Robert F. Mager

Education and academic career

After serving in World War II, Mager completed his undergraduate studies in Psychology with minors in Philosophy and Speech at Ohio University (1948), then taught broadcasting techniques and business speech at Tyler Commercial College while studying Electronics there, and studied Radio Broadcasting at the CBS School (NYU campus, 1948). He completed graduate studies (A.B and M.A. degrees) in Psychology at Ohio University in 1950, and taught psychology there the following year, before moving on to completing his PhD in Experimental Psychology at State University of Iowa in 1954. He also taught psychology at Sacramento State College in 1958–59. He served as research scientist for the Human Resources Research Office.

Research

Instructional sequencing

In the early 1960s Mager created a small experiment to determine what instructional sequence would be logical and meaningful for adult learners and compared this to the usual instructor-led sequence of instruction. The findings he reported in On the sequencing of instructional content, suggested that instruction led by the learner takes on a different sequence from that led by an instructor, it allowed them to take their own knowledge into account and resulted in a more motivated learner. Further experiments and research on this subject by Mager and his colleagues led to the concept of learner-control as a method which when introduced to technology-assisted instruction was found to improve learning performance. This has been a key concept in self-paced multimedia courses and has influenced distance and online learning.

Learning objectives

In 1962 Preparing objectives for programmed instruction Mager pioneered a new approach to instructional design which involved establishing objectives for instruction. This made such an impact that in later editions as Preparing Instructional Objectives it became, it could be said, the manual for preparing instruction because of its clearly outlined steps on how to define objectives. It so revolutionized instructional methods in schools that a bill was passed in California that required teachers to describe what they wanted their students to achieve (i.e., behavioral outcomes) by writing these as objectives (the Stull Act, 1972).

Goal analysis

Mager found that establishing objectives could easily be misused, and went further to formulate five steps that would clearly guide the process of defining solid and measurable outcomes. This resulted in the publication Goal analysis in 1972, which became a cornerstone of the CRI method and ensuing workshops.

Criterion Referenced Instruction (CRI)

Mager along with Peter Pipe is well known for developing the Criterion Referenced Instruction (CRI) a framework for Instructional Design. The origins of Instructional Design dated back as early as World War II with the need for creating training programs. Mager had firsthand experience with these training regimes. However, he found that they were not meeting the goals that they were set out to meet. From this phenomenon, Mager went about seeking ways to improve training delivery. These experiences led Mager to publish his work in a book later titled, Preparing Instructional Objectives: A Critical Tool in the Development of Effective Instruction.

In his publications, Mager usually starts out with a fable. In this book the fable is about a sea-horse which went out seeking a fortune. Unfortunately, the sea horse got side-tracked by the different sea creatures he met along the way and eventually ended up being swallowed by a shark. The moral of the fable :if you're not sure where you're going, you're liable to end up some place else. Consequently, in his book, Mager speaks of the importance of knowing precisely what is needed to be achieved before embarking on any instructional design process.

The CRI framework is based upon using objectives (instructional objectives) to drive instruction. Effective Instructional objectives should have three components:

1. Performance - Identifies specifically what the learner should be able to do after the instruction
2. Condition - Identifies the conditions under which the performance is to occur - upon what ("the mission field"), with/without what support ("given ...")
3. Criterion - Describes how well the learner must perform in order to be acceptable

The CRI is divided into four stages.

1. The Goal/task Analysis - The specific competencies that are needed are identified.
2. Performance Objectives - The criterion, this provides clear cut outcomes as well as states how they would be evaluated.
3. Criterion Referenced Testing - The actual evaluation that will be used to test whether or not the performance objectives were carried out to the required standard.Criterion-referenced test
4. Learning modules - Involves the development of the actual modules that would be used in the training/instruction.

This instructional framework is designed in such a way that students are expected to gain mastery in the specific modules by evaluating themselves using assessment tools built into the program.

Mager was influenced by the works of Robert M. Gagné and Malcolm Knowles.

Professional associations

• One of the founders of International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) in 1962, originally known as National Society for Programmed Instruction (NSPI), and was its president in 1965–66.
• Member of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE).

Workshops

• Criterion-Referenced Instruction (with Peter Pipe)
• Instructional Module Development
• The Training Director Workshop

Awards

• Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award - 1994
• Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis - 2005
• ASTD award for distinguished contribution to human resource development