Bates (2014) suggests that the ADDIE model is past its useful life, and has become inflexible. Perhaps in its initial, behaviorist-slanted, bureaucracy-heavy incarnation that is true, but there’s no other way to approach any complex human interaction or experience responsibly, reliably, and economically.
Many professions use much the same process, with different names and foci, but following the same general method. Whether you’re designing a training course, planning post-op patient care, or producing blueprints for a house, the basic method remain true. That is:
- You always start with an assessment.
- You always create a plan based on your assessment and audience.
- You always develop a plan of action, such as content, blueprints, or patient care plan.
- You always implement said developed actions and interactions.
- You always evaluate what has been applied, whether learning, construction, or patient interventions.
Thomas (2010) describes Instructional Design as “a construct referring to the step-by-step prescriptive procedure for creating instructional materials in a consistent and reliable fashion in order to facilitate learning most effectively” (p. 185), and an instructional designer’s main goal as being to “construct a learning environment in order to provide learners with conditions to support the desired learning process” (p. 188).
Adding a constructivist angle, as Thomas (2010) describes, fits within the same five ADDIE parameters. For example, the ASSURE ID model, itself incorporating Gagne’s events of instruction pedagogical model with regards to the use of media, (p. 217) tracks the same five-point methodology:
ADDIE MODEL |
ASSURE MODEL |
| Assessment | Analyze learners, State objectives |
| Design | Select methods, media, materials |
| Develop | Utilize media and materials |
| Implement | Require learner participation |
| Evaluate | Evaluate and revise |
The key principle, as explained by Thomas (2010)—and which supports my contention that the same methods are always present—was that “even though each model had some differences, they were all basically similar in their need to provide certain components that are common to instruction” (p. 230). Regardless of one’s favorite approach, underpinned or overlaid learning theory, instructional design is a concrete, demonstrable practice and needs a methodology to support bringing that theory to practical use.
References
Tony Bates. (2014, September 9). Is the ADDIE model appropriate for teaching in a digital age? [Web log post] Retrieved from https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/09/09/is-the-addie-model-appropriate-for-teaching-in-a-digital-age/
Thomas, P. Y. (2010). Learning and instructional systems design. In: Towards developing a web-based blended learning environment at the University of Botswana. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from University of South Africa Institutional Repository (http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4245)
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