Biography
RobertMillsGagne(RobertMillsGagne,1916-2002)isanAmericaneducationalpsychologist.
Bornin1916inNorthAndover,Massachusetts,USA.Sincehismiddleschoolage,Gagnehasdeterminedtostudypsychologyandbecomeapsychologistinthefuture.
In1933,GagneenteredYaleUniversitytomajorinpsychology.In1937,heenteredBrownUniversitytostudyasagraduatestudent.Andreadexperimentalpsychology.In1939and1940,Gagnereceivedamaster'sdegreeinscienceandadoctorateinphilosophyfromBrownUniversity.
In1940,GagnetaughtatConnecticutWomen’sUniversityandbegantostudyhumanlearning,butwasinterruptedduetoinsufficientfundsandtraininginthearmy.In1958,heappliedtoPrincetonUniversityasaprofessorofpsychologyandresumedresearchonlearningproblems.From1962to1965,GagneservedastheresearchdirectoroftheAmericanAssociationforResearchWorkandalsoservedasaprofessorofeducationalpsychologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Since1969,GagnehasservedasaprofessorintheDepartmentofEducationatFloridaStateUniversity.GagneenjoysahighreputationinAmericanpsychology.In1974,hewonthe"ThunderkeEducationalPsychologyAward";in1982,hewasawardedthe"AppliedPsychologyAward"bytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.
Works
Gagne’smainworksare:"ConditionsforLearning"(1962),"PrinciplesofInstructionalDesign"(1969),"AcquisitionofKnowledge"(1962),and"Learning"ContributionstoIndividualDevelopment"(1970),"LearningBasisofTeachingMethods"(1976),"MemoryStructureandLearningResults"(1978),"LearningResultsandTheirEffects"(1984),"LearningBasisofTeaching"(1988),etc.GagnepassedawayonApril28,2002attheageof85.OnMarch29,2003,inmemoryofGagne,FloridaStateUniversityorganizedthe"GagneSymposium",RobertGlaser,Dr.James,K.(Ken)Brewer,Dr.RobertBranson,Dr.RogerKaufman,Dr.Robert.Morganandotherfamouscontemporaryeducationalpsychologists,educationaltechnologyexperts,andGagne’sfriendsandstudentsattendedthemeeting.
Theoreticalbackground
Psychologyhasundergoneatransitionfromphilosophicalpsychologytoscientificpsychology.TherepresentativefigureofPhilosophyandPsychologyisHerbart(Germany).Hisfour-stageteachingmethod"understands,associates,systemandmethod"isimprovedtothefive-stageteachingmethodof"preparation,prompting,comparison,generalizationandapplication",whichmakesClassteachinghasbecomeaneducationalenterprisebasedonevidence.
Withthedevelopmentofnaturalsciencesandinfluencedbynaturalsciences,psychologyseparatedfromphilosophyandbecameanindependentsubject.Usenaturalscientificmethodstoconductresearchandcallthisscientificpsychology.Atthebeginning,scientificpsychologypaidspecialattentiontotheuseofnaturalscience'sinitialevaluationmethods.Theresearchobjectsconcentratedonthelearningandmemoryofmechanicalmeaninglessmaterials,andtheconditionedresponseofhumansandanimals.Inthestudyofthecombinationofpsychologyandeducation,itsrepresentativesincludeThorndikeandSkinner,bothofwhomarebehavioristpsychologists,mainlyfocusingontheoperationalresponsesofanimals.Thorndike'scontributionishisthreelearninglaws(preparationlaw,practicelawandeffectlaw),andSkinner'scontributionishiscontrolreinforcementtheory.Machineteachingandprogramteaching,whichwerepopularinthe1950s,aretheapplicationofstrengtheningprinciplesinschoolteaching.
