Even a casual acquaintance with instructional design results in the mention of Robert Gagné's work. Gagné established that there are different kinds of learned capabilities, and that effective instruction requires a different approach (conditions of learning) for each. This book demonstrates how Gagné's theory can be used in the workplace to make training more effective.

This brief book is packed with information - you plow through rather than sailing through. However, it is well organized, authoritative, and worth the effort.

I first read this book when I was an instructional design student in 1972. Gagne and Briggs' definitions of types of learning and of learning processes are ageless. Even in the era of constructivist ID, this book contributes an important bridge between fundamentals of psychology and the structuring of learning experiences and environments. Where would I be today without 'reverse chaining'? Probably at the end of my leash!