Mager’s Model for Writing Measurable Learning Objectives
Writing effective learning objectives is deceptively difficult. Objectives are often treated as a formality—something to include at the beginning of a course rather than a tool that actively guides instruction and assessment. As a result, many objectives describe intent rather than performance, making them difficult to teach to and impossible to evaluate.
Robert Mager’s Model for Writing Objectives was developed to address this exact problem. The model provides a practical structure for writing objectives that are specific, observable, and measurable—objectives that clearly define what successful learning looks like.
Why Learning Objectives Fail So Often
Poorly written objectives tend to share the same issues. They rely on vague language, focus on content exposure rather than learner performance, or omit the conditions under which learning will be demonstrated. When objectives lack clarity, instructors are left to interpret expectations, and assessments often fail to measure what was actually intended.
For example, an objective such as:
> Learners will understand the onboarding process.
sounds reasonable, but it raises immediate questions:
What does “understand” mean in practice?
How will learners demonstrate this understanding?
What evidence would confirm success?
Mager’s Model exists to remove this ambiguity.
What Mager’s Model Is
Mager’s Model defines a learning objective as a statement that clearly describes the learner’s expected performance, the conditions under which that performance occurs, and the criteria for acceptable achievement. Rather than focusing on what instructors will teach, the model centers on what learners must be able to do.
The model is commonly referred to as the A-B-C-D format, representing four essential components:
Audience
Behavior
Condition
Degree
Together, these components ensure that an objective can guide instruction and support valid assessment.
The Four Components of Mager’s Model
Audience
The audience identifies who the learner is. In many cases, this is implied by the course or program context and does not need to be restated repeatedly. The purpose of identifying the audience is not formality, but clarity—objectives should be written from the learner’s perspective, not the instructor’s.
Behavior
Behavior is the core of the objective. It describes the observable action the learner will perform. This is where Bloom’s Taxonomy directly applies. The behavior must be stated using a verb that reflects the level of cognitive performance expected and can be observed or measured.
Words such as understand, know, or be aware of do not meet this requirement because they describe internal states rather than demonstrable actions.
Condition
The condition specifies the circumstances under which the learner will perform the behavior. This may include tools, references, constraints, or environmental factors. Conditions are often omitted, yet they are critical because they define what support is available and what the performance context looks like.
Without conditions, objectives lack realism and assessments become inconsistent.
Degree
Degree defines the criteria for acceptable performance. It answers the question: How well is well enough? This may include accuracy, completeness, frequency, or time constraints. Degree is essential for assessment because it establishes a clear standard for success.
An objective without degree leaves evaluation open to interpretation.
Putting the Model Together
When combined, the four components form a complete and measurable objective. For example:
Learners in Leading Meetings will be able to develop a meeting agenda using the provided template with no missing required sections.
This objective:
Identifies the learner
Uses an observable behavior
Specifies the condition
Defines a clear performance standard
Each component plays a distinct role. Removing any one of them weakens the objective and reduces its instructional value.
Good vs. Weak Objective Examples
A weak objective often looks like this:
Learners will understand how to generate reports.
This objective does not describe performance, conditions, or criteria. It cannot reliably guide instruction or assessment.
A Mager-aligned version would be:
Given access to the reporting system, learners will generate a standard performance report that matches the provided example.
Here, the expected behavior is clear, the condition is defined, and the criteria for success are implied through comparison to a standard.
Another weak example:
Participants will be familiar with safety procedures.
A stronger alternative:
Using the safety checklist, participants will identify all required safety steps without omissions.
The difference is not verbosity—it is precision.
Why Mager’s Model Matters for Instruction and Assessment
Mager’s Model is not simply a writing technique; it is a design tool. Clear objectives make it easier to select appropriate instructional activities and ensure that assessments measure the intended learning.
When objectives specify behavior, condition, and degree:
Instruction can be designed to mirror real performance
Practice activities align with expectations
Assessments collect valid evidence of learning
Without this alignment, instruction may appear effective while failing to produce measurable results.
How Mager’s Model Complements Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy and Mager’s Model serve different but complementary purposes. Bloom’s Taxonomy helps determine the level of learning required, while Mager’s Model ensures the objective is written with enough specificity to be taught and assessed.
Together, they form a strong foundation for instructional design:
Bloom’s clarifies the type of cognitive performance
Mager ensures that performance is clearly defined and measurable
Conclusion
Mager’s Model remains one of the most practical frameworks for writing learning objectives because it forces clarity where ambiguity is common. By requiring explicit behaviors, conditions, and criteria, the model transforms objectives from vague statements into functional design tools.
When learning objectives are written using Mager’s Model, they do more than describe intent—they guide instruction, support assessment, and define what successful learning actually looks like.
