When writing learning goals, objectives, or outcomes, it’s easy to fall into certain traps that can diminish their effectiveness. 

Here are some of the most common pitfalls and misconceptions to avoid, along with their possible impact on your brand, marketing, communication and user experience.  

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The most common mistakes

1. Being Too Vague

One of the most frequent issues is writing goals or outcomes that are too general or vague. While it’s important to capture the broad intention behind a learning experience, your goals and outcomes must be specific enough to provide clear direction.

• Example of a vague outcome: “Students will understand marketing principles.”

This is unclear because “understand” is a broad term. How exactly will learners demonstrate their understanding of marketing principles?

• Solution: Use action verbs that clearly describe measurable outcomes.
• Improved outcome: “Students will be able to explain the four Ps of marketing and apply them in a case study analysis.”

Brand, marketing, communication implications:

When goals are too vague, your marketing messages become unclear, making it difficult for potential learners to understand the value of the course. Vague promises, such as “improve skills,” may set unclear expectations, leading to confusion and disappointed customers who feel they didn’t gain concrete value from the course.

2. Being Too Narrow

On the flip side, being overly specific can lead to goals or outcomes that are too limited in scope, making it hard to see the bigger picture of what learners will ultimately achieve.

• Example of a too-narrow outcome: “Students will be able to recall the definition of a plant cutting.”

While this covers part of the knowledge they need, it doesn’t address the broader skills related to plant propagation.

• Solution: Broaden the focus to include both recall and application or understanding in a real-world context.
• Improved outcome: “Students will be able to propagate plants using various techniques, including cuttings, layering, and division.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

If your learning goals are too narrow, it may limit your marketing reach. Overly specific outcomes may also set the wrong expectations, making the course seem less comprehensive, which can deter potential customers looking for a broader skill set.

3. Focusing on Teaching, Not Learning

Learning outcomes should be learner-centred, describing what learners will achieve, not what the instructor will cover. Avoid framing them around teaching activities.

• Example of focusing on teaching: “We will cover the basics of plant propagation.”

This is about what the instructor will do, not what the learner will achieve.

• Solution: Reframe outcomes to focus on learner achievements.
• Improved outcome: “By the end of this module, learners will be able to successfully propagate plants using five different techniques.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

If your promotional materials focus on activities rather than outcomes, potential learners may not see the value in the course. They want to know the skills they will gain, not just the tasks they’ll complete.

4. Using Ambiguous Language (Forgetting to Make Outcomes Measurable)

Ambiguous terms like “know,” “understand,” or “learn” are difficult to measure because they don’t specify what learners need to do to demonstrate mastery. Outcomes should be specific, measurable and observable.

• Example of ambiguous language: “Students will know how to market their services.” or “Learners will grasp the fundamentals of customer engagement.”

It’s unclear how learners will demonstrate this knowledge.

• Solution: Use clear, observable actions to define what learners will do.
• Improved outcome: “Students will create a marketing plan for their services and present it to the class for peer review.” or “Learners will create a customer engagement strategy and implement it in a simulated environment.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

Non-measurable, ambiguous outcomes make it difficult to communicate tangible results to potential learners. Your marketing messages may come across as vague and lacking in substance, making it harder to convince customers of the course’s value. Measurable outcomes help learners see the specific, real-world benefits they can expect, which makes your marketing more compelling. Clarity is key to attracting the right audience.

5. Overcomplicating the Language

Using overly technical or academic language to describe learning goals and outcomes can make them difficult for learners to understand.

• Example of complex language: “Students will internalise and operationalise the integrated concepts of branding methodologies.”
• Solution: Simplify the language and use terms that are more accessible.
• Improved outcome: “Students will learn how to develop and apply branding strategies for small businesses.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

Overly complicated language in your marketing copy or course description can alienate potential customers. People may feel intimidated or unsure if the course is right for them, resulting in lost sales. Clear, accessible language aligned with your audience level helps ensure learners understand what they will gain from the course and leads to better alignment between expectations and delivery.

6. Ignoring Real-World Application and Learner Needs

Outcomes should reflect how learners will apply their new skills or knowledge in real-world contexts. Failing to do this can make outcomes feel detached from learners’ needs and practical use.

• Example of an outcome lacking real-world application: “Students will complete quizzes on plant propagation techniques.”

While quizzes can measure recall, they don’t show if learners can apply the techniques.

• Solution: Include outcomes that demonstrate practical application.
• Improved outcome: “Students will successfully propagate plants using cuttings in a hands-on activity.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

If learning outcomes don’t align with the real-world needs of your target audience, your marketing will fail to resonate. You might attract the wrong audience, or worse, learners may drop out or leave negative feedback. If the course doesn’t deliver what learners expect or need, it can erode trust and harm your brand’s reputation.

7. Setting Unrealistic Expectations

Sometimes, goals or outcomes are set too high for the course level or timeframe. This can overwhelm learners, put them off from enrolling, and, when enrolled, lead to frustration if the objectives feel unattainable.

• Example of unrealistic expectations: “By the end of this one-day workshop, learners will master advanced business marketing strategies.”

Mastery of advanced strategies is unlikely in such a short period.

• Solution: Set realistic and achievable outcomes based on the course level and duration.
• Improved outcome: “By the end of this one-day workshop, learners will be able to identify and explain three key strategies for improving business marketing.”

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

Overpromising and underdelivering can severely damage your brand and lead to negative reviews. Learners who feel misled or don’t achieve the expected outcomes are unlikely to recommend your course. Unrealistic goals set incorrect expectations, leading to frustrated and disappointed customers who feel they wasted their time and money.

8. Not Aligning with Assessments

Your learning outcomes should be directly aligned with your assessments. If there’s a disconnect between what you say learners will achieve and how you assess them, it can lead to confusion and poor measurement of learner’s progress.

• Example of a misaligned outcome: “Students will develop a marketing plan,” but the only assessment is a multiple-choice quiz.

This outcome focuses on practical application, but the assessment doesn’t reflect this.

• Solution: Ensure your assessments measure the specific skills or knowledge outlined in your outcomes.
• Improved alignment: “Students will develop and present a marketing plan for peer feedback.”

9. Failing to Update Outcomes Over Time

Not revisiting and refining learning outcomes as course content evolves or learner needs change.

Impact on Marketing and Communication:

Outdated learning outcomes in your marketing can lead to a disconnect between what learners expect and what the course delivers. If your marketing materials promise skills or knowledge that are no longer the focus of the course, learners may feel misled, leading to negative feedback and lower satisfaction.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll ensure that your learning goals and outcomes are clear, measurable, and aligned with instructional strategies and assessments, as well as supporting your marketing communication. This will make the learning experience more focused, meaningful, and results-oriented.

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