Ref.: http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/gagnesevents/index.

htm

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

Robert Gagne 1916-present

ROBERT GAGNE is best known for his Nine Events of Instruction. He

was born in 1916 in North Andover, Massachusetts. In 1937, he
earned his A.B. from Yale University. After receiving his Ph.D. from
Brown University in psychology in 1940, he taught at Connecticut
College for Women and Pennsylvania State University.

In 1949, he became the research director for the perceptual and motor skills
laboratory of the United States Air Force and studied military training
problems. He also served as a consultant to the United States Department of
Defense. It was during this time that he began to develop ideas known as
the "conditions of learning."

Gagne believes that effective instruction should reach beyond traditional

learning theories. He supports cumulative teaching that transitions from
simple to complex skills. This hierarchical framework is widely used in many
instructional environments.

For many decades, he has contributed greatly to the field of education and
instructional design. Gagne has written several books about his learning
theory, of which the most well-known is The Conditions of Learning (Gagne,
1965). Currently, he is a professor in the Department of Educational
Research at Florida State University where he has taught since 1969.

Nine Events of Instruction

Gagne's Nine Events apply to traditional teacher-led settings.

1. Gain Attention Pique the learners' interest in the

subject.
Example: Show a s'more. Talk about how delicious it is.

2. Inform Learner of Objective Let the learners know

what they will be learning.

Example: Today, we will learn how to make a s'more.

3. Recall Prior Knowledge Get the learners to think about

what they already know.

Example: Has anyone ever had a s'more? Where? When?

What is it made of?

4. Present Material Teach the topic.

Example: Show learners how to make a s'more.

5. Provide Guided Learning Help the learners follow along

as the topic is presented.

Example: Provide picture posters of steps involved in

making a s'more.

Gagne's Nine Events also apply to distance learning environments.

6. Elicit Performance Ask learners to do what they have

been taught.

Example: Give learners ingredients to make their own

s'more.

7. Provide Feedback
Inform learners of their performance.

Example: Circulate around the classroom to observe and

help learners.

8. Assess Performance Evaluate learners on their

knowledge of the topic.

Example: Examine learners' s'mores. If correctly made,

they get to eat them.
 9. Enhance Retention and Transfer Aid learners in
remembering and applying the new skill.

Example: Have learners make s'mores for a snack during

the week or a class field trip.

Killpatrick, L. (2001). Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction. In B. Hoffman (Ed.),

Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved August 1, 2007, from
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/gagnesevents/start.htm