FIRST PRINCIPLES OF

INSTRUCTION
By M. David Merrill

Presented by: Judy Black and Karen Staudacher

SECTION 1
REPRESENTATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL THEORIES

REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL

THEORIES
Herbart
Vanderbilt Learning Center
McCarthy 4-MAT
Andre
Gardner
Nelson
Jonassen

Van Merrienboer
Schank

SECTION 2
First Principles of Instruction

TERMINOLOGY

Principle: a relationship that is always true under appropriate conditions

regardless of program or practice.
Practice: a specific instructional activity. Practices always implement or
fail to implement underlying principles whether principles are specified or
not.
Program: an approach consisting of a set of prescribed practices

PROPERTIES
1. Learning from a given program will be promoted in direct
proportion to its implementation of first principles.

2. First principles of instruction can be implement in any delivery

system or using any instructional architecture.
3. First principles of instruction are design oriented or prescriptive
rather than learning oriented or descriptive.

PHASES FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION

ACTIVATION

INTEGRATION

PROBLEM-CENTERED

APPLICATION

DEMONSTRATION

PRINCIPLE 1 PROBLEM-CENTERED
ENGAGED IN SOLVING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.

SHOW TASK

TASK LEVEL

PROBLEM
PROGRESSION

PRINCIPLE 2 ACTIVATION
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS ACTIVATED

Previous Experience

New Experience

Structure

PRINCIPLE 3 DEMONSTRATION
DEMONSTRATES WHAT IS TO BE LEARNED

Demonstration
Consistency
Learner Guidance

Relevant Media

PRINCIPLE 4 APPLICATION
REQUIRE TO USE NEW KNOWLEDGE OR SKILLTO SOLVE PROBLEM

PRACTICE
CONSISTENCY

DIMINISHING
COACHING

VARIED PROBLEMS

PRINCIPLE 5 INTEGRATION
INTEGRATE (TRANSFER) NEW KNOWLEDGE OR SKILL INTO EVERYDAY LIFE

Watch Me

Reflection
Creation

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE

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