In the ever-evolving field of instructional design, people seek to create effective, efficient, and engaging learning experiences. Regarding instructional design principles, Utah State University’s Prof. David Merrill’s “Principles of Primary Instruction” has been recommended by many experts and scholars.
Who is David Merrill?
A professor at Utah State University, David Merrill is a respected educational researcher and teacher who has spent more than 30 years researching various instructional design theories and models to identify common principles for each of them. In his research, Merrill has established five principles of instructional design that can be used in designing any course or practice to achieve effective and efficient instruction.
Principle 1:
Problem-Centered: learning is facilitated when learners are committed to solving real-world problems.
Instruction should be centered around real-world problems or tasks. When learners are engaged in solving meaningful problems, they are more motivated and learn more effectively.
Principle 2:
Activation: Learning is facilitated when existing knowledge is activated as a basis for new knowledge.
Effective instruction activates learners’ existing knowledge base and helps them connect new information to what they know. This principle encourages the use of activities that prompt learners to recall and reflect on their previous experiences.
Principle 3:
Demonstration: Learning is facilitated when new knowledge is demonstrated to learners.
Instruction should clearly demonstrate the skill or knowledge to be learned. Modeling and exemplifying concepts helps learners understand how to apply what they have learned in real-world situations.
Principle 4:
Application: Learning is facilitated when learners apply new knowledge.
Learners should be given opportunities to apply new knowledge or skills. Practice and feedback are key elements that enable learners to refine their abilities through repeated application and improvement.
Principle 5:
Integration: learning is facilitated when new knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world.
Finally, effective teaching encourages learners to integrate and apply new skills or knowledge in the real world. This principle supports the transfer of learning from the instructional setting to actual practice.
To summarize, Merrill’s teaching principles include stimulating students’ interest, focusing on individual differences, fostering students’ self-directed learning ability, focusing on practice and application, encouraging students to learn cooperatively, and providing timely feedback and evaluation. These principles have important guiding significance in teaching practice, which can help teachers improve teaching effectiveness and promote the overall development of students. Therefore, teachers should actively apply these principles to provide students with quality teaching and learning services.
I couldn’t agree more with you. These principles seem very practical. For example, the Problem-Centered Principle has not only helped me to integrate theory with practical problems, but also guided my interest in learning. The Integration Principle reminds us to apply what we have learned to our lives, which is very important for our future development.