Conditions of Learning

The idea that there are certain factors that affect learning, or conditions of learning, constitutes a substantive part of Robert Gagné’s instructional theory, which he detailed in The Conditions of Learning, first published in 1965. The conditions take into account important considerations that affect learning including both external factors, such as the learning activities and how they are managed in the learning environment, and internal factors, such as the learner’s goals and readiness along with his or her mental processing. The main idea of Gagné’s theory is that in order for various types of learning capability to be acquired, certain types of conditions must be met.

Gagné’s work created four major propositions centered on the notion that (1) there are types of learning (learning outcomes can ...