Gagné’s
Conditions of Learning
Donna Margaret
Syanti Dewi
Marcia Tadjuddin
Syaiful Lokan
Robert M. Gagné
(1916-2002)
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PhD in Psychology – Brown University (1940)
Professor, Connecticut College (1940-49)
Professor, Penn State University (1945-46)
Director, US Air Force Perceptual and Motor
Skills Laboratory (1949-58)
• Professor, Dept of Education Research,
Florida State University (1969-2002)
• Conditions of Learning (1965-1985)
Background
• Shifted the focus in theory of development
from the laboratory to the classroom
• Conditions essential to developing
expertise in real-world task? (armed forces
experience)
• Principles of Instruction:
– Providing instruction on the set of component
tasks that build toward the final task
– Ensuring that each component task is
mastered
– Sequences the component tasks to ensure
optimal transfer to the final task
Background
• Success from armed force, now start with
Problem Solving in Mathematics
• The lack of success experienced by some
students was the result of apparent gaps in their
knowledge of procedures (simplifying fractions)
• Identification of subcomponents of the final task
led to the concept of a Learning hierarchy
• Properly identified prerequisite skills contribute
to the learning of more complex capabilities
Student’s work
Student’s work
PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING
• Key: to identify the factors that account
for the complex nature of human
learning
• Before: began with an explanation of the
learning process based on laboratory
research & fit the conclusions to human
learning
• Gagne’s: derived from the analysis of
the variety of performances and skills
executed by human beings.
What is learning?
• Gagné believed that an external
observer could recognize learning by
noting behavioral changes that remains
persistent over time (Gagné, 1974)
• He also stated that maturation is not
learning because the individual does not
receive stimulation from the outside
environment (Gagné, 1974).
• Learning has two parts, one that is
external to the learner and one that is
internal (Gagné, Briggs, & Wager, 1992)
Gagnè’s Conditions of Learning
Human
learning
generalizes
to a variety
of situations.
Nature of
Human
Learning
Human
learning is
cumulative.
Conditions of Learning
• Learning is an important causal factor in
development
• Human learning is cumulative
Learning of certain skills contributes to the
learning of more complex skills
• Human learning is both complex and
diverse
• Learning is set of cognitive processes
that transforms the stimulation from the
environment into capabilities
Framework of Learning
The 5 varieties of Learning
The cognitive processing
phases (Internal Conditions)
The environmental supports for
learning (external conditions)
Five Varieties of Learning
Verbal
Information
Cognitive
Strategies
Attitudes
Intellectual
Skills
Motor Skills
The five varieties of Learning
The five varieties of Learning
The five varieties of Learning
Internal Conditions
Prerequisite
skills
Learners
Internal States
Internal
Conditions
Cognitive
Processes
Attitude that
influence the
new learning
Nine Phases of Learning
1. Attending
2. Expectancy
3. Retrieval to working memory
4. Selective perception of stimulus
features
5. Semantic Encoding
6. Retrieval and Responding
7. Reinforcement
8. Cueing retrieval
9. Generalizability
The Nine Phases of Learning
Description
Learning phrase
Instructional event
Preparation of
Learning
Reception
1. Gaining attention
Giving learner a stimulus to
ensure reception of coming
instruction
Expectancy
2. Informing the learner of the
objective
Telling learner what they will
be able to do for the
instruction
Retrieval
3. Stimulating recall of prior
learning
Asking for recall of existing
relevant knowledge
The Nine Phases of Learning
Description
Learning phrase
Instructional event
Acquisition and Selective perception 4. Presenting the stimulus
Displaying the content
performance
5. Providing learner guidance
Semantic encoding
Supplying organization and
relevance to enhance
understanding
Responding
6. Eliciting performance
Asking learners to respond,
demonstrating learning
Reinforcement
7. Providing Feedback
Giving immediate feedback on
learner's performance.
The Nine Phases of Learning
Description
Learning phrase
Transfer of learning
Retrieval
Generalization
Instructional event
8. Assessing performance
Providing feedback to
learners' more performance
for reinforcement
9. Enhancing retention and
transfer
Providing diverse practice to
generalize the capability
Educational Applications
Gagne addresses several issues of
importance in the classroom:
1. Learner characteristics
2. Cognitive Processes and Instruction
3. The Social Context for Learning
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1. Learner Characteristics
• Individual differences
 Cognitive strategies
 Rate of learning
 Entry capabilities < may be assessed at
beginning points
Compensating for individual differences:
Small group instruction
Tutorial mode
Independent learning
Individualized instruction systems
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1. Learner Characteristics
• Readiness
 Lower skills in the hierarchy of intellectual
skills have been acquired (essential
prerequisite capabilities).
 The essential rules and concepts has been
grasp and understood.
• Motivation
 To design an effective instruction, we need to
identify students’ motives and channel those
motives into productive activities that lead to
the accomplishment of educational objectives.
 Achievements motivation (David McClelland’s)
 Incentive motivation
 Task motivation
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2. Cognitive Processes and Instruction
• Transfer of learning
 Retrieval of capabilities at the conclusion of
the 9 instructional events.
 Application of skills by introducing new
situations.
• Learning “How-to-Learn” skills
 Every individual has ways to manage his or
her learning, remembering and thinking.
 Although not always easy, we should
challenge students to work up to their
potential. This can improve their how-tolearn skills.
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2. Cognitive Processes and Instruction
• Learners discovers how to combine
previously learned rules to generate a
solution to a problem that is new to them.
• Teaching problem solving requires:
 Previously acquired necessary rules
 A problem situation that the learner has not
encountered before
• The result of problem solving process is
the acquisition of higher-order rule.
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3. The Social Context for Learning
Designing
Instructional Systems
Provide with sets of
materials, learners
decides the pace and
management of
instruction.
Developing Models of
Teaching
A teacher or an
individual conducts or
manages the
instructions
Things to consider when implementing a context for
learning:
•Tutoring and extension situation
•Small group and large group instructions
•Entry capabilities of learners
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