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First Principles of Instruction M. David Merrill For the past several years the author has been Recent years have seen a proliferation of in- reviewing instructional design theories in an structional design theories and models. Ten- attempt to identify prescriptive principles that nyson, Schott, See, and Dijkstra (1997) and are common to the various theories. This paper Reigeluth (1999) summarize a number of these is a preliminary report of the principles that different positions. Instructional design theory, have been identified by this search. Five first as represented in Reigeluth, varies from basic principles are elaborated: (a) Learning is descriptive laws about learning to broad cur- promoted when learners are engaged in riculum programs that concentrate on what is solving real-world problems. (b) Learning is taught rather than on how to teach. Are all of promoted when existing knowledge is these design theories and models merely alter- activated as a foundation for new knowledge. native ways to approach design? Do all of these (c) Learning is promoted when new knowledge design theories and models have equal value? is demonstrated to the learner. (d) Learning is Do these design theories and models have fun- promoted when new knowledge is applied by damental underlying principles in common? If the learner. (e) Learning is promoted when so what are these underlying first principles? new knowledge is integrated into the learner’s The purpose of this paper is to identify and ar- world. ticulate the prescriptive de