Designing a Blended Course in Android App Development using 4C/ID

Developing an Android app is a complex skill that is difficult for students to master because many constituent skills have to be processed simultaneously, which might cause a cognitive overload. Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) offers a framework to analyze and reduce the cognitive load, but the question is how to apply CLT in a systematic way during course design. The Four-Component Instructional Design (4C/ID) model incorporates CLT and offers additional instructional methods that improve learning. This paper reports on a case study applying 4C/ID to develop a blended course in Android app development. The following 4C/ID components were designed using the Ten Steps to Complex Learning (Ten Steps) approach: learning tasks, supportive information and procedural information. Each designed component or part thereof was categorized as face-to-face or online, for both lecturer and student, resulting in a blended learning design. The Ten Steps approach proved to be valuable in designing a blended course in Android app development. Our case study will be the starting point of further research.