Merrill's First Principles of Instruction
Updated 2026-08-16
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Merrill's first principles of instruction specify five requirements for effective teaching: learning is task-centered, existing knowledge is activated, new knowledge is demonstrated, the learner applies it, and it is integrated into the learner's world. The core proposition is that instruction which only demonstrates content is information display rather than teaching, because it omits the application and integration that produce capability. The key qualification is that the principles are design requirements rather than a fixed lesson sequence, and they must be satisfied together.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Task anchor: choose the real task learners must eventually perform and organize everything around it. - Activation probe: surface what learners already believe so the new material can attach to it. - Application gap: check whether learners actually practice the task rather than only watching it demonstrated.
Anchor fast decisions
Capability develops when new knowledge is connected to existing knowledge, demonstrated in a realistic form, rehearsed by the learner, and then used in the learner's own setting. Each step supplies something the others cannot: activation supplies relevance, demonstration supplies a model, application supplies feedback, and integration supplies retention. Omitting application leaves the learner with recognition rather than performance.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Principles_of_Instructionverified
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