We can be confident that if the learning objectives are successfully accomplished, the course goals will have been achieved. Well written objectives help you in planning, organizing and delivering course content and help students direct and monitor their own learning. The objectives provide the framework for selecting and designing appropriate teaching and learning activities for each. Each objective designates what will be accepted as a valid demonstration of competency. Evaluation instruments and methods will be designed to assess the degree to which each objective is reached.
Goals state the broad, overall purpose of a course in general terms.
O bjectives break goals down into explicit, observable and measurable behaviors that demonstrate competency. For example, a goal might be to demonstrate beginner level competency in riding a horse. This is not an objective. This is a statement about what the instructor wants to do, not the students. Each objective states what students will be able to do after instruction and the level or depth of learning expected.