Revisiting Merrill's First Principle of Instruction

Abstract

A problem-solving method known as computational thinking (CT) has been described as a 21st-century skill that all students should learn in preparation for increasingly automated jobs in the future. However, little instructional design approach is available to guide educators and designers when designing mobile learning applications to support CT skills learning and implementation. This study addresses the above issue by revisiting Merrill's first principle of instructional model (FPI) with the CT technique and describing how the proposed CT-FPI instructional design can be used in designing mobile learning applications for problem-solving learning. The decomposition technique, a component of computational thinking, involves breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts. Future studies for this research will contribute valuable insights to the field of instructional design in developing learning aids for mobile applications that promote the CT-decomposition technique for problem analysis in learners.