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Learning process
Gagné's theory stipulates that there are several types and levels of learning, and each of these types and levels requires instruction that is tailored to meet the needs of the pupil. While Gagne's learning blueprint can cover all aspects of learning, the focus of the theory is on the retention and honing of intellectual skills. The theory has been applied to the design of instruction in all fields, though in its original formulation special attention was given to military training settings.
Five categories of learning
Intellectual skills: Create individual competence and ability to respond to stimuli.
Cognitive strategies: Capability to learn, think, and remember
Verbal information: Rote memorization of names, faces, dates, phone numbers, etc.
Motor skills: Capability to learn to drive, ride a bike, draw a straight line, etc.
Attitudes: Ingrained bias towards different ideas, people, situation, and may affect how one acts towards these things.
Each category requires different methods in order for the particular skill set to be learned.
Eight ways to learn
In 1956, based on the degree of complexity of the mental process, the American educational psychologist Robert M. Gagné suggested a system of analyzing different conditions or levels of learning from simple to complex. According to Gagne the higher order of learning in the hierarchy is built upon the lower levels, requiring greater amount of previous knowledge for progressing successfully. To analyze final capability into subordinate skills in an order such that the lower- levels can be predicted for positive transfer of higher level learning. The lower four orders focus on the behavioral aspects of learning whilst the higher four focus on the cognitive aspects. In his original study on Instruction, through a study derived from an analysis of learning of a task of constructing formulas for the sums of number series. Gagne attributed Individual differences or differences in intelligence in learning.
Signal Learning: A general response to a signal. Like a dog responding to a command.
Stimulus-Response Learning: A precise response to a distinct stimulus.
Chaining: A chain of two or more stimulus-response connections is acquired.
Verbal Association: The learning of chains that are verbal.
Discrimination Learning: The ability to make different responses to similar-appearing stimuli.
Concept Learning: A common response to a class of stimuli.
Rule Learning. Learning a chain of two or more concepts.
Problem Solving. A kind of learning that requires higher order of thinking.
Signal learning: Is same as Classical conditioning of behavioral Psychologist Pavlov. Classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.
Stimulus-Response Learning: Also known as Trial and error is a fundamental method of solving problems.It is characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success,or until the agent stops trying. Here there is strong bond between S-R theory taking place.
Chaining: Chaining is a procedure used in behavioral psychology, it involves reinforcing individual responses occurring in a sequence to form a complex behavior. It is a process of connecting set of individual stimulus response in sequential order. There are two different types of chains: homogeneous and heterogeneous. The prior homogeneous chains occur when the form of response are similar in each element. In contrast, a heterogeneous chain requires different types of responses for each link.
Verbal Association Learning: Concerned to Chain learning by using words. Here the learner is able to verbalize the acquired knowledge and intellectual skills in a highly organized manner."Learning Hierarchy". Another interpretation is, It is a form of associate learning called as paired association such as learning meanings of a word by way of splitting the word.
Discrimination Learning: Ability to Distinguish or Discriminate one chain from another. The learner is able to distinguish between one stimulus from another and respond as per the change in stimulus. The process is made more difficult by the act of interference, where by one piece of learning affects or inhibits the other.
Concept Learning: learning a generalized idea. Acquires the ability to understand the common properties of a substance that might vary from one another. Concepts stands for generalized idea of a group of stimuli. In concept learning, the change in behavior as a result of learning is not controlled by a particular stimulus but by the abstract idea of each stimulus.
Rule Learning: Chaining of two or more concepts is involved in learning a Rule. This requires higher level cognition process. It involves building relationship among two or more concepts before learning higher order rule that is enveloping them.
Problem solving: Problem solving is the highest level cognitive process, it is formulating of new and complex rules and procedure for the purpose of solving the problem. Problem solving leads to permanent change in the learner’s capabilities where in the learner has learned something more than learning of parts.
Designing instruction
Skills are to be learned at the lowest level and mastered before proceeding. An instructor should use positive reinforcement and repetition, with each new skill building upon previously acquired skills.
Steps of planning instruction
Identify the types of learning outcomes: Each outcome may have prerequisite knowledge or skills that must be identified.
Identify the internal conditions or processes the learner must have to achieve the outcomes.
Identify the external conditions or instruction needed to achieve the outcomes.
Specify the learning context.
Record the characteristics of the learners.
Select the media for instruction.
Plan to motivate the learners.
Test the instruction with learners in the form of formative evaluation.
After the instruction has been used, summative evaluation is used to judge the effectiveness of the instruction.
Nine steps of instruction
Gain attention: Present stimulus to ensure reception of instruction.
Tell the learners the learning objective: What will the pupil gain from the instruction?
Stimulate recall of prior learning: Ask for recall of existing relevant knowledge.
Present the stimulus: Display the content.
Provide learning guidance
Elicit performance: Learners respond to demonstrate knowledge.
Provide feedback: Give informative feedback on the learner's performance.
Assess performance: More performance and more feedback, to reinforce information.
Enhance retention and transfer to other contexts
Evaluation of instruction
Have the objectives been met?
Is the new program better than the previous one?
What additional effects does the new program include?
The purpose is to supply data on feasibility and efficiency to develop and improve the course.
Evaluation is concerned with the effectiveness of the course or program regarding the student’s performance. Based on the student's performance, measures are taken of the kind of student capabilities the program is intended to establish.
When objectively analyzing the condition for learning Gagné says: “Since the purpose of instruction is learning, the central focus for rational derivation of instructional techniques is the human learner. Development of rationally sound instructional procedures must take into account learner characteristics such as initiate capacities, experimental maturity, and current knowledge states. Such factors become parameters of the design of any particular program of instruction”
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