Future Watch #3

Gagne on the rocks?

Which learning theories or models are the best? Although constructivism seems to be the current popular choice, does that mean poor old Gagne is out the door? Or would it be better to mix and match, and blend? Allsion Rossett describes, "Learning theories are not like religion." People's learning styles do not restrict them to just learn one way of learning. Jared Carman, president of Agilant Learning, writes in his whitepaper "different theories apply to different situations" and he suggests a blended theory approach would be better for creating effective learning experiences. According to his article Blended Learning Design: Five Key Ingredients, Gagne is still very much in the mix. Another reason a blend of theories makes sense is because of the growth of e-Learning. With the versatility of e-learning, it is better to have a variety of theories and models to draw upon.

An example of this type of blending of theories is described by Gunter, Kenny, & Vick in their article A Case for a Formal Design Paradigm for Serious Games. They contend that a new game design paradigm must be developed and needs to include sound educational practices to increase the learning effectiveness of serious games. And guess who they suggest? That's right...my guy Gagne! In fact, they pair him up with another guy I like, Keller. They aligned the components of the 9 Events and the ARCS model with common game features to develop a model for serious games design (RETAIN).

Using Gagne to design serious video games? Sure! They write:

"Given the fact that Gagne's Nine Events were the result of work performed while studying simulation as a tool of education, it follows that the events have a natural application in video game structure."

Gagne's 9 Events seem to have a natural application in many situations, which is why it is one of my instructional loves. It seems the 9 Events will continue to have a place in the future of instructional design, whether blended or on the rocks.




Carman, J. M. (2005). Blended Learning Design: Five Key Ingredients. http://www.agilantlearning.com/instructionaldesign.html

G. A. Gunter, R. F. Kenny and E. H. Vick. A case for a formal design paradigm for serious games, The Journal of the International Digital Media and Arts Association, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 93-105, 2006.