Robert Gagne

Summary

Robert Gagné, an American psychologist, developed influential principles of instructional design, focusing on the learning hierarchy and the nine events of instruction. His work emphasized different types of learning outcomes, such as verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes, each requiring specific instructional conditions for optimal learning. Gagné's model, based on information processing theories, is comprehensive and applicable across various settings, significantly impacting educational psychology and instructional design.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Robert Gagné was an influential American psychologist known for his work in instructional design and learning theory.
• 🎯 Gagné identified five categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes.
• 📈 His 'conditions of learning' model suggests that different types of learning require different instructional conditions for optimal learning outcomes.
• 🔍 Gagné's nine events of instruction provide a systematic approach to designing effective learning experiences.
• 🛠️ Gagné's early career involved developing psychomotor tests and working with the US Air Force on crew classification and training.
• 🏫 At Princeton University, Gagné conducted research on intellectual skills, which laid the groundwork for his learning hierarchy theory.
• 📚 Gagné's seminal work, 'The Conditions of Learning,' published in 1965, is a cornerstone in the field of educational psychology.
• 🤝 His theory emphasizes the importance of connecting prior knowledge with new learning to facilitate better understanding and retention.
• 🏅 Gagné's contributions to instructional design have been widely recognized, and his work continues to influence the field.
• 📈 Gagné's model is distinctive for its comprehensive approach, integrating information processing theories with practical instructional design.

Q & A

Who is Robert Gagné and what is his significance in the field of education?

Robert Gagné is an American psychologist known for his work in instructional design and educational psychology. He is significant for outlining principles that guide effective teaching and learning, including the development of the learning hierarchy and the nine events of instruction.

What were Gagné's early life and educational background?

Robert Gagné was born in 1916 in North Andover, Massachusetts. He decided to become a psychologist during high school and studied at Yale University before receiving his graduate degree from Brown University.

How did Gagné's career in the military influence his later work in education?

During World War II, Gagné served in the army, administering aptitude tests and developing psychomotor tests. His experience in the military, particularly in developing tests and working with research scientists, laid the foundation for his later work in educational psychology and instructional design.

What is the learning hierarchy as proposed by Gagné?

The learning hierarchy is Gagné's framework that outlines the different types of learning across various instructional settings. It includes verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes.

What are the five categories of learning according to Gagné?

Gagné's five categories of learning are: 1) Verbal Information (declarative knowledge), 2) Intellectual Skills, 3) Cognitive Strategies, 4) Motor Skills, and 5) Attitudes.

How does Gagné's theory of instruction differ from behaviorist approaches?

Gagné's instructional theory is influenced more by the information processing view of learning and memory, rather than the behaviorist tradition. It focuses on the systematic connection between learning and instructional design, emphasizing the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning.

What are the nine events of instruction as defined by Gagné?

Gagné's nine events of instruction are: 1) Gaining attention, 2) Informing the learner of the objective, 3) Stimulating recall of prior learning, 4) Presenting the stimulus material, 5) Providing learning guidance, 6) Eliciting performance, 7) Providing feedback, 8) Assessing performance, and 9) Enhancing retention and transfer.

Why is Gagné's work on instructional design considered comprehensive?

Gagné's work is comprehensive because it includes all kinds of learning outcomes typically addressed in instruction, such as cognitive abilities, attitudes, and motor skills, and it combines external instruction with the internal learning process and memory.

What was Gagné's role at Florida State University?

Gagné joined the faculty at Florida State University in 1969, where he continued his work in instructional design and educational psychology until his death in 2002.

What awards and recognitions did Gagné receive for his contributions to education?

The script does not specify the exact awards Gagné received, but it mentions that he was awarded many honors for his research in instructional design and educational psychology.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Life and Contributions of Robert Gagné

Robert Gagné, an American psychologist born in 1916, is renowned for his work on instructional design and learning theory. He decided to pursue psychology in high school and went on to study at Yale University and Brown University. During World War II, Gagné served in the army, administering aptitude tests and developing psychomotor tests. He later became a professor at Princeton University, where he conducted pivotal research on intellectual skills and prerequisites, leading to his learning hierarchy theory. In 1962, he published 'The Conditions of Learning,' which was influenced by information processing views of learning and memory. Gagné's work, summarized as the 'Gagné assumption,' posits that different types of learning exist, each requiring specific instructional conditions. He identified five categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes. Each category has unique learning outcomes and requires distinct instructional approaches for optimal learning, retention, and transferability.

