Instructional Task Analysis

1
Instructional Task Analysis

• The Essential Gagne

2
Learning Outcomes

• Learning Outcomes are Behaviors
• The observable result of internal states called
  learned capabilities
• Five main categories of learned capabilities
• Intellectual Skills (more later)
• Cognitive Strategies (mnemonics, chunking, etc.)
• Verbal Information (Facts, names, dates, etc.)
• Motor Skill (physical movement skill)
• Attitude (beliefs, affective reactions)

3
Learned Capabilities

• Intellectual Skills
• Thinking Skills
• 90 of instruction focuses on intellectual skills
• Allow us to interact with environment in terms of
  abstract symbols and conceptualizations.
• Intellectual skills are procedural (learn how to
  do something)
• Can be broken down into 5 types

4
Intellectual Skills

• Discriminations (Action Verbdiscriminate)
• Ability to tell if one thing is different or the
  same as another
• Based on physical attributes
• Concrete Concepts (Action Verbidentify)
• Ability to identify objects using properties such
  as shape and color even if some variation
• Triangles have three sides but many shapes many
  shades of blue, but all can be called blue
• Requires ability to discriminate based on
  physical attributes
• Defined Concepts (Action Verbclassify)
• Ability to place objects in a class by definition
• Tanks, bombers, and guns are all weapons because
  they can be used to cause harm to others.
• Requires ability to identify concrete concepts

5
Intellectual Skills

• Rules (Action Verbdemonstrate)
• Ability to apply a rule or law to perform some
  action
• Card games are collections of rules (Crazy
  Eights can pick up discard or draw new card
  during turn three of any number counts for
  points, etc.)
• Requires ability to manipulate defined concepts
• Higher-order rules/Problem Solving (Action Verb
  varies, e.g., solve, create, develop, etc.)
• Ability to combine rules in novel circumstances
  to solve problems
• Requires ability to formulate and demonstrate
  rules

6
Task Analysis

• Takes a task and breaks it down into its
  sub-components according to learned capabilities
• Hierarchical in nature, from overall goal (top)
  down to enabling objectives (bottom)
• Start with overall goal (may be problem solving),
  break into major steps/components (usually
  rules), each of which is broken down into the
  components needed for that rule (defined
  concepts, concrete concepts, and discriminations)

7
Task Analysis

• Each component represents one objective
• Each is tied to one of the learned capabilities
  (and should use the action verb)
• Each serves as a prerequisite for the objective
  above
• A rule usually has more than one prerequisite
• Any skills/prerequisites you assume the learner
  already has are listed below a dotted line. They
  are called enabling objectives.