Information is not Instruction!
By Kevin Kruse

The most profound statement uttered in the learning community in the last 10 years was the simple declaration by M. David Merrill, professor of instructional technology at Utah State University and a respected expert in multimedia training design. "Information is not instruction," Merrill told Training magazine in a 1998 interview. Although he was discussing the inadequacies of Web-based training, Merrill's statement reflects that it has always been too easy to become enamored with the technology side of technology-based training--at the expense of proper design and learning outcomes.

In the early days of computer-based training, there was an initial rush to pour content into electronic tutorials. A few innovative designers made the most of the limited media and created engaging simulations, quizzes, even games. But this was the exception to the rule, and most learners were forced to passively read the text on the screen, clicking the space bar to move on. These types of programs, derisively known as page turners, tainted the image of CBT for many years.

With the advent of interactive videodiscs and multimedia CD-ROMs, designers gained the ability to add graphics, animation, audio, and video. Today's CD-ROM training programs often use creative themes and production elements that make them look more like the latest blockbuster movie or Nintendo video game. These bells and whistles can keep students engaged, but many of these programs still lack sound principles of instructional design. The yield is an audience that has been entertained but has not acquired new skills or knowledge.

This tradition carried into early Web-based training programs, which were nothing more than online documents. Trainers created electronic versions of traditional printed student manuals, articles, tip sheets, and reference guides. Although they're valuable and accessible resources, these conversions to the Web cannot be considered true training programs. Instead of page turners, we now have scrollers.

The rush to the Web without considering instructional design led to Merrill's passionate defense of a scientific approach to learning. In his interview, Merrill put it simply: "If you don't provide adequate practice, if you don't have an adequate knowledge structure, if you don't provide adequate guidance, people don't learn."

Adult learning principles haven't changed

• Adults need to know why they're learning something; they must believe it will have a personal benefit.
• Adults have lifetime experiences that should be tapped and built upon.
• Adults learn best from hands-on, problem-solving approaches to learning.
• Adults will expect to apply new knowledge and skills immediately, which will aid retention.

A systematic approach to training

Gagne's book, The Conditions of Learning, first published in 1965, identified the mental conditions for learning. Different types of knowledge and skill require different conditions for learning and retention. A simplification of Gagne's "events of instruction" include the following nine steps.

Gain attention. In order for any learning to take place, you must first capture the attention of the learner. A program that begins with an animated title screen sequence accompanied by sound effects or music startles the senses with auditory and visual stimuli. An even better way to capture learners' attention is to start each lesson with a thought-provoking question or interesting fact.

Inform learners of objectives. Early in each lesson, they should encounter a list of learning objectives. This initiates the internal process of expectancy and helps motivate them to complete the lesson. These objectives should form the basis for assessment and evaluation.

Stimulate recall of prior learning. Associating new information with prior knowledge can facilitate the learning process. It's easier for learners to encode and store information in long-term memory when there are links to personal experience and knowledge. A simple way to stimulate recall is to ask questions about previous experiences or build upon an understanding of previously introduced concepts.

Present the content. This event of instruction occurs when you actually present new content to the learner. Content should be chunked and organized meaningfully, and typically is explained and then demonstrated. To appeal to different learning modalities, a variety of media should be used whenever possible, including text, graphics, audio narration, and video.

Provide "learning guidance." To help learners encode information for long-term storage, you should provide additional guidance with new content. Guidance strategies include using examples, nonexamples, case studies, graphical representations, mnemonics, and analogies.

Elicit performance (practice). In this event of instruction, the learner is required to practice the new skill or behavior. Eliciting performance provides an opportunity for learners to confirm their correct understanding, and the repetition further increases the likelihood of retention.

Provide feedback. As learners practice new behavior, it's important to provide specific and immediate feedback of their performance. Unlike questions in a posttest, exercises within tutorials should be used for comprehension and encoding purposes, not for formal scoring. Additional guidance and answers provided at this stage are called formative feedback.

Assess performance. Upon completing instructional modules, learners should be given the opportunity to take (or be required to take) a posttest or final assessment. They should complete this assessment without receiving additional coaching, feedback, or hints. Mastery of material, or certification, is typically granted after achieving a certain score or percent correct. A commonly accepted level of mastery is an 80- to 90-percent score.

Enhance retention and transfer to the job. Determining whether or not the skills learned from a training program are applied back on the job often remains a mystery to training managers--and a source of consternation for senior executives. Effective training programs have a performance focus, incorporating design and media that facilitate retention and transfer to the job. The repetition of learned concepts is a tried-and-true means of aiding retention, although often disliked by learners.

Applying Gagne's nine-step model to any WBT program is the best way to ensure an effective learning program. A WBT program that is filled with glitz or that provides unlimited access to Web-based documents is no substitute for sound instructional design. While those types of programs might entertain or be valuable as references, they will not maximize the effectiveness of information processing--and learning will not occur.

A quick test for WBT

1. Does the program immediately capture a learner's attention?
2. Does the program explain its own relevance? Does it answer the learner's question, "What's in it for me?"
3. Are learning objectives presented? Are they specific and measurable?
4. Is the presentation of content engaging through both design and media?
5. Does the learner have an opportunity for practice and recall (beyond stale multiple-choice questions)?
6. Does the program include a final posttest or other device to indicate mastery?

Published: February 2000