Theoretical underpinning

Gagne’s Conditions of Learning theory outlines nine instructional events and corresponding cognitive processes:

(1) gaining attention (reception)
(2) informing learners of the objective (expectancy)
(3) stimulating recall of prior learning (retrieval)
(4) presenting the stimulus (selective perception)
(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)
(6) eliciting performance (responding)
(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)
(8) assessing performance (retrieval)
(9) enhancing retention and transfer (generalization).

Many of these fit well with what I’m trying to accomplish in this instructional tool.

Gagne, R. (1985). The Conditions of Learning (4th ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

In Clark’s techniques for informational instruction she recommends that instructors first make a statement of the principle, then provide a set of varied examples that illustrate the application of the principle, followed by a number of non-examples that illustrate the result of failing to correctly implement the principle.