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Eli knows that diving straight into PowerPoints slides is a trap. If you don’t set clear goals for what the training should cover, you risk losing focus—or creating a course that doesn’t meet anyone’s needs. 

For example, if the training is supposed to address topics A (communication strategies), B (managing daily activities), and C (recognizing caregiver stress), but nothing is clearly stated, what’s to stop stakeholders or subject matter experts from adding unrelated topics? Without learning objectives, the scope can easily balloon. 

That’s why Eli’s first step is to clarify the process: set the course goals before building any content. 

Eli remembers the anatomy of a learning objective: action, condition, and standard. 

• Action: What should learners do after the course? 
• Condition: Under what circumstances or with what resources? 
• Standard: How will success be measured? 

Instead of a vague goal like “learn about dementia care,” Eli drafts something concrete: 

“By the end of this training, learners will demonstrate three communication techniques (action) in role-play scenarios with caregivers (condition) with at least 80% accuracy according to the checklist (standard).” 

This clarity makes evaluation—and learner success—possible. 

Eli designs objectives by asking: What should learners be able to do by the end? The focus isn’t just on “knowing” but on applying skills in real situations. 

Looking at the slides, Eli notices a lot of medical definitions. They’re helpful background but won’t necessarily help a community health worker (CHW) or family caregiver talk calmly to a distressed client. By focusing on the end goals, Eli filters out unnecessary information and keeps the course practical. 

Eli leans on Bloom’s Taxonomy to make objectives measurable. Instead of saying “understand dementia behaviors,” Eli swaps in clearer verbs: 

• “Identify” early signs of dementia. 
• “Demonstrate” communication strategies for calming agitation. 
• “Evaluate” a care plan for alignment with client needs. 

Each verb creates a sharper expectation for learners and ties directly to observable skills. 

Eli strengthens the objectives using the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. 

For example:
“By the end of this module, learners will develop a daily activity plan (Specific) that includes at least three personalized strategies for engagement (Measurable), using the provided template (Achievable), tailored to the needs of a person living with dementia (Relevant), within a 20-minute group activity (Time-bound).” 

This makes the outcome clear for everyone—learners, trainers, and stakeholders. 

Dementia care is all about real-world interactions. Instead of giving abstract information, Eli frames objectives through relatable scenarios. 

For example, rather than:
“Learners will recognize caregiver stress.” 

Eli reframes it as:
“Given a case study of a family caregiver (condition), learners will identify three signs of stress (action) and recommend one support strategy (standard).” 

This helps learners see themselves in the situation and practice strategies they can use immediately. 

Eli makes sure objectives aren’t hidden in the facilitator’s guide. They’re visible to learners at the start of each module, repeated during activities, and tied directly to knowledge checks. 

After the pilot run, Eli gathers feedback: Did learners meet the objectives? Were they practical? Did they help build confidence in dementia care skills? If not, it’s back to refining for the next version.