Butbehavioristtheoryhasitslimitationsandcannotfullyexplainadvancedandcomplexlearningphenomena.Inthe1960s,withtheriseofinformationscienceandcomputerscience,a"cognitivepsychologyrevolution"appearedinthefieldofpsychology.Cognitivelearningtheoryisalsodividedintotwoschoolsthataredevelopingatthesametime.OneschoolisrepresentedbyAusubelandBruner,emphasizingtheimportanceoflearners’originalknowledgestructure,andemphasizingthatlearningisaprocessoflearners’activeconstruction,whichiscalledconstruction.Activistorstructuralist.
TheotherschoolistheinformationprocessingsciencerepresentedbyGagne,whichfocusesonthestudyoftheprocessandrulesofthehumanbrainlearningandprocessingknowledge,analyzinginformationfromtheoutsideintothebrain,throughtheprocessingstage,andwhenitproducesanexplicitresponseTheinformationprocessingprocessexperienced.
Gagnewasoriginallyapsychologisttrainedinrigorousbehavioristpsychology.Inthelatterpartofhisacademiccareer,heabsorbedthethoughtsofinformationprocessingpsychologyandconstructivistcognitivelearningpsychology,andformedalearningtheorywiththeoreticalsupportandtechnicaloperationsupport.Thistheoryexplainsmostoftheclassroomlearningandputsforwardpracticalteachingprocedures.
EducationalThoughts
LearningTheorySystem
Gagnebelievesthatlearningisextremelyimportantforhumanbeings.Humandevelopmentistheresultofthepairoffactorsofgrowth(growth)andlearningandtheinteractionbetweenthem.Butthereareimportantdifferencesbetweenthem:"Thefactorsthataffectgrowth(growth)arelargelydeterminedbygenetics,whilethefactorsthataffectlearningaremainlydeterminedbyeventsinthepersonallivingenvironment."
Concepts,elementsandconditionsoflearning
Gagnealsobelievesthathumanlearningactivitiesarecomposedoffourelements:learners,stimulatingsituations,memorycontent,andactions.
a.Learner:Inhisview,learningactivities"firstofall,theremustbealearner,heisaperson".Learnerscancontinuouslyreceivestimuliandorganizethemintopatternsofvariousneuralactivities,andshowvariousbehaviors.
b.Stimulatingsituation:referstothegeneraltermforthingsthatstimulatelearnerstofeel.
c.Memorycontent:Referstothecontentthatcanberestoredfromthelearner'smemory.Thiscontentistheresultofpreviouslearningactivities.
d.Action:Referstothelearner'sresponsetostimuliandmemorycontent.Gagnesaid:"Whenthesituationandmemorycontentaffectthelearner,sothathisactionschangefrombeforeheentersthesituationtoafterheentersthesituation,learningactivitiesoccur.Thischangeinactionsleadstolearning.Theoccurrenceof."
Gagnealsobelievesthathumanlearningactivitiesarerestrictedbytwotypesofconditions,internalandexternal.Internalconditionsrefertopreviouslyacquiredknowledge,skills,motivationandlearningability.Externalconditionsrefertothestructureandformofinputstimuli.Differentlearningabilitiesandlearningcontentrequiredifferentexternalconditions.Gagnebelievesthateducationisanexternalconditionoflearning,anditssuccessdependsonwhetheriteffectivelyfitsandutilizesinternalconditions.Eachstageoflearninghasitsowninternalpsychologicalprocessandexternaleventsthataffectit.Teachingistofollowthesecharacteristicsofthelearner'slearningprocessandarrangeappropriateexternallearningconditions.Teachersareteachingdesignersandmanagers,aswellasevaluatorsofstudents’learning.Heisresponsiblefortheteachingtasksofinitiating,stimulating,maintainingandimprovingstudents’learningactivities.Gagne’stheoryoflearningconditionsremindsteachersthattoimproveteachingqualitywemustpayattentiontolearners’Externalconditions,andshouldcreateagoodteachingenvironmentandconditions.
