ITEEA, Gagné, Cafarella, and others provide a procedural flow for a unit/lesson. The differences are primarily on focus – the ITEEA 6E model is focused on project- and case-based unit design and so the language of their model is based on student activity. Of course, the instructor is still designing the unit, based on how the students need to approach the project. Gagné, Cafarella and Mager are more focused on the unit flow that the instructor designs, so the language is more instructor-focused, but all models call for student activities to learn and deepen knowledge. The sequence of a lesson is about the same regardless. (As Mager is predominantly focused on training, rather than higher education, his is less adapted to our environment, so instead I am focusing below on Gagné, 6E, and Caffarella.)
Combining the models of Gagné, Cafarella and ITEEA provides the following progression (Copies of original models are below):
| Gagné | ITEEA | Caffarella | |
| 1. Gain attention/interest | X | X | |
| 2. Pre-assess prior understanding. | X | X | |
| 3. Provide objectives | X | X | |
| 4. Recall prior learning | X | X | |
| 5. Content Present/EXPLORE | X | X | X |
| 6. Provide guidance | X | ||
| 7. EXPLAIN content | X | ||
| 8. Provide practice | X | X | |
| 9. eNGINEER (application of content) | X | ||
| 10. ENRICH (depth of content) | |||
| 11. Provide feedback | X | ||
| 12. Assess performance/EVALUATE | X | X | |
| 13. Enhance retention and transfer | X |
Content Learning
During the phase where students learn the new content, you can organize the material in several ways. Caffarella (2002) recommends the following:
- Introduce key concepts, ideas, and terms early and revisit them throughout the instructional unit.
- Explore materials familiar to the participants and then proceed to the less familiar.
- Ensure prerequisite knowledge and skills are taught prior to moving to content that builds on these materials.
- Proceed from the most important to the least important.
- Teach the less difficult to the more difficult.
Gagné et al. (2005) provide the following:
- Present vocabulary and concepts
- Use a variety of media and activities
- Provide examples
- Use scaffolding and slowly remove it
- Provide series of hints or questions
And McCarthy (2000) suggests answering some of the following questions in this sequence:
| WHY: | “Why is this important to you?” “Why should you learn this?” “Why do experts believe this?” “Why do we need to do this?” |
| WHAT: | “What is the definition of … ?” “What do we know about… “” “What can we create from… ?” “What did xxx mean… ?” |
| HOW: | “How do I use this… ?” “How does this work… ?” “How do we apply this… ?” |
| WHAT IF: | “What if we change this…” “What if xxx happens?” “What if xxx condition changes?” |
The Original Models
Gagné et al… Instructional Events
(Adapted from Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, 2020)
| The nine events provide a framework for designing and delivering instruction in a structured and systematic manner. Here is a brief explanation of each event: | |
| Gain attention – provide students with a reason for wanting to learn the material in this unit. | Some common methods: Stimulate students with novelty, uncertainty, and surprise Pose thought-provoking questions to students Have students pose questions to be answered by other students |
| Inform learners of the objectives – tell the students why they should learn this and how it ties in with the course outcomes. | Some common methods: Describe what they have to do, including how well (provide a rubric); alternately, consider having them set their own standard of performance Include course objectives on assessments |
| Stimulate recall of prior learning – relate the new material to what they already know, using previous lessons and/or previous knowledge. | Some common methods: Discuss previously covered concepts Ask questions about previous concepts that will lead the students to make connections |
| Present the content – provide new material. | Some common methods: Present vocabulary and concepts Use a variety of media and activities Provide examples |
| Provide learning guidance – provide scaffolding/context for new material (refer to ZPD, Chapter A8). | Some common methods: Use scaffolding and slowly remove it Provide series of hints or questions |
| Elicit performance/practice – Provide activities that demonstrate ability to meet the objective (see Chapter C7). | Some common methods: Provide formative or summative tests or quizzes Assign a written assignment or project (group or individual) Ask probing questions |
| Provide feedback – Provide timely feedback of students’ performance to assess and facilitate learning and to allow students to identify gaps in understanding before it is too late. | Some common methods: Provide individual feedback (see Chapter C10) Assign peer feedback |
| Assess performance – measure student and lesson effectiveness. | Some common methods: Provide formative or summative tests or quizzes Compare student performance against a rubric and/or the less objectives |
| Enhance retention and transfer – provide follow-up practice and review. | Some common methods: Summarize the unit by reviewing the objectives and how they connect to the course outcomes Use a review of the information at the beginning of future units Incorporate the information into future units Use the information as scaffolding for future units Ask students to develop concept maps which they can use for review |
ITEEA’s 6E Learning byDeSIGN
(ITEEA’s STEM Center for Teaching & Learning, n.d.)
| ENGAGE | The purpose for the ENGAGE phase is to pique student interest and get them personally involved in the lesson, while pre-assessing prior understanding. |
| EXPLORE | The purpose for the EXPLORE phase is to provide students with the opportunity to construct their own understanding of the topic. |
| EXPLAIN | The purpose for the ExPLAIN phase is to provide students with an opportunity to explain and refine what they have learned so far and determine what it means. |
| eNGINEER | The purpose of the eNGINEER phase is to provide students with an opportunity to develop greater depth of understanding about the problem topic by applying concepts, practices, and attitudes. |
| ENRICH | The purpose for the ENRICh phase is to provide students with an opportunity to explore in more depth what they have learned and to transfer concepts to more complex problems. |
| EVALUATE | The purpose for the EVALUATION phase is for both students and teachers to determine how much learning and understanding has taken place. |
Caffarella
(Caffarella, 2002, p. 173)
| Start by acknowledging and reviewing what participants know about the content. |
| Give participants a framework to use in organizing what they are to learn (“an advanced organizer”) and understand how this learning could be transferred into their own settings. |
| Introduce key concepts, ideas, and terms early and revisit them throughout the instructional unit. |
| Explore materials familiar to the participants and then proceed to the less familiar. |
| Ensure prerequisite knowledge and skills are taught prior to moving to content that builds on these materials. |
| Proceed from the most important to the least important. |
| Teach the less difficult to the more difficult. |
| Do not overload any activity with ideas and/or skills that are difficult to learn. |
| Provide for instructional activities that allow for learning transfer throughout the instructional segment. |
References
Caffarella, R. S. (2002). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide for educators, trainers, and staff developers (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Gagné, R. M., Wager, W. W., Golas, K., & Keller, J. M. (2005). Principles of Instructional Design (5th ed). Thomson/Wadsworth.
ITEEA’s STEM Center for Teaching & Learning. (n.d.). 6E Learning byDesign. ITEEA. https://www.iteea.org/6e-learning-bydesign
McCarthy, B. (with Hudson, M. G.). (2000). 4Mat About Teaching; Format in the Classroom. About Learning Inc.
Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants. https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/gagnes-nine-events-of-instruction.shtml