Gagné’s Conditions of Learning
Theory: Conditions of Learning
Theorist: Robert Mills Gagné
Keywords: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills,
attitudes
Biography:
Robert Mills Gagné was born August 21, 1916, in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Gagne scholarly known as an American educational psychologist and established the
well-known ‘Conditions of Learning’. He earned an A.B. degree from Yale in 1937 and a
Ph.D. from Brown University in 1940. He was a professor of psychology and educational
psychology at Connecticut College for Women (1940-1949), Pennsylvania State
University (1945-1946), Princeton (1958-1962), and the University of California at
Berkeley (1966-1969) and was a professor in the Department of Educational Research at
Florida State University in Tallahassee starting in 1969. Gagné also served as a research
director for the Air Force (1949-1958) at Lackland, Texas, and Lowry, Colorado. He was
employed as a consultant to the Department of Defense (1958-1961) and to the United
States Office of Education (1964-1966). In addition, he served as a director of research at
the American Institute of Research in Pittsburgh (1962-1965).
Gagné initiated the discipline of instruction during World War 2 when he worked
with the Army Air Corps training pilots. He went on to develop a series of studies and
works that simplified and explained what he and others believed to be 'good instruction’
(Johnson, 2008). Gagné was also interested in designing computer-based training and
multimedia based learning by inserting learning instruction element. Gagné's work is
sometimes summarized as the Gagné Assumption. The assumption is that different types
of learning exist, and that different instructional conditions are most likely to bring about
these different types of learning (Johnson, 2008). Gagné passed away on, April 28, 2002,
in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
Description of Theory:
Gagne’s The Conditions of Learning was published in 1965 is a prominent theory
on relating environment as the main factor that affects the learning instructions. The
effectiveness of learning is fundamentally rely on events in the environment with which
learners feedback is important to be measured more closely and reflect understanding on
what the teaching contents. Gagne (1985) portrayed that “[l]earning is not simply an
event that happens naturally; it is also an event that happens under certain observable
conditions” (pg. 2). These conditions as mentioned can be effectively controlled by using
certain methodologies and be altered depending on the learning conditions in order to
gain meaningful learning outcomes (Gagne, 1985).
EVENTS OF LEARNING
CONDITIONS
OF
LEARNING
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
(CAPABILITIES)
Figure 1. The relations between events of learning, outcomes of learning, and
conditions of learning by Gagné, 1985, p. 18.
Gagné’s condition of learning stipulates that levels and types of learning can be
existed by numerous of way. The classifications made by Gagné come with different
types of instruction that made this theory significantly with teaching and learning
practices. Generally, instruction in a key to promote learning and conditions of learning
play a significant role to attain learning objectives. Gagné (1985) agreed that “the
external situation needs to be arranged to activate, support, and maintain the internal
processing that constitutes each learning event” (pg. 20). Gagné identifies five major
categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor
skills and attitudes. Different internal and external conditions are necessary for each type
of learning. For example, for cognitive strategies to be learned, there must be an option to
practice developing new solutions to problems; to learn attitudes, the learner must be
exposed to a reliable role model or credible arguments (Culatta, 2012).
While Gagné’s theoretical framework covers all aspects of learning, the focus of
the theory is on intellectual skills. The theory has been applied to the design of instruction
in all domains (Gagné & Driscoll, 1988). Gagne suggests that learning tasks for
intellectual skills 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 (Gagné, 1985).
The major significance of the hierarchy is to identify fundamentals that should be
completed to facilitate learning at each level. Prerequisites are identified by doing a task
analysis of learning and training task. Learning hierarchies provide a basis for the
sequencing of instruction.
Briefly, the theory outlines nine instructional events and corresponding cognitive
processes:(1) gaining attention (reception) (2) informing learners of the objective
(expectancy) (3) stimulating recall of prior learning (retrieval) (4) presenting the stimulus
(selective perception) (5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding) (6) eliciting
performance (responding) (7) providing feedback (reinforcement) (8) assessing
performance (retrieval), and (9) enhancing retention and transfer (generalization). These
events should satisfy or provide the necessary conditions for learning and serve as the
basis for designing instruction and selecting appropriate media (Gagné, Briggs & Wager,
1992).
The following example illustrates a teaching sequence corresponding to the nine
instructional events for the objective; recognize an equilateral triangle (Culatta, 2012):
1.
Gain attention - show variety of computer generated triangles
2.
Identify objective - pose question: "What is an equilateral triangle?"
3.
Recall prior learning - review definitions of triangles
4.
Present stimulus - give definition of equilateral triangle
5.
Guide learning- show example of how to create equilateral
6.
Elicit performance - ask students to create 5 different examples
7.
Provide feedback - check all examples as correct/incorrect
8.
Assess performance- provide scores and remediation
9.
Enhance retention/transfer - show pictures of objects and ask students to
identify equilaterals
Learning does not occur unless the learner is receptive to incoming information.
In order for learning to take place, the instructor must initially capture the attention of the
students. Usually, gaining attention is accomplished by a stimulus change (Driscoll
1994). An understanding of pedagogical theory can increase the effectiveness of
bibliographic instruction.
Theory Measurement and Instrumentation:
The Conditions of Learning is modified, extended, and used to form a logical
model applicable to planning and teaching the social studies. It is used to develop
planning procedures and to sequence instructional activities consistent with attaining
complex levels of student learning (Gredler, 1997). Sample activities are provided for
each of the five levels of learning: verbal association, discrimination learning, concept
learning, rule learning, and problem solving. Each sample activity contains eight
component parts including (1) focus, (2) learning objectives, (3) instructional set, (4)
student directions, (5) student activities, (6) format of answer or decision sheet, (7)
activity follow-up question, and (8) transfer readiness data. A similar model can be used
as a basis for creating pre-objectives and test-items at each level. Social studies teachers
and supervisors from three Florida counties found the modified Gagné model to be a
useful construct for teachers who desire ways of teaching concepts and problem solving
skills in intermediate and secondary social studies classrooms (Driscoll, 1994).
Prepared by: Muhd K. Omar
References:
Calutta, R. (2012, November 3). Conditions of learning (Robert Gagne) [Web log
comment). Retrieved from
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/conditions-learning.html
Driscoll, M. P. (1994). Psychology of learning for instruction. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Gagné, R. M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of instruction (4th Edition).
New York, NY: CBS College.
Gagné, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1992). Principle of instructional design
(4th Edition). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College.
Gagné, R.M., & Driscoll, M. (1988). Essentials of Learning for Instruction (2nd Edition).
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Gredler, M. E. (1997). Learning and instruction: Theory into practice. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Johnson, W. G. (2008). Robert Gagne's educational theory and bibliographic
instruction. Community & Junior College Libraries, 14(3), 211-222.
doi:10.1080/02763910802035173