Levelsoflearning
Gagnebelievesthathumanlearningiscomplexanddiverse,andtherearelevels.Italwaysdevelopsfromsimplelow-levellearningtocomplexhigh-levellearning.Aprogressivelevelandlevel.Andsimplelow-levellearningisthebasisofcomplexhigh-levellearning.In1968,hedividedhumanlearningintoeightlevels:
Thefirstissignallearning.Thisisthelowestleveloflearning."Regardlessofordinarydomesticanimalsorhumans,theyaregenerallyfamiliarwithsignallearning."
Thesecondisstimulus-responselearning.GagnebelievesthatthisleveloflearningissimilartoThorndike's"trialanderrorlearning"andSkinner's"operationallearning".Itonlyinvolvesasingleconnectionbetweenastimulusandaresponse;andthestimulusandtheresponseareunitedtogether.
Thethirdischainlearning.Thisisaseriesofsingle"S-R"combinedlearning.Somechainlearningiscomposedofmuscleresponse,andsomechainlearningiscompletelyverbal.
Fourthislanguageconnectionlearning.Thisreferstothelinkageofspeechinlanguagelearning,includingtheassociationoftheshape,soundandmeaningofwordsandthelearningofspeechorder.
Fifthistodistinguishlearning.Thisreferstolearninginwhichlearnersreactdifferentlytodifferentcomponentsinaparticularset.
Thesixthisconceptlearning.Thisreferstolearningthatreactstothecommoncharacteristicsofthings.Someoftheseconceptscanbeobtainedbythelearner'sdirectcontactwiththeenvironment,butsomeconceptscanonlybeobtainedbyusinglanguagetoclassify,summarizeandgeneralizethings.
Sevenistheprinciple(rule)learning.Thisistheknowledgeorunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenconcepts.Forexample,fromtheunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenthetwoconceptsof"roundthings"and"rolling",theruleof"roundthingsrolling"isderived.
Theeighthisproblem-solvinglearning.Thisisanaturalexpansionofrulelearning,akindof"advancedrule"learning.
Gagneregardsthefirstfourcategoriesasthebasicformsoflearning,collectivelycalledassociativelearning.Onthebasisofassociativelearning,therearefivelearningresults,namely,verbalinformation,intellectualskills,etc.,whichwillbediscussedindetailinthefollowingpages.
Afterconductingamorein-depthstudyoflearninglevels,Gagnecompressedtheeightlevelsoflearningintosixlevelsin1971,namely,chainlearning,discriminationlearning,specificconceptlearning,andmeaningconceptlearning.,Rulelearning,advancedrulelearning.After1977
,herefinedthelearninglevelsintofivelevels,namelyconnectionandchainlearning,discriminationlearning,conceptlearning,rulelearning,andadvancedrulelearning.
Learningresults
Gagnebelievesthathumanlearninghasfivetypesofresults,whicharemanifestedinfivedifferentabilities,namelyverbalinformation,intellectualskills,cognitivestrategies,motorskillsandmanner.
Oneisverbalinformation.Gagnebelievesthatthisisalearner'sabilitytoexpressideas.Itiscalled"verbalinformation"because"informationisverbal,ortobemoreexplicit,andinformationcanbeexpressed".
Thesecondiswisdom.Gagnebelievesthatthisistheabilityoflearnerstomaketheuseofsymbolspossible.Forexample,readingandwritingarethebasictypesofsymbolslearnedbychildreninlowergrades.Astheirlearningprogresses,theywillusesymbolsinmorecomplexways..Wisdomskillsarenotasingleform.Ithaslevels,fromsimpletocomplex,includingfourlevels:discrimination,concepts,rules,andadvancedrules.
Thethirdiscognitivestrategies.Gagnebelievesthatthisistheabilitythatlearnersusetoregulatetheirowninternalattention,learning,memoryandthinkingprocesses.Cognitivestrategiescanbeappliedtothestudyofanysubject.
