to nutrition screening and intervention services

Common Action Verbs

• Develop
• Design
• Implement
• Improve
• Evaluate
• Create

Action Verbs to Avoid

Avoid vague action verbs that are difficult to measure and evaluate.

Avoid

• Appreciate
• Be aware of
• Be familiar with
• Comprehend
• Gain knowledge of
• Grasp
• Know
• Learn
• Realize
• Think
• Understand

Example

❌ Participants will understand developmental screening.

✅ Participants will implement developmental screening recommendations in practice.

Action Verbs to Use with Caution

The following verbs may be appropriate when measuring knowledge but often do not demonstrate competence, performance, or practice change.

• Define
• Describe
• Discuss
• List
• Recall
• Recognize

Example

Knowledge Objective

✅ Describe current recommendations for autism screening.

Performance Objective

✅ Implement autism screening recommendations during routine patient encounters.

IPCE Examples

Values & Ethics

• Participants will be able to apply principles of family-centered care when collaborating with patients, families, and healthcare team members.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Participants will be able to differentiate the roles and responsibilities of rehabilitation professionals, nurses, physicians, and social workers in care planning.

Interprofessional Communication

• Participants will be able to utilize structured communication tools that improve information sharing across healthcare professions.

Teams & Teamwork

• Participants will be able to collaborate effectively across professions to improve care coordination for children with complex healthcare needs.

Learning Objective Checklist

Before submitting an activity application, confirm:

• Objectives align with the identified professional practice gap.
• Objectives address the educational need.
• Objectives begin with a measurable action verb.
• Objectives focus on learner behavior rather than presentation content.
• Objectives support the intended outcome level.
• Objectives align with educational strategies.
• Objectives align with evaluation methods.
• IPCE activities support interprofessional collaboration when applicable.
• Objectives support meaningful improvements in professional practice, team performance, patient outcomes, and/or system improvement.