Principle of Effective Instruction Theorist/Researcher
1 Abstract ideas need to be first made concrete through the use of objects, illustrations, manipulatives, and examples. Richard Mayer
2 Graphic organizers and visual frameworks should be used when introducing new content and when designing student worksheets. Richard Mayer
3 Advanced organizers with a statement of expected learning outcomes need to precede instruction. David Ausubel 4 New learning needs to initially relate to students’ lives and experiences. John Dewey& Jean Piaget
5 Inductive [indirect] instruction is often preferable to deductive [direct] instruction because the content becomes more meaningful if the learner is guided to discover rules, definitions, & attributes. Jerome Bruner
6 Information needs to be presented in context to maximize meaning [e.g. vocabulary embedded in stories vs. lists, math problems embedded in real life scenarios vs. listed on a page]. F. C. Bartlett & Richard Meyer
7 Use categories when presenting new information and vocabulary. John Anderson
8 Factual knowledge needs to be presented within the context of big ideas (principles) or concepts. Jerome Bruner
9 Prior learning is periodically reviewed to promote retention and increase in skill. Barak Rosenshine
10 A positive and supportive climate for learning must be established and maintained in the classroom. Abraham Maslow
11 Students need to be allowed to interact verbally in order to process new learning for increased understanding and retention. Robert Slavin& David and Roger Johnson
12 Students need to reflect on their learning in their own words. Vygotsky
13 Partner and group work must center on clearly structured tasks. David and Roger Johnson
14 Frequent checks for understanding should be used during teacher directed instruction. Barak Rosenshine
15 Learning tasks need to be broken down into manageable steps in order adjust the level of difficulty for the learner. Barak Rosenshine & B.F. Skinner
16 Non-examples can be paired with examples to increase understanding of new concepts. Robert Tennyson
17 Level of difficulty in instruction is adjusted to accommodate learner differences. Jerome Bruner& Carol Ann Tomlinson
18 Learners need immediate and specific feedback regarding task performance. B. F. Skinner
19 Opportunities for practice must follow instruction. Barak Rosenshine
20 Tasks and questions should require higher levels of cognition instead of memorization to increase retention and
understanding. Benjamin Bloom & Barry Beyer
21 Authentic assessment tasks yield more accurate information about students’ ability to apply new skills. Grant Wiggins & Robert Sternberg
22 Instruction (explanation, demonstration, etc.) must be sufficiently thorough in order for new content to be learned. J.R. Anderson
23 Guided practice precedes independent practice in order to ensure success for the learner. Vygotsky & Richard Mayer
24 Asking for predictions can motivate students by creating a “need to know.” Abraham Maslow
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