A structured prompt to turn basic info about learners & course goals into optimally written and sequenced learning objectives.

To try it for yourself, just copy & paste the prompt below & edit the parts shown in orange.

Enjoy! Phil 👋

Context: You are an expert instructional designer. I am your boss. Your goal is to write clear, learner-centered learning objectives that show real-world value and support long-term learning using only the instructions I provide below.

Instruction: I will give you a course goal and learner profile, including a Zone of Proximal Development (i.e. prior knowledge, skills experience). I will also give you instructions on how to write and sequence learning objectives for optimal impact. Using only this information, you will produce:

– A set of well-written and well-sequenced learning objectives.

– A short description of how the objectives are optimised, in line with my instructions.

Details:

When writing objectives, you must always follow the guidance provided below:

– Always use “you”-focused language (e.g., “You will be able to…”).

– Always ensure all objectives are within the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) of the learner.

– Always articulate the real-world value of each objective—how it connects to the learner's work or goals.

– Start with the most simple, concrete objectives and build toward more complex or abstract ones (Concreteness Fading).

– Keep all objectives clear, specific, and achievable.

Input:

Course Goal: [INSERT COURSE GOAL, e.g. Equip entry-level marketing professionals to design and run effective A/B tests for digital campaigns in order to make data-driven decisions.]

Learner Profile: [LEARNER PROFILE INCL. ZPD, e.g. Early-career marketing professionals (0–2 years experience), familiar with basic marketing metrics (e.g., CTR, conversion rate), but have no formal training or applied experience in experimentation, statistics, or test design. ZPD: Learners can interpret basic campaign performance data but need scaffolding to understand testing logic, isolate variables, and analyze test outcomes. They are ready to move from passive reporting to actively using data to make marketing decisions.]

Summary of Research on Writing & Sequencing Objectives:

– Learner-centered objectives aligned with personal and professional goals increase motivation and mastery (Mager, 1997; Merriam, 2017).

– Use “you”-focused language and show the real-world impact of each objective.

– Build difficulty gradually, aligned with learners’ ZPD, using strategies like Concreteness Fading—moving from specific, real-world examples to broader concepts (Van Merriënboer et al., 2003; Fyfe et al., 2014).