The Use of Merrill’s Principles of Instruction in the Teaching/Learning Process
David Merrill’s five instructional design principles are principles that promote learning when implemented in instruction. Each of the following principles plays a significant role in the teaching/learning process and is utilized to gradually build knowledge and experience in a learning environment (Pappas, 2021).
Problem/ Task-focused
Problem/task-focused environments are essential for learning experiences and producing productivity. When a problem-centred learning design is implemented, students experience real-life issues, creating a path for a learner-centred approach leading to an application of their knowledge to develop solutions. The value and experience gained from such experiences place students in a favourable position for learning.
Activation
Activation is essentially a method to produce new knowledge from existing knowledge. Activation is significant in the learning process as it allows learners to create connections from previous learnings and form and understand incoming knowledge. Using prior knowledge is critical in recalling information which contributes to the learning process.
Demonstration
Demonstration is the process of demonstrating new information to learners so Demonstration is the process of demonstrating new information to learners to absorb and utilize the demonstration to implement new learning. This is vital in learning concepts that may be unclear to understand. From my personal experience, demonstration has helped me understand information more clearly as it helps connect the dots in many concepts. Additionally, using demonstration from different perspectives also plays a significant role in learning.
Application
Application is the process of applying learned knowledge in the context of a real-world problem. Merrill firmly believes that memorization is not sufficient to demonstrate application for a learner. Instead, application principles such as retrieval of learned material are more appropriate to exercise retrieval. Ultimately, application through various exercises is an effective strategy to implement in the learning process as it contributes to the active use of learned knowledge.
Integration
Integration is the final step in Merrill’s five principles. Integration is the process of transferring knowledge into their life. Integration allows learners to define their knowledge through exercises such as personal reflection of new knowledge, teaching someone else of the new knowledge, and collaborating with others to solve other problems using the knowledge they learned (Learning Science Made Easy: Merrill’s Principles of Instruction | WBT Systems, n.d.). Ultimately this principle is effective in learning design as it enables learners to define the knowledge they have learned.
Constructive Alignment and Backward Design
The use of constructive alignment and backward design has been utilized in many of my University courses. Constructive alignment and backward design are specifically apparent in the labs I have taken during university. In many of my labs, the described learning outcomes were mentioned at the beginning of the lab, and the learning activities were supplied to deliver the learning outcomes. An assessment task is administered at the end, which students were graded on. Compared with regular lectures, I believe that specific lessons would benefit from using constructive alignment and backward design, especially courses that require the utilization of information.
Lesson Design for Recycling
| Big Idea | Learning Outcome(s) | Evidence of Learning | Assessments | Learning Activities |
| Proper Recycling strategies reduce the extraction of resources which can contribute to damaging water and air pollution towards the environment. | By the end of this lesson you will be able to:Recognize the damaging effects of pollution and appreciate the work that goes into protecting the ecosystem. Recognize and identify which items belong in specific categories of recycling and garbage. | Accurate identification of recyclable materials that belong to their own respective category. | An identification test which consists of different materials will be administered to students. Students must then identify and group the recyclable materials to their respective categories and provide insight on why it belongs to that category. | Watch videos on the dangers of recycling and the process of recycling and how it reduces impact on pollution. Complete a writing activity demonstrating the key concepts from recycling/pollution videos |
References
Learning Science Made Easy: Merrill’s Principles of Instruction | WBT Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.wbtsystems.com/learning-hub/blogs/merrills-principles-of-instruction
Pappas, C. (2021, May 12). Merrill’s Principles Of Instruction: The Definitive Guide. eLearning Industry. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://elearningindustry.com/merrills-principles-instruction-definitive-guide
Hi Max,
I like that you have talked about the distinction between labs and lectures at UVIC. I agree that many lessons would benefit from the use of constructive alignment and backwards design. My labs so far have applied these concepts, and they also apply more of Merrill’s principles compared to my lectures. Lab environments promote task-focused environments, for one. We also actually get a chance to apply what we are learning. I know you mentioned that Merrill believes memorization just isn’t sufficient to demonstrate learning, and I agree with him. The use (or lack) of application is probably the biggest distinction between lab and lecture settings. After reading your post I’ve been thinking about how I can improve my learning, because you’ve reminded me why labs work so much better for me. I think that study groups are one idea-have you found them to be beneficial in your educational career so far?
James