D.B.A.  Baker College (Michigan), 2023.
Subjects:  Adult education; Instructional design

Use of Gagné's Nine Events of Instruction in subject matter experts' occasional design of online, asynchronous slideware lessons
141 pages. UMI #: 30486788
Citation, Abstract & Full text in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database

Workplaces increasingly have enlisted their subject matter experts to construct online, asynchronous slideware lessons with simplified authoring tools. However, these subject matter experts lack instructional design knowledge and often transfer in-person slide lessons to an online format with few modifications and assume learners automatically store the slide information in their memories. This study identified the application of Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction in training developed by subject matter experts who lack instructional design expertise. A qualitative design and the Nine Events Interpretation Checklist developed by the researcher from publication review guided the content analysis of seven lessons constructed by workplace subject matter experts at a state health and environment department. Findings revealed subject matter experts employed about half of the Nine Events possible and only some events rather than all the events, although every lesson included performance elicitation (Event 6) and feedback (Event 7). The study population demonstrated significant use of objectives (Event 2) and hyperlinks, the latter proved excessive in some instances. Evident was the non-stimulation of prior prerequisite learning (Event 3), non-use of opening and ending activities to facilitate learning (Event 1 and Event 9) as well as minimal use of guidance (Event 5). Events progressed in accordance to suggested Nine Events’ sequencing, but each lesson had a differing event use pattern. Implications for training are sequential introduction of events with emphasis on those events found insufficient or missing in lesson analysis, possible event consolidation to make the Nine Events less daunting, and a lesson template that incorporates the Nine Events with placeholder slides. Recommendations for future research include broadening the scope of this study, surveying workplace subject matter experts about their perceived likelihood of adopting the Nine Events; technical event interpretations, and use of the strategy as a means to revise existing slideware.

• Wendy A. Gentry, Ph.D., Chair
• Regena M. Aye, Ed.D.
• Marcus Childress, Ph.D.