1. Biography
Dr. Robert F. Mager is an accomplished author and world-
renowned expert on training and human performance improvement
issues. Arguably the most well-known and respected figure in his
field, he is credited with revolutionizing the performance
improvement industry with his groundbreaking work. Dr. Mager
holds a doctorate in psychology. He earned A.B. and M.A. degrees
from Ohio University and his PhD in psychology from the State
University of Iowa.

2. He described useful instructional objectives as
having three characteristics (Mager 1984):
1) Performance. An objective always says what a learner is
expected to be able to do; the objective sometimes describes
the product or the result of the doing.
2) Conditions. An objective always describes the important
conditions (if any) under which the performance is to occur.
3) Criterion. Wherever possible, an objective describes the
criterion of acceptable performance by describing how well the
learner must perform in order to be considered acceptable.

3. When designing trainings using CRI, the components
include:
When designing trainings using CRI, the components include:
1. Instructional objectives and goals; identify competencies to be learned.
2. Performance objectives - identify outcomes of instruction and how they
will be measured (criterion).
3. Evaluation based on the criteria established in no. 2
4. Development of learning modules tied to certain needs or objectives

4. Mager was especially interested in the goal-
setting aspect of education. Traditionally
many educational goals have been
subjective in nature and it was difficult to
determine if such goals had been met.
Mager developed a goal analysis as follows:

5. Goal Analysis
1. Write down the goal in brief phrases or single words
2. Write down the performance that, if achieved, would provide confirmation that the goal was
achieved.
3. Delete any duplication or unwanted items. If there are items in 1 and 2 that are too abstract
(fuzzy), rewrite to make more specific.
4. Write a complete statement for each desired behavior or performance. Describe the nature,
quality, or amount considered acceptable
5. Test the statements against the original goals in no. 1. If a student demonstrated the stated
performances, would you be willing to say that he has achieved the goal? when the answer is
yes, the analysis is complete.
"Fuzzy" words with many interpretations:
To know, to understand, to appreciate, to grasp, to enjoy, to believe, to realize, to have faith in.

6. Theory
This instructional framework has been used effectively in
self-paced multi-media courses and numerous other
professional and technical training programs. It is aimed
at mature students who can pace themselves and
evaluate themselves with assessment tools incorporated
into the courses. Mager was influenced by Gagne,
Knowles, and Rogers, and attempted to incorporate the
spirit of their work into CRI.