05:02

📚 Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction

Gagné's instructional theory, outlined in his 'Nine Events of Instruction,' is a widely used framework for designing effective learning experiences. These events are external to the learner and are designed to support internal learning processes. The first event is gaining attention to initiate instruction. The second is informing learners of the objectives, setting clear expectations for what they will learn. The third event involves stimulating recall of prior knowledge to build on existing understanding. The fourth is presenting the material in varied and manageable ways, ensuring it builds upon prior knowledge. Guidance is provided in the fifth event to reduce frustration and support learning. The sixth event encourages eliciting performance through practice and application of skills. Feedback, the seventh event, should be specific and constructive to aid learning. The eighth event is assessing performance to determine learning outcomes and provide progress information. Finally, the ninth event focuses on enhancing retention and transfer of skills to new situations. Gagné's model is distinctive for its basis in information processing theories, its comprehensive inclusion of various learning outcomes, and its integration of external instruction with internal learning processes. His work has significantly influenced instructional design and educational psychology.

Keywords

💡Robert Gagné

Robert Gagné is an American psychologist who is central to the video's theme as he developed the principles of instructional design that bear his name. Born in 1911, Gagné served in the army during World War II and later became a professor at Princeton University. His work in the military and academia led to the development of his theories on learning and instruction, which are foundational to the video's discussion on educational methodologies.

💡Learning Hierarchy

The learning hierarchy is a concept introduced by Gagné that suggests a structured approach to learning where more complex skills are built upon simpler ones. In the video, it is mentioned as a framework for intellectual skills, indicating that learners must progress through a hierarchy of skills, starting with basic discriminations and moving up to higher-order rules.

💡Five Categories of Learning

This refers to Gagné's framework that classifies learning outcomes into five distinct categories: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes. The video explains that each category requires different instructional conditions for optimal learning, emphasizing the diversity of learning outcomes and the need for tailored teaching methods.

💡Conditions of Learning

Gagné's seminal work, 'The Conditions of Learning,' is mentioned in the video as a foundational text that influenced educational theory and practice. It outlines the instructional conditions necessary for effective learning, integrating behaviorist and information processing views of learning and memory.

💡Information Processing

Information processing is a cognitive psychology concept that views learning as a process of acquiring, storing, and retrieving information. The video ties this concept to Gagné's work, suggesting that his instructional design principles are grounded in how individuals process information, which is crucial for understanding the video's theme on effective teaching strategies.

💡Nine Events of Instruction

These are a set of external events designed to support internal learning processes, as defined by Gagné. The video describes each event as a step in the instructional process, from gaining attention to enhancing retention and transfer. This sequence is integral to the video's message on systematic instructional design.

💡Cognitive Strategies

Cognitive strategies are the skills that enable individuals to manage their own learning and thinking processes. The video explains that these strategies are part of Gagné's learning hierarchy, allowing learners to apply prior knowledge to new situations, such as a mechanic using analogical reasoning to repair an unfamiliar machine.

💡Motor Skills

Motor skills, as discussed in the video, refer to the physical abilities that require precision and timing, such as playing an instrument or driving a car. They are one of the five categories of learning outcomes that Gagné identified, highlighting the importance of physical learning in the instructional design process.

💡Attitudes

Attitudes are described in the video as learning outcomes that influence personal choices and actions. They are one of Gagné's five categories of learning, emphasizing the role of education in shaping not just cognitive abilities but also values and behaviors, such as willingness to recycle or exercise.

💡Instructional Design

Instructional design is the systematic process of creating instructional experiences to improve learning and performance. The video centers on Gagné's contributions to this field, showcasing how his theories provide a template for designing effective educational programs that consider both external instruction and internal cognitive processes.

Highlights

Robert Gagné's principles of instructional design are widely used and have a significant impact on teaching methods.

