Gagne's Cognitives Learning Theory

Gagne's Nine Events of Instructions

Real situations in the classrooms

Activity to produce event

1. Gaining attention

  • The students' attention must be captured and their interest should be aroused

2. Informing the learner of the objetive

  • Students should know the learning objectives

3. Stimulating recall of prior learning

  • Teachers ask students about their prior knowledge and personal experience

4. Presenting the stimulus material

  • The new content is presented to the learner
  • Contents shoud be organised meaningfully, and explained using various medias

5. Providing learning guidance

  • Students are shown the appropriate actions and correct perfomance with additional suggestions and examples
  • If students first observe the procedure, then they are in a better position to perform it themselves

6. Eliciting the performance

  • Students are required to practice the new skill or behaviour

7. Providing feedback

  • Students are given constructive feedback individually and questions can be asked.
  • Other students' feedback is also very helpful

8. Assessing performance

  • Students will demonstrate what they have learned without receiving additional guidance

9. Enhancing retention and transfer

  • Practice and spaced reviews are provided, as well as repetition
  • Students apply their skills in a clinical setting while being initially supervised

1. Gaining attention

  • Present introductory activity that engages learners

2. Informing the learner of the objective

  • Give learner objectives for the class

3.Stimulate recall of prior learning

  • Present an experience that stimulates
    memory of prior learning

4. Presenting the stimulus material

5. Providing learning guidance

3. Stimulating recall of prior learning

6. Eliciting the performance

2. Informing the learner of the objective

7. Providing feedback

1. Gaining attention

4. Present stimulus


  • Deliver content

5. Provide learner guidance

  • Give learner examples
  • Showing what appropriate actions constitute correct performance

Tapping on the table queued students that class was to begin. Class then began with presentation of media such as comic strip or YouTube video that related to the teaching topic

Students presented with the objectives and how they are relevant to overall course objectives, followed by example of real-world application of the knowledge to be gained

6. Elicit performance


  • Give practice activities to practise new skills and behaviour

New content was delivered every 10-15 min. Stories, images, videos, mnemonic devices, and examples used to teach complex concepts

7. Provide feedback

  • Feedback should be immediate, specific, and corrective.

8. Assess performance

  • Present learners with postassessment items

8. Assessing performance

9. Enhancing retention and transfer

9. Enhance retention and transfer

  • Give resources that enhance retention and facilitate transfer of knowledge
  • Ask questions from the last lesson
  • Conduct pop quizzes
  • Perform pre-tests to understand what the audience already knows
  • Create lesson plans that build upon each other

  • Students played word games, received lecture recordings, used handouts, and reviewed sample questions as examples of expected learning
    • Teachers provide clear and concise instructions

Five types of learning outcomes:

  1. Verbal information
  2. Intellectual skills
  3. Cognitive strategies
  4. Attitudes
  5. Motor skills
  • Allow times to students practice
  • Knowledge checks, quizzes, and tests, eLearning branching scenarios, activities, projects, and writing assignments, role-playing situation, group discussions and sharing
  • In-class question and answer sessions used audience response systems or simple raise of hands to provide feedback to entire group
  • Students received both instructor and peer feedback through group discussions

Minimal point quizzes occurred after teaching and learning sessions, which allowed students and faculty to assess learning during course. Tests used to assess overall learning.

  • Group retests were given after individual student examinations. Students randomly assigned to group of 4 or 5, and each group discussed the test questions with one another, using peers as resource and providing their own rationales for answers. This was intended to enhance retention and transfer of knowledge; students could discuss rationale, reinforcing new learning


  • Use real-world scenarios, build in time for real-world practice, interactive eLearning activities, allow for flexible learning opportunities (such as mobile access) and continually use examples of real-world situations

Conditions of learning:


  • Internal conditions - what the learner knows prior to the instruction
  • External conditions - the stimulus that are presented to the learner

Implications in T&L

  • Teachers are able to select appropriate teaching technique
  • Helps teachers to decide which subordinate skills should be taught before teaching higher skills
  • Helps teachers to break a complex task into component skills
  • Students' performance can be improved due to the constructive feedbacks from the teacher