Robert Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction | Free LET Reviewer and Drill

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Lesson 32: Robert Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction

Who is Robert Gagné?

Robert Gagné was an educational psychologist who believed that effective teaching goes beyond just using one theory like behaviorism or cognitivism. Instead, Gagné said that good instruction must combine ideas from multiple theories and help students move from learning simple skills to learning complex skills in a step-by-step way. His Nine Events of Instruction is a framework that teachers can use to plan lessons. These nine events describe what needs to happen during instruction for students to learn well.

Why the Nine Events Matter

Gagné believed that learning happens in a sequence. Simple learning must come before complex learning. You cannot learn algebra before you learn basic arithmetic. You cannot write a paragraph before you learn to write a sentence. His Nine Events of Instruction show teachers the order in which things should happen to support this step-by-step learning. When teachers follow these nine steps, students learn better and remember longer.

• Think of it like building a house. You have to build the foundation before the walls, the walls before the roof, and the roof before painting. The Nine Events show the correct order for teaching so learning is strong.

The Nine Events of Instruction

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1. Gaining Attention (Reception)

The first thing you must do is get the students' attention. You cannot teach someone who is not paying attention.

• Use an interesting question or story
• Show a surprising video or image
• Ask a thought-provoking question
• Use humor or excitement in your voice
• Do something unexpected

You need to grab students' attention right at the beginning so they focus on your lesson instead of thinking about other things.

• Example: Before teaching about ecosystems, a teacher might show a dramatic video of a predator chasing its prey. This grabs attention and makes students curious about ecosystems. Or a teacher might start with a surprising fact: "Did you know that a blue whale's heart is as big as a car?"

2. Informing Learners of the Objective (Expectancy)

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Tell students exactly what they will be able to do by the end of the lesson. Give them a clear target or goal.

• Tell students: "By the end of this lesson, you will be able to..."
• Write the learning objective on the board
• Explain why this objective is important
• Connect it to things students care about

Students need to know what they are supposed to learn. When they know the goal, they can focus their attention and effort on reaching that goal.

• Example: "By the end of this lesson, you will be able to write a paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion." Or "Today you will learn how to calculate the area of a rectangle, and you will use this skill to figure out how much carpet you need for your bedroom."

3. Stimulating Recall of Prior Learning (Retrieval)

Help students remember what they already know that is related to the new lesson. Connect new learning to old learning.

• Ask questions about what students already know
• Review previous lessons
• Discuss related concepts
• Activate background knowledge

New learning sticks better when you connect it to something students already understand. You need to remind students of what they already know so you can build on it.

• Example: Before teaching about photosynthesis, a teacher might ask: "Remember when we talked about how plants need sunlight? Well, today we are going to learn exactly what plants do with that sunlight. They use it to make food. That process is called photosynthesis."

4. Presenting the Stimulus (Selective Perception)

Present the new information or content in a clear and organized way. Make sure students can see, hear, or experience the new material.

• Use clear explanations
• Use examples and demonstrations
• Use visuals like pictures, diagrams, or videos
• Organize information logically
• Highlight the most important parts

You present the new material that students need to learn. Make sure it is clear and easy to understand.

• Example: When teaching the water cycle, show a clear diagram that shows evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Use different colors for each stage. Give clear definitions for each term. Show a video of the water cycle happening.

5. Providing Learning Guidance (Semantic Encoding)

Give students help and support as they learn. Do not just give them information and expect them to figure it out. Guide them on how to understand and remember it.

• Explain difficult concepts in multiple ways
• Give hints and clues
• Use analogies and comparisons
• Break complex ideas into smaller pieces
• Provide examples and non-examples
• Tell students memory tricks or mnemonics

Learning is easier when someone helps you understand and remember. As a teacher, you guide students by explaining ideas in different ways, giving examples, and breaking things into smaller pieces.

• Example: When teaching how to solve quadratic equations, do not just show the formula. Explain why it works. Show several examples. Walk through the steps slowly. Give students memory tricks to remember the steps.

6. Eliciting Performance (Responding)

Have students actually do something with the new information. Do not let them just passively listen. Make them actively use what they are learning.

• Have students answer questions
• Have them solve problems
• Have them discuss ideas with classmates
• Have them create something
• Have them demonstrate or explain

Students learn by doing, not just by listening. You need to give them chances to use the new information right away.

• Example: After explaining how to find the area of a rectangle, do not just move on. Have students practice by calculating the area of several rectangles. Have them measure their classroom floor and calculate its area. Have them explain to a partner how to find area.

7. Providing Feedback (Reinforcement)

Tell students what to improve. Explain what the correct answer is and why. This reinforcement helps them learn.

• Tell them immediately if their answer is correct
• If incorrect, explain the right answer
• Explain why the answer is right or wrong
• Give positive feedback for effort and progress
• Be specific in your feedback

Students need to know if they are doing it right or wrong. Feedback helps them correct mistakes and reinforce correct learning.

• Example: When a student solves a math problem correctly, say "Great job! You correctly found the area by multiplying length times width." When a student gets it wrong, say "That is not quite right. Let me show you. When we multiply 5 times 3, we get 15, not 12. Try again with this problem."

8. Assessing Performance (Retrieval)

Test or check whether students have learned what you taught. Find out if they can actually do what the objective said they should be able to do.

• Give a quiz or test
• Have students do a project
• Observe students doing the task
• Ask them to explain or demonstrate
• Use formative assessment (checking during learning)

You need to find out if students actually learned what you taught. This is not about grading; it is about understanding what students can and cannot do.

• Example: After teaching how to write a paragraph, have students write their own paragraph. Check if they included a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Or ask them to explain the steps of paragraph writing.

9. Enhancing Retention and Transfer (Generalization)

Help students remember what they learned and be able to use it in new situations. Do not let the learning just disappear after the test.

• Have students review and practice regularly
• Have them apply learning to new situations
• Give homework that reinforces learning
• Have them solve similar but slightly different problems
• Discuss real-world applications
• Help them see how this connects to other things

Learning should stick with students and they should be able to use it in different situations, not just on the test.

• Example: After teaching area of rectangles, not only test them on rectangles, but have them find the area of their room, calculate the cost of carpet, figure out how much paint they need for a wall. This helps them remember and shows them why area is useful.

How the Nine Events Work Together

The Nine Events do not stand alone. They work together in order. You start by getting attention, tell them the goal, remind them of what they know, present new information, guide them through understanding, have them practice, give them feedback, test them, and finally help them remember and use it in new ways. This sequence supports learning at every step.

Why Gagné's Events Are Important for Teachers

Gagné's Nine Events give teachers a clear structure to follow. Instead of wondering "What should I do next in my lesson?" teachers can follow these nine steps. This structure helps ensure that:

• Students are paying attention
• Students know what they should learn
• New learning connects to old learning
• The material is presented clearly
• Students get help understanding
• Students get to practice
• Students know if they are doing it right
• Teachers know if students really learned
• Learning lasts and can be used in new situations

💡Remember

• Nine Events of Instruction: Nine steps that should happen in effective instruction
• Gaining Attention: Getting students to focus on the lesson
• Objective: The goal students should reach by the end of the lesson
• Prior Learning: Knowledge students already have
• Stimulus: The new information or content being taught
• Learning Guidance: Help and support given to students as they learn
• Performance: What students actually do or create to show learning
• Feedback: Information telling students what they can improve
• Assessment: Checking whether students learned the objective
• Retention: Remembering or recall what was learned
• Transfer: Using learning in new situations
•  Learning simple skills before complex skills

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Nine Events of Instruction Quiz: click here

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