As an important sub-discipline of dentistry

orthodontics is regarded as the post-graduate education for postgraduates and advanced doctors both at home and abroad. Orthodontics is a professional

practical and systematic discipline

therefore

the conventional education model is hard to get a good result. In this study

a new idea of four-component instructional design model (4C/ID) guided by integration was explored in the education of orthodontics

combined with the author's study experience in the University of Pennsylvania. The 4C/ID mainly included four elements: learning tasks

supportive information

procedural information and part-task practice

which emphasized in providing learners a set of real

specific and work-oriented complete learning tasks

so as to replace partial task learning to overall task learning. This study explored the 4C/ID and its application on clinical teaching in orthodontics.