Observable objectives

Training is designed from what learners will be able to do at the end, not from the content available. Starting from the content gives long courses where everything is said but nothing is practised. Starting from the objectives gives short courses where every part serves a purpose.

• Avoid: “understand IT security”. How would you check it?
• Prefer: “recognise a phishing email among five examples”.
• Prefer: “choose the right procedure for a described incident”.
• Prefer: “write a leave request that complies with the regulations”.

Each observable objective already says which exercise will check it. “Recognise a phishing email among five examples” is both the objective and the final exercise. The content of the lesson then comes down to what lets learners succeed at that exercise.