Conversation on Instructional Design

This conversation between Dr. Robert Gagné, and Dr. M. David Merrill, took place July 10, 1989 before an audience of about 200 at Utah State University. A series of papers based on this discussion later appeared in Educational Technology Magazine. The conversation highlights the main points of Gagne and Merrill\u27s respective learning theories, and a comparison of the events of instruction, and Component Display Theory. From Wikipedia -Robert Mills Gagné was an American educational psychologist best known for his Conditions of Learning . Gagné pioneered the science of instruction during WWII for the air force with pilot training. Later he went on to develop a series of studies and works that helped codify what is considered to be \u27good instruction\u27 today. He also was involved in applying concepts of instructional theory to the design of computer based training and multimedia based learning. M. David Merrill is an instructional effectiveness consultant, a visiting professor at Florida State University and professor emeritus at Utah State University. He received his BA from Brigham Young University, and his Masters and Doctorate from the University of Illinois. Prof. Merrill is the author of numerous published articles, books and papers. His professional contributions include: authoring and instructional design expert systems; Component Display Theory for Instructional strategies; Elaboration Theory for content sequence; Instructional Transaction Theory; and first principles of instruction. For more information visit his sit at http://cito.byuh.edu/merril