Let's Talk About One of the Philosophies in the Principles for Instructional Design

While pursuing a master’s degree in instructional technology, I have just started to delve into various instructional design theories. One theory that has piqued my interest and that I have decided to explore in detail is Dr. David Merrill's First Principles of Instruction theory.

  Photo by elearningindustry.com

Dr. Merrill, born on March 27, 1937, has a strong background in education. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Brigham Young University and a Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Throughout his career, he has extensively studied instructional design theories to identify common principles for application. His research led him to conclude that many of these theories are fundamentally similar despite using different terminology (Merrill, 2002). In essence, many theories share the same foundational principles for instructional design. As my education degree emphasizes, the learner is at the core of all instruction. The more educators understand their learners, the better they can design effective instruction. Knowledge of students’ interests, culture, ethnicity, and cognitive abilities can guide relevant and necessary content inclusion in the instruction.

Theories constantly evolve and change in education, but the central premise remains learner-centered. Dr. Merrill’s theory focuses on this core concept. A simple Google search of his theory will yield numerous articles and blogs. His five principles are detailed yet straightforward enough to be applied by any educator.

I came across a blog on the ThinkinKap website that effectively summarizes Dr. Merrill’s principles in their blog post “First Principles of Instruction: An Instructional Design Philosophy.” The visual representation of a puzzle for Merrill’s principles is a great way to illustrate the interconnected nature of each one.

Photo by ThinkinKap.com

At the center of the puzzle is what Merrill terms the "Problem," which is similar to a learning objective. He advocates for promoting learning by engaging learners in solving real-world problems, providing examples of the problems they can solve, and gradually increasing the complexity of the problems to develop their skills and knowledge.

The second principle of "Activation" promotes learning by providing relevant and previous learner experience, offering new experiences to build a foundation for new knowledge, and providing a structure to organize it.

The next piece, "Demonstrate," focuses on giving learners the necessary tools to learn rather than simply telling them. This involves guiding them with relevant information using multiple means of representation, including media that enhances their understanding.

The "Apply" piece requires learners to use the new knowledge and skills to solve problems. Finally, "Integrate" encourages learners to transfer new knowledge and skills into everyday life.

To summarize, the theory concisely involves instructors showing the learner, allowing the learner to try using the knowledge, and then having an audience watch the learner use the knowledge learned.

A somewhat challenging aspect of the theory can be demonstrating a real-world and relatable application or even having learners who may need more prior knowledge; thus, failure precludes them from making the necessary connections Merrill aims to create. Lastly, how learners ascertain knowledge is not provided, and therefore, the educator must decide what pedagogy to use for their attainment.

As I researched Dr. Merrill’s instructional design theory, I realized it aligns with the principles I already incorporate in my teaching. My main goal is to integrate real-world connections into my instruction. I firmly believe that helping students understand the relevance of the material fosters their engagement. For educators, one of the significant challenges is capturing learners' attention, and gaining their comprehension of the learning material is crucial. Overall, instructional designers strive to create comprehensive and top-notch designs. While constraints may make perfection nearly impossible, it's essential to maintain an open mind and be willing to analyze and redesign when necessary. I hope to achieve designs that impact my learners in the same manner Dr. Merrill's theory has influenced me.

References

elearningindustry.com. (2022, May 16). Dr. Merrill. https://elearningindustry.com/component-display-theory

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First Principles of Instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02505024

Merrill’s phases for effective instruction. (n.d.). ThinkingKap. https://www.thinkingkaplearning.com/blog/first-principles-of-instruction-an-instructional-design-philosophy/

Pappas, C. (2015, May 16). Dr. Merrill. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/component-display-theory

Pappas, C. (n.d.). Merrill’s first principles of instruction. ThinkinKap.com. https://www.thinkingkaplearning.com/blog/first-principles-of-instruction-an-instructional-design-philosophy/