Can you guarantee learning?

[In response to a question about my statement that learning can be guaranteed.]

Yes, I believe you can guarantee learning to a high degree. The trick is that learning cannot be fully guaranteed if budget for the instructional design and development, and the time allowed for the students to be taught are limited.

Gagne set forth the sequential components of learning materials for defined domains of learning in The Conditions of Learning. If you can accurately identify the learning domain of the targeted learning objective and correctly follow Gagne's prescription for the type and sequence of presentation elements, you can go a long way toward guaranteeing that the student will meet the objective. Further guidance for constructing these sequences is contained in Gagne and Briggs' Principles of Instructional Design.

If your training materials further provide for repetitions of the learning module with alternate practice and test items, your percentage of students mastering the objective will be higher.

Finally, if you provide a pretest for the prerequisite skills for the learning objective and a set of supplemental learning materials to teach those prerequisite skills prior to attempting the final learning module, you will achieve even higher levels of mastery by the students. Theoretically, 100% learning is achieved for "intellectual skills" if they are properly taught, with all prerequisite knowledge mastered prior to the final learning task.

This all takes time, skill and money to put together, but it can be done. Should it be attempted? Well... it depends. Are you teaching someone to run a nuclear power plant or are you teaching someone to operate their new phone? Commercial and safety issues will dictate to what level you want to guarantee learning.

Obviously alternate sets of practice and test items and supplemental modules for prerequisite skills cost money to develop and would be features of your product. If you agree to produce these features, you will need to include that in your estimates.

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