The Gerlach and Ely Instructional Model

by
Edora Leezia binti Alias
Introduction
Vermon S. Gerlach and Donald P. Ely created the Gerlach and Ely model with
the idea that the average teacher was an instructional designer (Grabowski, 2003).
This model was created to focus on helping teachers to understand the level and needs
of their learners, therefore are able to plan teaching and learning activities that are
best suitable for the learners. According to Grabowski (2003), Dr. Ely described the
model as has stood the test of time and serves the classroom teachers well.
Background
The Gerlach and Ely model was created in 1971 when the authors of Teaching
and Media: A Systematic Approach decided that there was a need for an inclusive
overview of teaching and learning. Around this time, there were a number of models
beginning to flourish so the authors decided to come out with a model that is able to
explain the elements of teaching and learning as well as establishing a relationship to
the media of instruction at the same time.
It is said that the original concept for Gerlach and Ely model is closely linked
to the Idi (Instructional Development Institute) model developed by the Special Media
Institutes Consortium. The Idi model comprises of three parts that are design, develop
and evaluate. The parts are broken into three steps each as shown in the table below.
DESIGN
Needs Assessment
Setting Analysis
Organize Management

DEVELOP
Identify Objectives
Methods Selection
Construct a Prototype

EVALUATE
Test Prototype
Formative Evaluation
Implement

The model is problem-oriented, based on team processes and linear in its

approach which is similar to Gerlach and Ely model (Grabowski, 2003).
The origin of the Gerlach and Ely model can be credited to both
communication as well as learning theories. This is because both theories are
commonly being used in not only educational settings but also teaching and learning
strategies. The main key in the design, development and implementation of the

products that this model produces is communication while a learning theory is to

describe how the learning takes place. Since this model promotes learner-centered
instruction, it is very crucial to examine the domains of learning that are cognitive,
psychomotor and affective learning in each learning project.
Explanation
The Gerlach and Ely model is an attempt to portray graphically a method of
systematically planning instruction (Grabowski, 2003). Two very essential parts for
effective teaching were incorporated that are the necessity of carefully defined goals
and the tactics on how to reach goals.
There are ten important elements in this model. The ten elements are
specification of content, specification of objectives, assessment of entering
behaviours, determination of strategy, organization of groups, allocation of time,
allocation of space, selection of resources, evaluation of performance and analysis of
feedback.
According to the Gerlach and Ely model, the teacher is responsible in
choosing the parts of a content to be taught. The decisions made are often influenced
by a number of factors like state or local guidelines, personal experiences and longrange goals. Objectives are defined to be specific skills the learner should be able to
display under defined conditions at a designated time (Gerlach, 1980).
The assessment of the learners entering behaviour occurs in step three. As
known by all educators, every learner comes with a different set of schemata or prior
knowledge. It is crucial for a teacher to know the extent that a student has acquired in
terms of the terms, concepts and skills of a particular content prior to formal
instruction. One way to get this done is by conducting a pretest for the learners before
executing the formal instruction.
Steps four to eight are all dependent on each other. Whatever decisions made
in any of these steps will influence the array of available decisions in the others. All
the decisions are concurrent and interactive. The first decision in this group is
determination of strategy. In this step, teacher decides and plans the methods to be
used with the learner. There is a vast range of methods, which includes the expository,
that is a more traditional method whereby the teacher provides all the information for
the learner or the inquiry approach whereby the teacher acts as a facilitator who is