Gagné identified different skill sets are required for teaching various subjects like violin playing versus algebra.

He emphasized the importance of gaining learner's attention and building on previous knowledge in the learning process.

Robert Gagné was an American psychologist born in 1916, with a career that included military service and academic positions.

Gagné's work at the Air Force personnel and training Research Center contributed to the development of psychomotor tests.

His position at Lowry Air Force Base allowed him to develop technology for forecasting training requirements.

Gagné's theory of the learning hierarchy was formulated during his time as a professor at Princeton University.

The conditions of learning, published in 1965, was influenced by information processing views of learning and memory.

Gagné's work is summarized as the G assumption, which posits that different types of learning exist under various instructional conditions.

He identified five categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes.

Gagné emphasized a learning hierarchy within intellectual skills, where learners progress from simple to complex tasks.

Cognitive strategies enable learners to manage their thinking and learning processes effectively.

Motor skills rely on the smoothness, precision, and timing of muscular movement.

Attitudes as learning outcomes influence personal choices and actions, such as willingness to recycle or exercise.

Gagné's nine events of instruction provide a clear template for designing effective instructional events.

His instructional theory combines ideas from behaviorism and cognitivism, offering a comprehensive approach to learning.

Gagné's model is distinctive for its basis in information processing theories and its inclusion of various learning outcomes.

The model also distinctively combines external instruction with the internal learning process and memory.

Gagné's work has been recognized with numerous awards and continues to influence educational psychology and instructional design.

