Interview with M. David Merrill: Half a Century of Experience in the Field of Educational Technology and Instructional Design

Abstract

M. David Merrill is a leading figure in the field of educational technology and instructional design. He has been contributing to our field for about half a century. His contributions have particularly focused on instructional strategies and fundamental learning principles more than the use of educational media and their influences. He has devised a number of instructional design theories, developed technology-based instructional systems, led large-scale educational technology projects, conducted studies testing the effects of various instructional variables on different learning outcomes, and trained many researchers who have contributed to our field. Considering his major accomplishments and world-known impact in the field of educational technology and instructional design, we thought that it would be a good idea to have an interview with him. Unfortunately, I was located in Turkey and he was living in the United States so that we have conducted this interview not face-to-face but with the help of contemporary technology. We have completed the interview in several rounds. First, I sent him the questions and he replied to them. Then, I asked for more details and he provided with further elaborations. Finally, we both read and agreed on what to be published. As presented here, the interview contains information about how M. David Merrill got interested in the field of educational technology and instructional design, what important contributions he has provided over the years, how he evaluates the current status of the field, and what prospects he foresees for the future. I think that the interview gives the reader a very good flavor of M. David Merrill’s professional as well as personal experiences, contributions, disappointments, and dreams about our field.