Criteria

Instructional Transaction Theory

Primary Contributors

David Merrill

Reference

(Merrill, 1999)

Goals

To foster almost any kind of learning in the cognitive domain, with no preconditions.  Automation of instructional design

General

Characteristics

  • Cognitivist influence since learners have control over instruction but not really content, the system fills in the gaps according to teacher
  • efficient, automated instructional design
  • automated, adaptive and guided instruction       
  • influenced by Gagne’s (1985) conditions of learning.

What is Knowledge?

·        data (knowledge objects) used in instructional algorithms

Type of Learning

Cognitive domain

13 classes of instructional transactions

  • component transactions – identifying, executing interpreting
  • abstraction transactions – judging, classifying, generalizing, deciding, transferring
  • association transactions – propagating, analogizing, substituting, designing, discovering

Control of Learning

Learner-centered: learner determines instruction

Focus of Learning

Instructional transactions – all of the interactions necessary for a student to acquire a particular kind of knowledge or skill  

Knowledge objects and manipulating elements of knowledge objects  

4 types of knowledge objects – entities, properties, activities, processes

Grouping for Learning

individual learning

 

Interactions for Learning

automated real-time adaptation of the learning environment and tutorial instruction to fit the learner

dynamic interactions dependent upon the student’s actions

Support for Learning

various types of learner guidance using different instructional strategies

guided practice

Relevant use to K-12 Education The ID theory goes along way towards helping a teacher design learning environments that suit the individual learner.  Eventually a teacher will only need to determine the knowledge objects and allow the student to learn.  Not really practical at this time.  Resources and initial time commitment necessary is not feasible in the current educational system. 
Relevant research Merrill and his ID2 group have identified what they call first principles or basic methods of instructional design.  They believe that these design principles exist regardless of the instructional practices prescribed by a particular theory or model.  With out these principles, instruction will fail to yield the desired results.