Introduction
Robert Gagne’s conditions of learning theory state that several existing learning levels require different instruction types. According to this theorist, there are five primary knowledge categories, including verbal information, cognitive strategies, attitudes, and motor and intellectual skills (Illeris, 2018). The philosophy mentioned above also contains nine instruction events: enhancing transfer and retention, assessing performance, providing feedback, eliciting performance, giving learning guidance, providing the stimulus, encouraging remembrance of prior learning, presenting learners with the objective, and gaining attention. The aforementioned outcomes categories and instruction events provide the framework of Gagne’s learning conditions theory. The approach focuses on purposeful education that happens in specific training programs and schools. Gagne believes that events in the surrounding affect the process of learning. This essay explains how this learning theory enhances the understanding of human behaviors and its application to learning and teaching at different education levels in the Caribbean.
How the Theory Enhances Understanding of Human Behaviors
Gagne’s theory identifies general forms of learned human capabilities, which are behavioral changes in a student that every learning ideology must explain. Subsequently, he provides a systematic analysis of the governing conditions of remembrance and learning. The definition of learning, according to Gagne, is drawn upon general ideologies from theories, including Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive results (Gumennykova et al., 2020). The philosopher considers the observable human behavior changes that determine if learning has happened and describes the circumstances in which instruction occurs by discussing experimental studies and denoting school and ordinary life situations under which learning takes place. Gagne proposes that the proof of learning is expressed through a performance difference before and after engaging in the activity.
Gagne gives two conditions that exist in a learning situation: external and internal. The external environment includes the various stimulus found outside a student, such as a teacher and the surrounding. Therefore, this means that every new instruction situation starts from a different viewpoint from past experiences. Moreover, it consists of different external cases, depending on the learning environment and the student. On the other hand, the internal learning condition includes existing capabilities in a learner before any new form of instruction occurs (Uzunboylu & Kosucu, 2020). The aforementioned knowledge is transformed through the learning process. Different external and internal environments are required for every learning type. For instance, to learn cognitive strategies, an opportunity to practice how to develop new solutions to problems should be there. Moreover, to study attitudes, the student should be familiar with persuasive arguments or a credible role model.
Gagne also bases his philosophy on association learning in which there are three basic prototypes that depict the features of associative learning: verbal association, operant conditioning, and classical conditioning. The theorist adds chaining to this list and describes it as an approach in which the learner links individual relationships in a sequence. For instance, the student can recite the alphabet or verbal series that consists of lists of words. In classical conditioning, the pupil associates available responses with new signals or stimuli. On the other hand, operant conditions involve an instrumental response in a learner that results in subsequence reinforcement (Marín et al., 2019). Lastly, the verbal association is where the student verbally responds to stimuli that are single or pairs of words. According to Gagne, the prototypes mentioned above form the basic learning methods and are components of acquired human capabilities.
The core of the conditions of learning theory is distinguishing the classes of learned human capabilities that have similar characteristics and are observed through performance. The five categories of outcomes provide the framework for how learning conditions can be applied to each classification (Muthmainnah et al., 2020). The first category involves intellectual skills, which are defined as symbolic forms, such as language and numbers, used to relate to the surrounding. Since it requires the capacity to do actions, a student who has acquired intellectual skills can demonstrate how they can be applied to particular instances of the topic learned. The category is further divided into sub-groups based on the skill complexity and relationship with each other. More complex expertise needs prior teaching and mastery of more straightforward abilities before completing the learning process.
The sub-divisions of intellectual skills include discriminations, concrete concepts, defined concepts, rules, and, lastly, higher-order practices. Tsortanidou et al. (2018) give the following as the sub-groups of this category: recognition of stimulus, generation of a response, following the procedure, terminology use, discrimination, formation of concepts, application of rules, and solving problems. Intellectual skills’ learning tasks are organized hierarchically based on their complexity. The central significance of the aforementioned order is to establish prerequisites that need to be completed to conduct learning at every level (Halili et al., 2019). The requirements are identified by carrying out a task analysis of the training or knowledge acquisition process. Learning hierarchies provide a foundation for instruction sequencing and organization.
Verbal information is another learning outcomes category that collectively refers to declarative or organized knowledge bodies that people acquire. The data can be grouped as generalizations, principles, facts, or names. An example of this classification is the ability of a learner to state the scoring rules in a tennis match or define cognitive development stages. Thirdly, cognitive strategies involve processes that students use to guide knowledge acquisition, recalling, and thinking (Illeris, 2018). The method controls how humans deal with their surroundings by manipulating internal conditions. Contrarily, intellectual skills are concerned with environmental aspects as they deal with external symbols, words, and numbers. Cognitive strategies help learners to think and solve problems using what they have learned in class. The learning outcome obtained through this human capability is creating new things, such as an effective system that catalogs computer discs.
The fifth learned human capability is motor skills: it is the accurate, precise, and smooth movement execution that involves muscles. Situations that prompt the use of this outcome are learning how to play musical instruments, sports, driving, and writing. Finally, attitudes are an internal classification that affects personal choices of actions made by a person concerning events, things, and other people. For instance, having a particular attitude towards trash disposal will influence how one throws food containers or organic wastes. According to Gagne, if the learning outcomes categories and methods of analyzing requirements are systematically and rationally developed and organized, defining the instruction theory will be possible (Uzunboylu & Kosucu, 2020). The model attempts to relate external instruction events to learning outcomes by demonstrating how these activities result in appropriate enhancement or support of internal learning processes.
