Merrill's Principles of Instruction for Quality Teaching

Merrill's Principles of Instruction is one of the most popular learning models and is highly regarded for its accuracy and efficiency.

Developed by Dr. David Merrill, the model is focused on a task-centric approach. Throughout the program, the learners are given instructions for better learning. They also actively participate in the real-world application of theoretical concepts.

In this article, we will discuss Merrill's Principles of Instruction and their application through AI technologies and eLearning platforms like Coursebox.

What are Merrill's Principles of Instruction?

Merrill’s Principles of Instruction is a set of problem-based teaching methodologies. These are highly effective and based on five principles to ensure the best teaching practices.

Source: Instructional Design

However, the key is all these five principles must be practiced together for a successful implementation.

The framework is designed around finding real-life problems and then structuring the practical instructions to resolve them. Here are the key aspects of Merrill’s instruction framework:

• Problem-Centered Learning Approach: All instructions come from real applications, so learners get hands-on experience applying what they have learned in real-world settings. This way, they can retain the concepts better and use them over the long term.
• Activates Previous Knowledge: A good way to ensure the learners remember a concept is to help them connect the new learning with their previous knowledge. The latest theoretical concepts should activate what the learners have already learned. It should set the base or foundation on which the new concepts will be founded.
• Skill Demonstration: Instead of presenting raw concepts, the instructors demonstrate their skills. They can use a variety of multimedia, visual aids, simulations, and even live demonstrations to best facilitate the learning. AI-based augmented reality demonstrations can also be leveraged to their advantage.

Source: SENAR

• Skill Application: The learners should also be given equal opportunity to practice and showcase their skills by being given different activities, scenarios, or exercises.
• Integration with Real-World Application: Students, trainees, or learners should always be encouraged to apply their newly learned skills and knowledge in their personal and professional settings. Even in the classroom, they should be given different studies, discussions, or other problem-solving tasks.

Merrill's Principles of Instruction: Understanding the 5 Principles

Source: Gerard Friel

Principle 1: Task/Problem Centered

You can improve your learners' learning ability by giving them real-world problems. That way, they can resonate better with the learning material and find a meaning to the concept. 

Case studies are a great way to implement this, but you can also use real-world examples from the employee's life, the lives of their peers, or the actual community, which will further make the material relevant.

Encourage the learners to engage in real-life problem-solving via discussions or finding active solutions to problems outside the classroom. 

Principle 2: Activation

Another key way to enhance learning is to build on the previous knowledge. When learners find a connection between what they have learned and what they are currently learning, they can better retain the new knowledge.

This principle contradicts the traditional learning approach, which focuses on high-level learning material without regard for the learner’s readiness or past knowledge.

When previous learning is not regarded, there is a high chance that the learners will not retain the new concept or even understand it. They will quickly forget the idea and return to their previous learning approaches.

However, the new learning should also be relatively easy for the learners. It should be engaging and exciting but also meet their level of understanding, and the best way to do this is by building on their previous learning.

Principle 3: Demonstration

When learners know how to apply their key learnings in real-life situations to solve problems, they are more likely to remember the theoretical concept. Many studies vouch that knowledge retention is directly linked to using real-world contexts in learning.

Look at it this way: how many lectures do you remember you attended where the class teacher was only using her hands and trying to make you remember a concept? 

Compare that to how many times you remember a teacher playing a video in the classroom or giving an actual life case study or example you could relate to. Demonstration not only enhances user engagement but also increases the retention rate. Hence, the demonstration of the concept is almost as significant as the instructions themselves.

As per Merrill, there are two levels of demonstration 

• Informational: These are generic and abstract, and they are all widely used in universities, schools, colleges, and other places.
• Portrayal: Portrayal demonstrations are unfortunately not accepted in all disciplines but are rather specific to certain situations. However, including as many real demonstrations as possible in a course is very important so users learn how to use and implement the new concepts.

Principle 4: Application

Next, we come to the application of the learned concepts. When learners use the newly acquired information to solve real problems, they get the meaning behind the program. Of course, that also leads to a better understanding and retention of the concept.

Keep in mind that "application" does not mean quizzes or multiple-choice questions, as those are just tests of memory. 

You need to deeply assess each individual’s learning, which can be done by giving the students real or practical case studies, discussions, or simulations. This way, they can think outside the box and engage better with the new concept. 

The overall learner’s assessment should be made on the procedure, which means assessing whether the learner made the right decision. This assessment strategy will build the connection between the learner and the new learning on an abstract level, giving meaning to the latest concepts.

An easy way to gauge the new learner’s knowledge and understanding is via Coursebox’s AI assessment tool.

Principle 5: Integration

The last part of the framework is integration, which is best achieved when the learners can better interact with each other and their instructors.

They debate, discuss, and present whatever they learn in the classroom and how they plan to use it. This method helps them better organize their knowledge and find opportunities to further organize and manage their learning.

How to Apply Merrill’s Principles in eLearning: Practical Learning

The best thing about Merrill’s principles is that they can be applied in almost all industries, including e-learning, military and corporate training, and healthcare. Let’s take a deeper look at the concept with an example of a corporate training module.

The Task

Imagine designing a training module for employees about a new project management software. The course should start by giving the students a graded project to work on. Next, you guide them through the tools, features, rules, if any, and how to use the software at the workplace.

This is a good way of equipping them with the skills to use the software to its practical advantage. Once given hands-on work, they will pay more attention and be better equipped to use it in real applications.

The learners will also get practical knowledge as they work on their assigned projects before encountering actual work problems.

Activation

Learners will be asked about their past experiences with management projects. Did they use any software before this one, or did they do all the work manually? The past knowledge will be connected to the current training, making it more relatable and easy for the users to understand.

Demonstration

The trainer will demonstrate the step-by-step process of using the software. Video tutorials and screen recordings will further enhance the experience for the learners.

Add more eLearning videos and tutorials to your course material, images, and infographics to give the students a better idea of the course structure.

Application

Learners will be given individual tasks in the classroom to use the software to apply their skills practically.

Since the trainer monitors them, they will receive immediate feedback and corrective action to ensure they learn the right way. 

Encourage the learners to carry out all the tasks themselves so that they see the challenges and obstacles, if any. This will equip them with the much-needed knowledge to solve real-life problems. 

Other ways to improve the learning experience in the classroom are to include case study discussions, conflict resolution exercises, etc. 

Integration

Lastly, learners will use the project management tool and share their knowledge and experience with their peers.

Such integration can also be done via LMS platforms like Coursebox, which allows seamless integration with third parties.

Here are some tips to foster a better learning experience for the instructors and learners:

• Include class discussions where students can openly express themselves and share their past learnings.
• Model the problem and its solution so learners will get an idea of what exactly they are dealing with
• Use task-centered learning to examine the candidate's past knowledge and let them demonstrate real-world application and integration of concepts.
• Practice AI-based simulations and scenarios and give as many examples as possible, including stories and metaphors.
• Slowly add on challenging tasks, incrementally adding complexity to gauge user readiness and progress via AI algorithms. Compare their past and current performance and identify gaps and weaknesses.
• Always give feedback! Give constructive criticism and work on developing specific skills in learners by motivating them to participate in eLearning scenarios and simulations.

Wrap Up

Merrill’s principles set the foundation for designing your learning program. When you bridge the gap between the training program, AI, and its real-life application, you can build a successful course that can be deployed across the board at all levels. 

Coursebox LMS can simplify the matter by providing real-time learner progress analytics. It can also be a valuable tool for designing specific courses tailored to each employee or learner.

So, if you are looking into designing a thorough course structure based on Merrill’s principles of instruction, let Coursebox take on the task!