Lesson 4: Developing an Instructional Strategy

Robert Gagné was an educational psychologist who is often called the father of instructional design. He originated the concept of an instructional strategy with his systematic approach for developing instruction called Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction. This approach is based on his Conditions of Learning theory which was influenced by information processing theory.

You read about information processing theory in Lesson 1 (Applying learning theories and instructional design models for effective instruction). In this theory, students must first attend to what is being taught (sensory memory). Then the information is placed in their short-term or working memory, where they process it somehow. If they process it in a way that promotes learning, the information is placed in their long-term memory (i.e., they learn it). Gagné proposed that his nine events are necessary for designing instruction because they help students process information.

The Nine Events of Instruction are:

1. Gaining attention
2. Informing learner of objectives
3. Stimulating recall of prior learning
4. Presenting the stimulus material
5. Providing learning guidance
6. Eliciting the performance
7. Providing feedback
8. Assessing the performance
9. Enhancing retention and transfer

Each of these events is described further in the following sections.