gagne


 * __ Robert Gagne __**


 * Background Information: **

Robert Gagne (1916–2002) was an educational psychologist who pioneered the science of instruction in the 1940s. His book “The Conditions of Learning,” first published in 1965, identified the conditions necessary for effective learning. He was considered a pioneer in Instructional Design.


 * The Big Idea: **

Gagne’s Theory was published in his book “Conditions of Learning”, first published in 1965, and revised in in three additional editions in 1970, 1977, and 1985. The book became one of the most important works in instruction design, laying the foundation for a theory and research based approach.

Gagne identified several categories of learning. In the last edition of his book, the list included verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, problem solving, motor skills and attitudes. He also identified the internal (cognitive) and external (instructional design) conditions necessary to promote learning the different kinds of knowledge and skill.

For intellectual skills ,Gagne suggests that learning tasks can be organized in a hierarchy according to complexity: stimulus recognition, response generation, procedure following, use of terminology, discriminations, concept formation, rule application, and problem solving.

Gagne’s theory advocated starting with the final task to be learned and analyze what must the learner do to accomplish the task The analysis is repeated for all tasks until all the skills for a given task have been identified which produces a map for instruction

For cognitive strategies, Gagne argues different internal and external conditions are necessary for each type of learning. For example, if cognitive strategies are to be developed, there must be a chance for the learner to practice developing new solutions to problems. For the learner to learn attitudes the learner must be exposed to a credible instructor, role model or persuasive arguments. Additionally, Gagne outlines nine-events of instruction, also know as nine levels of learning in his theory that are used as a guide for designing effective lessons or training.

(1) Gaining Attention (reception)- Gain attention of your auduence (2)  Informing Learners of the objective (expectancy)- Explain objectives, and purpose of training (3)  Stimulating Recall of Prior Learning (retrieval)  - Tie new information to what they have learned in the past (4) Presenting the Stimulus (selective perception)- Get learners involved with training if they have prior experience, present new information in organized manner using different media and styles (5) Providing Learning Guidance (semantic encoding)  - To help learners retain information, use alternative methods such as storytelling or providing examples (6) Eliciting Performance (responding) – Learners demonstrate what they have learned to the teacher (7) Providing Feedback (reinforcement)- Provide good, constructive fee dback involving learners so they can learn and improve performance in the future (8) Assessing Performance (retrieval)- Learners should be able to demonstrate what they have learned independently without any help from the teacher (9) Enhancing Retention and Transfer (generalization)- Learners are given opportunity to show they have retained what they have learned by transferring the new knowledge to new situations that are different from the situations they learned in

The theory has been applied to the design of instruction in all fields, special emphasis was placed on the military. Military tasks are usually well-defined and arranged in sequence. An example of how this theory is used in the Army is that all collective tasks a tank platoon has to accomplish are broken down into section tasks and then individual tank crew tasks, and finally individual soldier tasks. Every job in the Army has a task manual for each skill level, which is broken down in this way. When collective training scenarios are designed they are designed to ensure that critical collective tasks and individual tasks are trained.

media type="youtube" key="-_otIYrR6vs" height="283" width="504"


 * Connected to: **

Gagne’s 9th level of learning is enhancing retention and transfer. Teachers or trianers provide enough opportunity to use their learning on a regular basis. This is where learners show they have retained what they have learned by transferring the new knowledge to new situations that are different from the situations they learned.

Kolb & Dewey support this with what they write about learning from experience.

Experiential Learning Theory: Kolb writes--- “Experiential learning theory, however, proceeds from a different set of assumptions. Ideas are not fixed and immutable elements of thought but are formed and re-formed through experience.” The knowledge generated from the experience is more powerful than theory because it is only through experience that theory can truly be grasped.

“Thus one's job as an educator is not only to implant new ideas but also to dispose of or modify old ones. In many cases, resistance to new ideas stems from their conflict with old beliefs that are inconsistent with them. If the education process begins by bringing our the learner's beliefs and theories, examining and testing them, and then integrating the new, more refined ideas into the person's belief systems, the process will be facilitated.”

Dewey- As Dewey suggests in “Democracy and Education” learning and growth results from constantly reorganizing and reconstructing ideas, and connecting them to the activity currently being engaged in. Dewey also writes “to "learn from experience" is to make a backward and forward connection between what we do to things and what we enjoy or suffer from experiment in the world to find out what it is like; the undergoing becomes instruction- discovery of the connection of things.”

References: Militarty Training and Principles of Learning: []

[]

[]