Instructional Task Analysis The Essential Gagne

Learning Outcomes  Learning Outcomes are Behaviors:  The observable result of internal states called learned capabilities  Five main categories of learned capabilities:  Intellectual Skills (more later)  Cognitive Strategies (mnemonics, chunking, etc.)  Verbal Information (Facts, names, dates, etc.)  Motor Skill (physical movement skill)  Attitude (beliefs, affective reactions)

Learned Capabilities  Intellectual Skills  Thinking Skills  90% of instruction focuses on intellectual skills  Allow us to interact with environment in terms of abstract symbols and conceptualizations.  Intellectual skills are procedural (learn how to do something)  Can be broken down into 5 types

Intellectual Skills  Discriminations (Action Verb=discriminate)  Ability to tell if one thing is different or the same as another  Based on physical attributes  Concrete Concepts (Action Verb=identify)  Ability to identify objects using properties such as shape and color even if some variation  Triangles have three sides but many shapes; many shades of blue, but all can be called blue  Requires ability to discriminate based on physical attributes  Defined Concepts (Action Verb=classify)  Ability to place objects in a class by definition  Tanks, bombers, and guns are all weapons because they can be used to cause harm to others.  Requires ability to identify concrete concepts

Intellectual Skills  Rules (Action Verb=demonstrate)  Ability to apply a rule or law to perform some action  Card games are collections of rules (Crazy Eights: can pick up discard or draw new card during turn; three of any number counts for points, etc.)  Requires ability to manipulate defined concepts  Higher-order rules/Problem Solving (Action Verb varies, e.g., solve, create, develop, etc.)  Ability to combine rules in novel circumstances to solve problems  Requires ability to formulate and demonstrate rules

Task Analysis  Takes a task and breaks it down into its sub-components according to learned capabilities  Hierarchical in nature, from overall goal (top) down to enabling objectives (bottom)  Start with overall goal (may be problem solving), break into major steps/components (usually rules), each of which is broken down into the components needed for that rule (defined concepts, concrete concepts, and discriminations)

Task Analysis  Each component represents one objective  Each is tied to one of the learned capabilities (and should use the action verb)  Each serves as a prerequisite for the objective above  A rule usually has more than one prerequisite  Any skills/prerequisites you assume the learner already has are listed below a dotted line. They are called enabling objectives.