Transcripts

if you've ever realized that teaching

someone to play a violin takes a

different skill set than teaching them

algebra or if you've ever started a

lesson by gaining the learner's

attention and then proceeded to build on

previous knowledge that they've already

learned then you've used the principles

outlined by Robert G probably without

even realizing it Robert G is an

American psychologist born in 196 in

North Andover Massachusetts he decided

early on in high school that he wanted

to be psychologist and studied at Yale

University and received his graduate

degree from Brown

University at the start of World War II

G joined the army and began his career

there administering aptitude tests to

Cadets who were joining combat aircraft

he went on to become commissioned as a

second lieutenant and held several

positions within the US Armed

Forces he developed psycho motor tests

used an air crew classification held a

position in the US Air Force and what

would later become the Air Force

personnel and training Research Center

and was technical director of the

maintenance laboratory at Lowry Air

Force Base in Colorado G has said this

position was one of peak enjoyment in

his career because he had the

opportunity to develop a new technology

for forecasting training requirements

for the Air Force and he was able to

work with a stimulating group of

research scientists in 1958 G became a

professor of psychology at Princeton

University during this time he conducted

studies of intellectual skills and their

prerequisites which would lead to the

formulation of his idea of the learning

hierarchy as it applies to those

intellectual

skills in 1962 he joined the American

institutes for research as the director

of research this organization was

heavily engaged in research and training

the assessment of human performance

educational program evaluation and other

questions it was here in 1965 that g

first published his seminal work the

conditions of

learning although G's earlier work was

grounded in the behaviorist tradition

the conditions of learning was

influenced more by the information

processing view of learning and

memory G's work is sometimes summarized

as the G assumption this assumption is

that different types of learning exist

and that different instructional

conditions can bring about this learning

two of the main components of G's

conditions of learning are the five

categories of learning and the nine

events of

instruction G recognized that having a

learner memorize and recite the seven

continents on the earth is a different

learning outcome than having a learner

learn negotiation and influence and

Leadership skills therefore he created

the five categories of learning which is

a framework for all the different types

of learning across many instructional

settings the first category is verbal

information or declarative knowledge

this is simply memorizing and reciting

um learning things like what are the

seven warning signs for cancer or list

in order the steps that are required to

service a

machine with the next category

intellectual skills it's not just

knowing what but it's knowing how it's

not only knowing what the number four is

or what the number eight is it's knowing

how to add them together to get

12 within the intellectual skills

there's a distinct learning hierarchy

that applies and Learners need to start

at the base of the hierarchy before they

can move on to the more complex the

learning skills needed here are

cumulative Learners must be able to use

the discriminations to be able to call

out key features before they can move on

to processing rules and higher order

rules cognitive strategies are the

capabilities that allow us to manage our

own thinking and learning processes

telling us how to learn and how to

remember and how to solve

problems when faced with a broken

machine that he's never seen before the

mechanic can use his prior knowledge of

tools and of safety and form an analogy

of a machine that he knows how to repair

and use the same skills to repair this

machine the next category of learning is

motor skills and although these types of

skills can be very diverse anything from

playing an instrument to driving a car

the one thing they all have in common is

their dependence upon smooth smoothness

precision and timing of muscular

movement and finally the attitudes are

the outcomes of learning that influence

the individual's choices of personal

action such as influencing their

willingness to recycle or their

willingness to

exercise in regards to the matter of

instruction G has said that each of the

categories of learning outcomes require

a different set of conditions for

optimizing learning retention and

transferability

optimal conditions include external

events in the learner's immediate

environment usually called instruction

and internal conditions acting through

the learner's working

memory let's move on to the second piece

of the puzzle the nine events of

instruction which G defined as any set

of events external to the learner which

are designed to support the internal

processes of

learning G's instructional theory is

widely used in the design of instruction

by designers in many settings it brings

in ideas from behaviorism and

cognitivism and he provides a clear

template which is easy to follow when

designing instructional events G's Focus

for instructional design is that

learning can be systematically connected

to the design of instruction and he

emphasize the design principles and

procedures that need to take place for

Effective teaching and learning

according to G learning occurs in a

series of learning events and each event

must be accomplished before the next in

order for learning to take place the

first first step is to gain attention to

give the Learners a stimulus to begin

instruction this can be done by starting

with a story or to provide the whiff

them or the what's in it for me why this

learning is going to be relevant to your

audience step number two is to inform

the Learners of the objectives telling

the learner what they will be able to do

as a result of the instruction this can

be in a more formalized objective or it

can be something very simple that the

audience will understand the next step

step is to stimulate recall of prior

knowledge it's easier for the Learners

to learn new skills when they're able to

connect them to what they already know

this can be done as a verbal review or

having the Learners create a mind map of

previous

knowledge the next step is to present

the material present the content in

different ways with different modes use

lecture and Hands-On activities case

studies and so

forth use chunk to present the content

in small manageable bites and don't

forget to build upon the previous

knowledge that the Learners already

have step number five is to provide

guidance to the learner students should

be provided with guidance in order to

cut down on frustration during learning

activities this can be in the form of

one-on-one coaching or Q&A rubrics or

cheat sheets anything that would be

useful in providing both structure and

guidance to the learner the next step is

to elicit performance students should be

given the opportunity to be able to

practice and apply their

skills while this can be accomplished by

modeling by the instructor the most

effective effective method is for the

students to be able to practice their

newly acquired behavior skills or

knowledge on their own under guidance

from the

instructor the next step is to provide

feedback and the feedback should be

specific rather than General you're

doing a good job tell them why they are

doing a good job or specific guidance on

what to

improve step eight is to assess

performance evaluate the Learners to

determine if the lesson has been learned

and to provide General progress

information this is also a good time

where the students can determine content

areas that they still need to

master and finally step nine enhance

retention and transfer this can be done

by informing the Learners about similar

problem situations

review the lesson provide additional

practice or give the students the

opportunity to apply their new skills in

a personal

contest so what is it about G's

instructional model that makes it so

distinctive from

others first it's based on information

processing theories of learning it does

not attempt to propose new Theory

pertaining to learning and memory but

only to use existing Theory as a basis

for the conceptualization of

instruction secondly the theory is

comprehensive in the sense that it

attempts to include all the kinds of

learning outcomes to which instruction

is usually addressed this is the

significance of the proposal of the five

kinds of learning outcomes and the

inclusion of attitudes and motor skills

as well as cognitive

abilities and a third distinctive

feature is the fact that it combines

external instruction with the internal

learning process and memory the

inclusion these characteristics makes it

possible for this Theory to deal with

instructions of many forms in a variety

of

settings in 1969 G joined the faculty at

Florida State University where he would

remain until his death in 2002 he went

on to write numerous books regarding

instructional design and educational

psychology and was awarded many awards

for his

research e