Impact of R. M. Gagne's Work on Instructional Theory.

Abstract

Although it is not unusual for R.M. Gagne’s work to be considered in a volume addressing learning theories, his contributions can most appropriately be considered as an “instructional theory.” An instructional theory is an integrated set of principles, based upon learning theory, other relevant theories, and sound replicable research, that permits one to predict the effects of specific instructional conditions on a learner’s cognitive processing and the resulting learned capabilities. Gagne (1985) described the nature of an instructional theory as an “attempt to relate the external Events of Instruction to the outcomes of learning by showing how these events lead to appropriate support or enhancement of internal learning processes. The province of an instructional theory is to propose a rationally based relationship between instructional events, their effects on learning processes, and the learning outcomes that are produced as a result of these processes” (p. 244).