A Definition of Learning Learning is the mechanism by which

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Robert Mills Gagné
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(No Transcript)
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Overview

• A theory of instructional design
• Taxonomy of learning outcomes
• Internal and external conditions of learning
• Nine events of instruction
• Learning hierarchies
• Instructional (learning) objectives

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A Definition of Learning

• Learning is the mechanism by which an individual
  becomes a competently functioning member of
  society
• Instruction is the arrangement of conditions of
  learning to promote attainment of some goal

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Learning Outcome Categories

• A formal and unique class of human performance
  that occurs through learning
• Applies to a widely diverse set of human
  activities
• Requires different instructional treatments,
  prerequisites and processing requirements by the
  learner
• Factors affecting the learning of each category
  should generalize to tasks within but not across
  categories

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Categories of learning outcomes

• 1. Verbal information
• acquisition of declarative knowledge
• 2. Intellectual skills (next slide)
• interacting with the environment using
  symbols
• 3. Motor skills
• the production of mechanical
  operations/behaviors
• 4. Attitudes
• capabilities that influence an individuals
  choice about the kinds of actions to take
• 5. Cognitive strategies
• metacognition / strategic knowledge

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Intellectual Skills A hierarchy

• Discriminations
• ability to distinguish one feature of an object
  from another
• Concrete Concepts
• learning to identify examples of objects, object
  qualities or relations
• Defined Concepts
• learning to identify concepts by definition
• Rules
• make it possible for us to do something, using
  symbols, and to respond to a class of things with
  a class of performances
• Higher-Order Rules
• a complex rule made up of simpler rules

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Gagnés Principle
Arranging the appropriate conditions for learning
ONE
ONE
OBJECTIVE
STRATEGY
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Internal Conditions of Learning

• essential prerequisites
• particular skills that become an integral part
  of new learning
• supportive prerequisites
• capabilities that facilitate learning,
  regardless of the type of outcome

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Learning Hierarchies

• Essential prerequisites can be diagrammed as
  learning hierarchy
• Indicates what competencies must be acquired
• Results from task analysis, working backward from
  terminal objective to known (entry) skill
• Basis for sequencing instruction

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Example learning hierarchy
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External Conditions of Learning

• External events are those events outside the
  learner that activate and support the internal
  processes of learning. The appropriate provision
  of external events is the framework for planning
  instruction.

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Nine Events of Instruction

• Gain Attention
• Inform learner of objectives
• Stimulate recall
• Present stimulus material
• Provide guidance
• Elicit performance
• Provide feedback
• Assess performance
• Enhance retention and transfer

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Examples
Nine Events of Instruction Example 1. Gaining
attention Instructor flip lights on and
off 2. Informing learner of the
objective Instructor tells students what they
will study 3. Stimulating recall of
prerequisites Review yesterdays work 4.
Presenting the stimulus material Text and other
media in order to meet desired outcome 5.
Providing learning guidance Show an example of
a problem 6. Eliciting the performance Ask
students to solve 10 questions 7. Providing
feedback Reinforcement and error correction of
material learned 8. Assessing the
performance Students perform new skill, take
tests, construct portfolio 9. Enhancing
retention and transfer Able to generalize and
transfer skills to new problems or
situations
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Preparing Instructional Objectives

• Once an instructor decides he will teach his
  students something, several kinds of activities
  are necessary on his part if he is to succeed.
  He must first decide upon the goals he intends to
  reach at the end of his course or program. He
  must then select procedures, content, and methods
  that are relevant to the objectives cause the
  student to interact with the appropriate subject
  matter in accordance with principles of learning
  and, finally measure or evaluate the student's
  performance according to the objectives or goals
  originally selected. (Mager, p. 1)

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Reasons for Instructional Objectives

• Purposeful Education
• Organizing Content
• Preparing Assessment Evaluation
• Providing feedback

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Performance Objectives

• situation
• learned capability verb - LCV
• object
• action verb
• tools, constraints, special conditions

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Example objective for an intellectual skill

• situation Given an illustration of three
  triangles, two the same and one different, the
  student verb discriminates object the figure
  that is different action by pointing to it.

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Writing specific instructional objectives

• 1. Describe what you want learners to be doing
  when demonstrating achievement and indicate how
  you will know they are doing it
• 2. In describing, identify and name the
  behavioral act that indicates achievement, define
  the conditions under which the behavior is to
  occur, state the criteria of acceptable
  performance
• 3. Write a separate objective for each learning
  performance