How to Teach Like an Award-winning Instructor

Presentation at

Teaching and Learning in Higher Education ConferenceJune 3, 2015

Joel Gardner, PhD

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Poor Movie Instructors

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Great Movie Instructors

Award-winning Instructors in Higher Education (Gardner, 2011)

Qualitative Study of 4 award-winning instructors at a large western university

Do Award-winning use First Principles of Instruction? How?

Answer: YES! AND…Gardner, J., (2011). How award-winning professors in higher education use Merrill’s first principles of instruction. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 8(5), p. 3-16. Accessed online at: https://www.academia.edu/3538810/

What do the best teachers do?

PositivePatientEnthusiasticKnowledgeable

HumorousPassionate CompassionateChallenging

Excellent Instructors Teach With Strategies and Passion!

7

First Principles of Instruction (Merrill, 2002, 2006; Gardner 2010, 2011)

Instructional Strategies

Problem/Task

Centered

Activation

Demonstration

Application

Integration

8

A complex problem or task Multiple parts

“ill-structured”

Progression of difficulty in tasks

Problem/Task Centered (learning is contextual)

9

Learners recall, describe, or demonstrate prior knowledge

Provide an organizing structure for knowledge

Use a metaphor or analogy

Activation (we base new knowledge on what we know)

10

Teach the generality (Tell)

Share specific examples (Show)

Use variety of media

Demonstration (we learn by observation)

11

Recall (Ask)

Practice application of knowledge (Do)

Must provide feedback!

Application (we learn by doing)

12

Students reflect on, discuss or defend knowledge

Students plan to use knowledge

Students “over-practice” their new skills

Integration (deepen learning)

Break into groups | Generate examples and best practices | Think of inspiring experiences

Activity: Examples and Best Practices

Problem/Task

Centered

Activation

Demonstration

Application

Integration

Problem/Task

Centered

Activation

Demonstration

Application

Integration

Enthusiasm

Knowledgeable

Humor

Organized

Compassion

Challenging

Teach Strategically with Passion

15

Gardner, J. (2010). Applying Merrill's first principles of instruction: Practical methods based on a review of the literature. Educational Technology Magazine, 50(2), pp. 20-25. Accessible online at: https://www.academia.edu/3538706/

Gardner, J., (2011). How award-winning professors in higher education use Merrill’s first principles of instruction. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 8(5), p. 3-16. Accessed online at: https://www.academia.edu/3538810/

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59. Available online at: http://mdavidmerrill.com/Papers/firstprinciplesbymerrill.pdf

Merrill, M. D. (2007). First principles of instruction: a synthesis. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology, 2nd Edition (Vol. 2, pp. 62-71). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. Available online at: http://mdavidmerrill.com/Papers/FirstPrinciplesSynthesis.pdf

References