Gagné's Five Learned Capabilities

Gagne's taxonomy of learning outcomes is somewhat similar to Bloom's taxonomies of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes. Both Bloom and Gagne believed that it was important to break down humans' learned capabilities into domains. However, Gagne’s taxonomy of learning outcomes may be the most popular among the many learning taxonomies.

The taxonomy of learning outcomes according to Robert Gagne includes five kinds of learned capabilities: Verbal information (stating the information accurately), Intellectual skills (classifying things and problem solving), Cognitive Strategies (their use and appropriate application), Attitudes (preferring options), and Motor Skills (physical performance).

After reading these five learned capabilities, I thought about how to employ these learned capabilities into my training environment.

First, I needed to determine the lesson and its objectives. Then I can categorize the objectives into one of the five domains of learning outcomes. I may face problem in this stage. Some objectives can be categorized easily; some are not. This step need care because, placing an objective in the wrong domain will results in the wrong learning outcome.

Each of the objectives can be stated in performance terms using one of the standard verbs associated with the particular learning outcome.

This is another step where I can create problem. Selecting the wrong verb can result the wrong learning outcome. It was always very difficult to put these processes into performance terms using the standard verbs.

Then I can use the conditions of learning for the particular learning outcome to determine the conditions necessary for learning. Finally, the events of instruction necessary to promote the internal process of learning are chosen and put into the lesson plan. If everything done properly, the events in essence become the framework for the lesson plan or steps of instruction.

Driscoll, M (2005). Psychology of Learning For Instruction. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.