Hall of Fame
Robert Gagne (1916 - 2002)
Robert Gagne, a behaviourist by background and inclination,
also took an interest in the information processing view of learning
and memory.
The Conditions of Learning was published in 1965 outlining his
learning theory. Then, in 1968, an article called Learning Hierarchies,
followed by Domains of Learning in 1972. In these texts he developed
his five categories of learning and a universal method for instruction
defined in nine instructional steps.
Five categories of learning
Gagne’s theory has five categories of learning:
| Intellectual Skills |
Demonstrated by classifying things and problem solving
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| Cognitive strategies |
Demonstrated by their use and appropriate application |
| Verbal information |
Demonstrated by stating the information accurately |
| Motor skills |
Demonstrated by physical performance |
| Attitudes |
Demonstrated by preferring options |
Nine instructional events
He insisted on a single method of instruction that can be applied
to all five categories of learning. These instructional events were
to be the bedrock for good instructional design. You were expected
to move through them step by step like a recipe.
| 1 Gaining attention |
To get the learner into an expectant state |
| 2 Stating the objective |
To get the learner to understand what they will be able to
do as a result of the instruction |
| 3 Stimulating recall of prior learning |
To get the learner to appreciate that they posses existing
relevant knowledge |
| 4 Presenting the stimulus |
To expose the learner to the content |
| 5 Providing learning guidance |
To get the learner to understand the content |
| 6 Eliciting performance |
To get the learner to demonstrate what they have learned |
| 7 Providing feedback |
To inform the learner about their performance |
| 8 Assessing performance |
To reinforce the learning |
| 9 Enhancing retention and transfer to other contexts |
To get the learner to indulge in varied practice and to generalise
the new capability |
Conclusion
He was one of the few learning theorists who provided some simple
and practical advice on instructional design, which in some way
accounts for his success. Although his instructional model is not
applicable to all types of learning, he brought a certain method
to design which produced lots of solid learning design and content.
Bibliography
Gagne, R. M. (1965). The Conditions of Learning, New York: Holt,
Rinehart & Winston.
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