Types of Learning Objectives

DOE-HDBK-1200-97

3. TYPES OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning objectives identify what the trainee will

know, be able to perform, and value, respectively, following training. Even though aspects

of job performance have been classified into three separate domains, in practice, most tasks

include aspects of all three. Each course may have cognitive as well as psychomotor

learning objectives to achieve the required job competence.

3.1 Cognitive Learning Objectives

Cognitive objectives define what knowledge the trainee must have to perform the job

properly. The use of facts, principles, rules, and theory to perform tasks under normal or

uncertain conditions can be addressed by the use of cognitive objectives. Training needs

analysis, job analysis, and task analysis are sources for determining cognitive learning

objectives.

The developer should ensure that learning objectives are created to lead the trainee from

some entry level ability to the desired performance. This will require objectives to be

written at a variety of levels to reflect simple as well as complex knowledge that is required

to perform a task well. A taxonomy comprised of six cognitive levels is listed below. These

levels are ordered from the simple (knowledge) to the more complex (evaluation). This

taxonomy is only one construct that can be applied to the classification of cognitive levels.

Knowledge

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation