1st Principle of Instruction Applied

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction	Merrill's 1st Principle of Instruction
Gain Attention	Activate
Inform Learner of Objectives	Activate
Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning	Activate
Present Stimulus Material	Activate
Provide Learner Guidance	Demonstrate
Elicit Performance	Demonstrate
Provide Feedback	Application
Assess Performance	Application
Enhance Retention and Transfer	Integration

 

Merrill's First Principles:
Merrill defines the first principle of instruction as a prescriptive design principle on which various instructional design theories and models are in essential agreement. Merrill's first and central principle of instruction is a task-centered learning. Task centered learning is not problem–based learning but it shares some features. Task-centered learning is promoted when learners are engaged in a task- centered instructional strategy involving a progression of whole real- world tasks. Concisely the whole instructional process is based on four principles:

1. Activation Principle: learning is promoted and encouraged when learners activate relevant cognitive structures by being directed to demonstrate relevant previous experience.
2. Demonstration Principle: learning also is promoted when learners observe a demonstration of the skills to be learned that is consistent with topic being taught, also demonstration will enhance when learners are guided to relate general to specific instances or observe media that is relevant to the topic.
3. Application Principle: learning is promoted when learners engage in application of the new knowledge they learned with the quick feedback from the teacher.
4. Integration principle: learning is promoted when learners integrate their new knowledge into their everyday life and application also enhances when learners create, invent or explore personal ways to use their new knowledge and skills.

1. Activation correlates to Gagne's first four events of instruction: gain attention, inform learner of objectives, stimulate recall and present stimulus
2. Demonstration correlates to event 5: provide learner with guidance
3. Application correlates to events 6-7: elicit performance and provide feedback
4. Integration correlates to events 8-9: assess performance and enhance retention

Both of these theories has emphasis on student-centered by giving students tasks that related to their previous knowledge as a recall to prior experience. Students connect their prior knowledge with current learning situations to explore new knowledge. The instructor engages students into a task to learn new skills. For example, aids learners in remembering and applying the new skills. I think the theories are related to together as Merrill summarized the Gagne's nine steps in to four principles both started to warm up the learners using his previous knowledge and experiences with clear learning objectives. I can utilize both theories to help my students learn about evaluating online resources effectively. Students' minds will be activated when the librarian opens the lesson by asking students what is the difference in the way information is published on the web compared to the resources located in the reference section? The librarian will record the responses from the students and then clarify any questions. Students will be placed in groups and asked to brainstorm and record a list of questions to ask of themselves about the sources they may find when doing online research. The librarian with the assistance of the class will demonstrate evaluating a good online resource and one bad online resource. Students will be reminded that the web has a vast amount of sources of information, but the challenge and responsibility of sorting the good sources from the bad sources lies with the student. Students will then classify their list of questions into broad categories. The librarian will then distribute the online resource worksheet to the student groups. Students will apply their new knowledge of evaluating one of the selected informational sites, record the URL and support their answers in the "details and comments" column. Students will integrate their new knowledge by applying the checklist from this lesson to evaluate web pages that discuss whether students should be allowed to use Wikipedia.