there to help students to discover. There is no right or wrong method as both are valid
and has their own place in a teaching and learning process.
The next decision is organization of groups. The teacher needs to think of
which strategy would best work for the students. Can they work individually, in pairs
or in groups? If the instruction is in groups, the teacher has to determine the
appropriate size for each group. The objectives can help select the most appropriate
group size by answering the following three questions (Gerlach, 1980):
1. Which objectives can be reached by the learners on their own?
2. Which objectives can be achieved by the learners through interaction
among the learners themselves?
3. Which objectives can be achieved through formal presentation and through
interaction between you and the learner?
Answers to these questions will also narrow your choices in steps six and
seven, where the allocation of time and space is determined (Grabowski, 2003). Time
can be divided accordingly among all the teaching strategies, while time constraints
like a class period must be taken into account. It is very crucial to plan wisely as time
has a great effect on possible learning space, and vice versa. It is inevitable that the
allocation of possible learning space is closely linked to the organization of groups.
By knowing the answer to the question will students learn individually, in pairs or in
groups, in class or outside, helps the teacher to identify the space needed for the
teaching and learning activity to take place.
The final step in this special group is the selection of resources. Any kind of
resources suitable with the learner objectives can be selected. They should be selected
in terms of the learners expected response and not only the stimuli itself. There is a
huge difference between learning resources and instructional materials that a teacher
should know. Materials are not resources until there is a meaningful context for their
use to the students. The examples of resources include still pictures, motion pictures,
audio, realia and computer-assisted instruction.
Once the group of simultaneous decisions is complete, evaluation of
performance has to be carried out. The teacher can do so by looking at the observable
or measurable changes in the students to identify what the students have learnt. By
doing so, the teacher will be able to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the
lesson.

Finally, is the last step in this model that is the analysis of feedback. This final
step helps the teacher to review the previous steps and identify whether or not they
have been effective and beneficial for the students gaining new knowledge and
understanding. Further relevant actions like reinforcement or remedial activities can
be planned if needed once analysis of feedback has been carried out.
Diagram

Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content
1

Organization of Groups
5

Evaluation of Performance
Assessment of Entering Behaviours
Allocation
of
Time
9
3
6

Specification
of Objectives
2

Allocation of Space
7

Selection of Resources
8

Analysis of Feedback
10

From Teaching and Media: A Systematic Approach, Second Edition by V.S. Gerlach

& D.P. Ely, 1980, Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Copyright 1980 by Pearson
Education.

Specification of Content and Objectives

Specification
of Content
1

Specification
of Objectives
2

In
these
first
two
steps,

objectives are defined to provide reasons of the learning content followed by the
content, which is the medium to achieve the objectives set. Objectives have to be clear
and include conditions in which behaviour should occur and the criterion level for
acceptable performance. Objectives must be stated propositionally whereby they can
be verified to be true or untrue. In order to come out with a good objective, the
teacher should identify if it exhibits the following four characteristics:
1. It describes something that the learner does or produces. The subject in the
objective must be the learner.
2. It states a behaviour or a product of the learners behaviour. The product has to
be observable and measurable.

3. It states the conditions of the behaviour is expected to occur. The

circumstances like time or materials can be described.
4. It states the standard that defines whether or not the objective has been
achieved. For example, the objective of a reading lesson is set as Students are
able to answer at least five out of eight multiple choice questions correctly
where the teacher will be able to see if the objective has been attained or not
by looking at the number of questions the student are able to answer correctly.
Assessment of Entering Behaviours

Specification
of Content
1

Assessment of Entering Behaviours

3

Specification
of Objectives
2

One of
the
most
important things for a teacher to do while designing an instruction is to determine the
students present skills or existing knowledge. The teacher should know whether or
not the students need the instruction. The teacher can measure the existing knowledge
of the students by various mechanisms including referring to pre-existing records and
a teacher designed pre-test. However, it is very important for the teacher to bear in
mind that this step would be impossible without having a clear objective of the
instruction.

Determination of Strategy
Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content
1

Assessment of Entering Behaviours

3

Specification
of Objectives
2

The

teacher decides how to use information, selects resources and defines the role of the
students in order to determine an instructional approach. As mentioned earlier, there
are two main methods to determine suitable strategy that are expository and inquiry.
Expository, a traditional method involves lecture, discussion used by the teacher to
accommodate a predetermined goal and students demonstrate that they manage to
acquire the information. Inquiry on the other hand requires students to raise questions,
organize the information gained and formulate hypothesis from it. This includes many
techniques like lecture, discussion, presentation and verbal written reports. The main
focus of this step is to determine which strategies best allow the students to meet the
objectives.