The following nine instruction events help in achieving the aforementioned learning outcomes. The first one is gaining the attention of the learners so that they are ready to receive stimuli. A teacher can accomplish this through gesturing or changing the volume or tone of his or her voice. Secondly, the instructor should inform students of the objectives and expected outcomes of the material (Halili et al., 2019). As a result, this will give them anticipation that will last throughout the knowledge acquisition process. The following instruction asks pupils to recall what they were taught previously by naturally relating it with the current subject matter. The fourth tutoring event presents the students with a stimulus linked to the subject matter under study. The information contained in this activity should be specific to the expected outcome. Subsequently, the tutor should provide learning guidance to learners by ensuring that the triggers given are meaningful; it uses concrete instances of abstract concepts and terms relating ideas to those of previous instruction events.
The following instructional event is eliciting performance, which requires that a student demonstrates the newly acquired learning outcome depending on whether it is an intellectual skill, verbal information, or cognitive strategy. Providing feedback is the seventh activity, and it asks the teacher to reinforce learning through, for example, informing pupils of the level of error or correctness of their performance (Nadhirin, 2019). Subsequently, instructors should assess performance through tests that prove the occurrence of learning. Lastly, tutors should enhance the retention of information for a long time and transfer it to new environments outside class (Aquilina, 2017). The event can be improved by carrying out spaced reviews that enhance recalls of what has been learned at various intervals after learning has commenced.
Application of the Theory to Learning in the Caribbean
Formal education in the Caribbean was first introduced by the Spanish in the sixteenth century. The system has continued to improve its efficiency and use of technology through the decades (Leo-Rhynie, 2018). The different levels of learning in the region include early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Children who attend kindergarten are primarily between the age of one and six years. Primary education in the Caribbean is divided into six grades, with national examinations at the end of grades 4 and 6. A variety of teaching strategies, including face-to-face and online tutoring, have been utilized to ensure learning experiences are more student-centered and broad-based (Jaiswal, 2019). Secondary education mostly starts from grade 7 to 11 and includes A-level Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exams (CAPE). Students are required to join universities and colleges after passing the test, as mentioned earlier.
Gagne’s nine events of instruction are a valuable framework that can be used to deliver knowledge to learners at the different levels of education in the Caribbean. Ideally, the teacher should organize learning objectives and course goals before fitting them into the structure to situate the ideas in the proper context appropriately (Spector, 2020). Subsequently, the theory can be applied by modifying it to serve both the students’ level of knowledge and the content being taught. For example, at lower education levels, a teacher can utilize the nine events to help pupils identify an equilateral triangle. First, the instructor can gain the student’s attention by showing them several computer-generated triangles with no identities (Baharudin et al., 2021). The tutor can then set the objective of the class by posing a question, such as “what is an equilateral triangle?” Reviewing definitions of various triangles is one way of recalling previous learning.
The subsequent event is presenting learners with a stimulus, which might be providing them with the definition of an equilateral triangle. The teacher then guides the instruction by demonstrating how an equilateral triangle can be created and elicits performance by asking pupils to construct different examples of the three-way relationship and fulfill all the necessary conditions as stipulated in the previous events (Barclay et al., 2018). The following instruction provides feedback, which can be done by checking if all the examples created are correct (Fadli & Rukiyati, 2020). The performance of students should be assessed by giving them scores and remediation where necessary. At the end of the class, the teacher should enhance retention and transfer of knowledge by asking students to identify equilaterals from various forms.
The conditions of learning theory can also be applied to technology-supported learning environments. In an online class, the tutor can get the student’s attention by sending email invitations to each member, sending attracting video clips and audio with the invites, introducing the topic of study and faculty at the beginning of the class, and giving learners a space to introduce themselves (Connelly & Miller, 2018). Secondly, the instructor can inform others about the objective of the course by providing an overview, background information, and a description of the goals of the module. Thirdly, the teacher can relate the new content to the material used in the previous class and incorporate pre-tests and reviews (Picciano, 2017). The subsequent step is presenting the required texts, which should be accurate, precise, and up-to-date. Working links to online resources and paper-based support sources should also be provided.
The teacher then gives students learning guidance through tutorials, user guides, and “help” sections if the learning involves complex or technical skills. The event can also be accomplished by setting up threaded discussions and chat rooms, giving solutions to frequently asked questions, offering email contacts, and including links to relevant supporting glossaries and references (Aisyah et al., 2020). Performance in an online module can be elicited by assigning students to perform meaningful tasks related to the content by giving them clear and concise directions on accomplishing the activities. The assignments can also leverage social software to be done in teams and uploaded via the portal (Sadasivan et al., 2021). However, the teacher should also include individual responsibility aspects in the group projects. Feedback can be obtained through providing sections for written or verbal reactions on the class portal, such as drop-off boxes and feedback tools. Instructors can also use discussion threads and “You have now completed…” messages. The eighth event involves assessing student performance, which can be done by incorporating ePortfolios and tracking and monitoring student participation through various tools (Figg et al., 2020). Finally, the teacher should enhance retention and transfer of knowledge by providing options for further reading, optional tasks, real-world examples, and linking the module to other networks and coursework.
Conclusion
To conclude, Robert Gagne’s conditions of learning theory holds that different learning or tutoring is required to obtain different educational outcomes. Moreover, the events of instruction act on the student in ways that institute the conditions of knowledge acquisition. Gagne initially designed the learning events to produce output later used as input for the following step in the sequence. However, he was welcoming to the works of other educational theorists, which made him argue that these events should only be regarded as one instructional strategy form. Furthermore, Gagne noted that the order of these human capabilities could be altered, and not all of them should be present in every topic or lesson. As illustrated in this essay, the specific operations that make up instructional events vary depending on the type of expected learning outcome. Lastly, learning hierarchies are essential in intellectual skills because they define the specific capabilities to be acquired and subsequently provide instruction to instill these talents.
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