Simply put, course learning outcomes (CLO) are the goals that the learner is looking to accomplish by the end of the course, and learning objectives are the goals they will accomplish over a week/module/section. The learning objectives serves to breakdown the course learning outcome and make it manageable, giving it specific, measurable, and achievable targets (UMGC, 2024a). When using an example such as a weight loss journey or learning a new language; your CLO/overarching goal is to lose X amount of weight or be able to complete a conversation in the new language. These both serve as end goals for a course (or goal in your personal life) and are grand. Learning objectives for these could be: by the end of this week, you will create and implement a gym/exercise schedule, and by the end of this module, you will be able to say hello and introduce yourself in X language. These both are goals that take the larger overall goal and break them into meaningful steps.
Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that classifies goals into differing levels that are distinguished by complexity (UMGC, 2024b). Bloom's Taxonomy is meant to assist designers in creating appropriately mentally engaging objectives and outcomes.
Remembering - Recall facts and information; memorize, list
Understanding - Describe information in your own words; describe, infer
Applying - Use information previously learned in new/different situations to solve problems; demonstrate, solve
Analyzing - Take material/information and look at it for patterns and relationships; examine, experiment
Evaluating - Judge material/information based off of criteria; assess, judge
Creating - Develop new materials, ideas, concepts; generate, develop
References:
UMGC. (2024a). Course learning outcomes (terminal) vs. learning objectives (enabling).
UMGC. (2024b). Bloom's taxonomy - overview.
UMGC. (2024c). Creating learning objectives with bloom's taxonomy.