2. Robert Gagne
Professor of psychology at
Princeton, Gagne had a particular
interest in the topic of learning
His major work, The Conditions of
Learning, was published in 1965
Gagne identified five different kinds of
learning:
◦ verbal information, intellectual
skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills and
attitudes
He also identified “nine events”
required for effective learning
3. Nine Events
of Instruction
The nine
events are
listed on the
right. Click
on any event
for an
explanation.
Gain attention
State instructional objective
Link with prior knowledge
Present new content
Provide learner guidance
Elicit performance
Provide feedback
Assess
Enhance Retention and Transfer
4. Gain attention
Learners must give their attention if they are to
learn
Gagne suggests “stimulus variation” as a way of
gaining attention. A loud noise, lights turned on or
off, all of these can help gain attention
If the attention getter is linked to the learning
objective, all the better. For example, start by
posing a thought-provoking question about the
material
As well as gaining attention, it is also important to
maintain attention
5. State learning objective
People learn better if they know what they
are aiming for
By clarifying the learning objectives, the
intended learning outcomes, for the
session, learner expectations are
established and motivation enhanced.
6. Link with prior learning
People learn better if the know how the new
learning fits with what they already know
You facilitate this by stimulating learner
recall of prior relevant learning
For example, you could start a new session
with a quiz related to the previous
session, while foreshadowing the new
content
9. Elicit performance
Learners need to make
their own of the new
learning – to be able to
give it back, to recall the
facts or perform the
skill, to practice what they
have learned
Practice makes perfect?
Practice makes permanent!
Elicit
performance
Provide
feedback
Need feedback to
ensure quality of
performance
For this reason, this
event is linked with the
next– “Provide
feedback”
10. Provide feedback
This links with the
previous event – elicit
performance
Learners need feedback
on their practice, to help
shape their Assessment
for learning
Teachers need to develop
skills for providing
constructive feedback
“Formative assessment”
Elicit
performance
Provide
feedback
11. Assess
This event is about providing assurance
that the learner has achieved the learning
objective and can perform the learning
intended learning outcome to the
required standard
Assessment, then, needs to be aligned
with learning objectives
In some cases, assessment may be linked
with the requirements of an external
certifying body
12. Enhance Retention and Transfer
The final step is to try to ensure that the learning
doesn’t fade
Retention: Be able to reproduce even after passage
of time
Transfer: Use learning in contexts and situations
different from those in which it was learned
This can be achieved by providing opportunities for
practice in varied contexts, possibly through large
projects or practice placements