Organization of Groups
Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content

Organization of Groups
5

Assessment of Entering Behaviours

3

Specification
of Objectives
2

The

purpose of this step is to help meet the students learning preferences that could best
benefit the students. The teacher ought to identify which objectives of the instruction
designed can be met when students work on their own and when there is interaction
among students as well as formal presentation with interaction among teacher and
students.

Allocation of Time and Space

Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content

Organization of Groups
5

Assessment of Entering Behaviours

Allocation of Time
3
6

Specification
of Objectives

Allocation of Space
7

The

teacher needs to first analyze the objectives and space availability by looking back at
the three questions of grouping, as they will also affect the planning of time. Identify
whether the students will need space for working alone, interaction among students or
formal presentation. The needs of large groups will vary from small groups. The
teacher needs to find ways to make a space be flexible.

Selection of Resources

Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content
1

Organization of Groups
5

Assessment of Entering Behaviours

Allocation of Time
3
6

Specification
of Objectives
2

Allocation of Space
7

Selection of Resources
8

Resources are selected based on the learner objectives whereby they are selected
based on the response expected from the learner. This is the step when appropriate
instructional materials are obtained and adapted to fit the teachers needs. Take note
that resources are normally selected rather than developed due to the constraints and
classroom setting.

Evaluation of Performance
Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content
1

Organization of Groups
5

Evaluation of Performance
Assessment of Entering Behaviours
Allocation of Time
9
3
6

Specification
of Objectives
2

Allocation of Space
7

Selection of Resources
8

In this ninth step, the teacher needs to identify what the students have learned
by a few methods including observing or measuring the changes occurred in students
and finding out if there is a functional relationship between the means of instruction
and the instructional objectives.

Analysis of Feedback

Determination of Strategy
4

Specification
of Content
1

Organization of Groups
5

Evaluation of Performance
Assessment of Entering Behaviours
Allocation of Time
9
3
6

Specification
of Objectives
2

Allocation of Space
7

Selection of Resources
8

Analysis of Feedback
10

In this final step, the teacher needs to use the information gained from
performance evaluation in order to know the quality of student behaviour and the
effectiveness of instructional techniques. This is the time to review all the previous
steps and the arrow that runs along at the bottom of the model from the last box on the
right towards the first box on the left denotes this formative revision.

Personal Perspectives
In my opinion, the Gerlach and Ely model is a great guideline for a beginner
teacher. The model demonstrates a complete instruction for a good teaching and
learning process besides emphasizing the important components that sometimes tend
to be forgotten or overlooked when planning an instructional design.
The Gerlach and Ely model is not only beneficial to the new teachers but also
to the veterans. Veteran teachers will be able to gain a fresh look at the subject, topic
or students they may be having difficulties with from the experience of using this
model.
Unfortunately, some teachers may refuse to learn how the model works. Some
teachers especially the veteran teachers who are already in their comfort-zone may
not be open to trying new ideas. Novice teachers, like myself a few years back, are
not aware of the existence of the Gerlach and Ely model as a tool to help them
creating more effective teaching and learning strategies. Nevertheless, I believe that if
teachers are well versed on the Gerlach and Ely model, they will be able to improve
their practice personally as well as the whole profession.

References
Branch, R. (1999). Instructional Design: A Conceptual Parallel Processor for
Navigating Learning Space. In J. van den Akker, R. Branch, K.L. Gustafson,
N. Nieveen, & T. Plomp (Eds.), Design Approaches and Tools in Education
and Training. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gerlach, V.S., & Ely, D.P. (1980). Teaching & Media: A Systematic Approach (2nd
ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Incorporated.
Grabowski, S., & Branch, R. (2003). Teaching & Media: A Systematic Approach.
The Gerlach & Ely Model, A Critique by Sarah Grabowski.
Keengwe, J., In Agamba, J. J., & IGI Global. (2015). Models for improving and
optimizing online and blended learning in higher education.
Orellana, A., Hudgins, T. L., & Simonson, M. R. (2009). The perfect online
course: Best practices for designing and teaching. Charlotte, N.C: IAP,
Information Age Pub.