1. Gagne’s Learning Theories
Denise Gautreau
Leslie Claire
Jen Gross
619 Design of Online Courses
Fall 2012

2. A Blend of Behaviorism & Cognitivism
Nine events of instruction
Behaviorist roots with a cognitive information-processing perspective
Behaviorism
The mind = “black box”
Internal mental state/consciousness not important
Stimulus – Response
Cognitivism
The mind (“black box”) should be opened & understood
Learner = information processor/computer

3. Behaviorism Principles
Learning is:
a correct response following a specific environmental stimulus
detected by observing an organism over time
Emphasis on:
observable and measurable behaviors
relationships between environmental variables and behavior
Instruction utilizes consequences and
reinforcement of learned behaviors
Behavior is guided by purpose

4. Cognitivism Principles
Learning is:
an active process within learner
influenced by the learner
a change in knowledge state
a mental activity using internal coding & structuring
dependent upon what the learner does to process information
Emphasis on:
the building blocks of knowledge
structuring, organizing and sequencing information to produce optimal processing
how information is remembered, stored & retrieved
problem solving

5. References http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitivism.html
Powers, JoAnne. Adult as Learner, INDSG 602, June 2012