ABSTRACT
The Four-Component Instructional Design model (4C/ID model) has only recently been published in text form (van Merriënboer, 1977; van Merriënboer, Jelsma, & Paas, 1992). It embodies an integration of ideas and empirical results originating from a number of research projects involved with the training of complex cognitive skills. These projects were conducted at the University of Twente from the beginning of the 1980s up till the present. This chapter provides a description of the context in which the model was developed, a brief discussion of the main theoretical concepts from cognitive psychology that influenced its formulation, and an outline of the model itself. The chapter concludes with an evaluation of the model and some suggestions for its future development.