Fourthismotorskills.Gagnebelievesthatthisistheabilityoflearnerstolearncomprehensiveactivitiesformedbymanyorganizedmusclemovements.Motorskillsdonotrefertoindividualactions,butemphasizetheintegrityandunityofactions.
Fiveisattitude.Gagnebelievesthatthisisaninternalstatethataffectsindividualchoiceactions.Inhisview,people'sactionsareaffectedbyattitudes,butattitudesaretheresultofpeople'sactions.
LaterGagnefurthercategorizedthesefiveskills,thinkingthattheperformanceacquiredbylearnersincludescognitive,attitudeandmotorskills,andcanbeexpressedthroughpsychologicalmeasurementresults:
Knowledgeisverbalinformation,thatis,declarativeknowledgeininformationprocessingpsychology.
Skillsaredividedintothreecategories:wisdomskills,theabilitytouseconceptsandrulestodothingsexternally,andtheyareproceduralKnowledge
Cognitivestrategyisaspecialwisdomskill
Motionskillsarethecontrolofhumanbehaviorbyconceptsandrules.Itbelongstoproceduralknowledge.
Learningprocess
Gagnebelievesthatlearningisawholesetofinternalprocessingprocessesoftheindividual.Inthisprocess,theindividualtransformsthestimulusintheenvironmentintoinformationthatcanenteralong-termmemorystate.Thisinformation(thatis,theresultoflearning)canprovidetheindividualwiththeenergytocompletevariousoperations.Accordingtothelearningleveltheory,
eachtypeoflearningcontainstheformertypeoflearning.InGagne'sview,anylearningprocessisalsohierarchicalandconsistsofspecificlearningstages.Hedividesthelearningprocessintoeightstagesinturn:
Motivationstage:Acertainlearningsituationbecomesaninducementforlearningbehaviorsandstimulatesindividuallearningactivities.Atthisstage,itisnecessarytoarousestudents'psychologicalexpectationsofachievinglearninggoals..
Thecomprehensionstage:alsoknownastheunderstandingstage.Inthisstage,theteachingmeasuresshouldattracttheattentionofthestudents,providestimuli,andguideattention,sothatthespecificcharacteristicsofthestimulussituationcanbeperceivedbythestudentsselectively.
Acquisitionstage:Thisstageplaystheroleofcoding,thatis,theselectedinformationisprocessed,andshort-termmemoryistransformedintoalong-termmemory.
Maintenancephase:Afterretellingandstrengtheningtheinformationobtained,itispermanentlypreservedinlong-termmemoryinacertainform(imageorconcept).
Recallstage:Thisstageistheretrievalprocess,thatis,theprocessofsearchingforstoredknowledgeandresurrectingit.
Thegeneralizationstage:applytheacquiredknowledgeandskillstoanewsituation.Thisstageinvolvesthetransferoflearning.
Operationphase:alsocalledoperationphase.Atthisstage,mostoftheteachingistoprovideopportunitiesforapplyingknowledge,sothatstudentsshowtheeffectoflearning,andatthesametimeprepareforthenextstageoffeedback.
Feedbackstage:Thelearnerhascompletednewhomeworkandrealizedthathehasreachedtheexpectedgoal,sothatthelearningmotivationisstrengthened.Gagnebelieves:"Itisworthnotingthatreinforcementdominateshumanlearning,becausetheexpectationsestablishedinthelearningmotivationstagearenowconfirmedinthefeedbackstage."
GagneemphasizedthattheentirelearningofstudentsTheprocesshasbeenstronglyinfluencedbyexternalconditions.Forteachers,thepurposeofunderstandingandresearchingthelearningprocessistoprovidesupportforthelearningprocess,sothatexternalconditionscanalwaysbenecessary,appropriateandcorrecttocommunicatewiththelearner'sinternalactivitiesduringthelearningprocess,soastoprovidelearnersWithpositiveinfluence,satisfactorylearningresultscanbeobtained.